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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

If your husband worked these hours how much help would you expect?

778 replies

Woister · 06/09/2024 10:19

I am a SAHM. Dh works long hours. I basically do all the childcare and house work. In fairness when Dh is off he will take care of 85% of childcare ie take kids out swimming, bowling etc.

So the day before Dh got home a 8pm, then left the following day at 12pm to be home at 3 am. He will be leaving today at 12pm.

how much help would you expect from husband with these hours?

OP posts:
Woister · 06/09/2024 12:14

FuzzyDiva · 06/09/2024 12:12

Presumably your 7 and 9 year olds help with dinner and kitchen tidy up, as well as sorting their uniforms. If not, why can’t you do it during you plentiful time off during the day?

My older kids will empty the dishwasher, bring their washing down/put it away, feed the dogs but that’s about it, it helps but doesn’t really lessen my load.

OP posts:
spuddy4 · 06/09/2024 12:15

Woister · 06/09/2024 12:02

I would swap with dh in a heartbeat.

Dh typical day:

  • wake up and get ready
  • commute to work (includes Costa drive through and podcast)
  • work
  • commute home
  • eat
  • sleep
  • maybe there will be a dog walk/school pick if possible

my typical day:

  • wake up with baby - feed, dress
  • cook breakfast - normally eggs
  • wake up older kids
  • school drop off
  • dog walk
  • tidy up house
  • take baby to play group
  • Come home - normally do house admin, laundry
  • load up baby and dogs for school pick up
  • come home
  • afternoon club twice a week
  • put on dinner
  • help with homework
  • feed kids
  • baths
  • kitchen tidy up
  • sort out uniforms if needed
  • bed

But you said earlier that you wanted to be home for your children because you didn't have that? I think what you really want is the perks of staying at home without doing everything that comes with it. Sometimes the reality isn't as good as the dream.

YeahComeOnThen · 06/09/2024 12:17

Katielovesteatime · 06/09/2024 11:24

I wouldn’t expect any! It sounds like he does absolutely loads. He sounds like a really hands-on dad so I think that, plus working, is more than enough! As a SAHM isn’t every day cleaning your job?

@Katielovesteatime

a somuty loads?

he cooks dinner on ONE of his days off.

he takes the kids out (when they're not at school) for a couple of hours

he washes his own uniform

.....

He can't even put his own cereal bowl in the dishwasher.

followmyflow · 06/09/2024 12:17

you and your husband both have "jobs". him as a pilot, and you as a mother and homemaker. he should 100% be doing housework when he is around. both of you should get breaks and decompression time. leaving his breakfast dishes around for you to take care of, instead of just rinsing it and putting it in the dishwasher in 10 seconds, is very poor.

Fifthtimelucky · 06/09/2024 12:18

I agree that it wouldn't be much to expect him to put in some other washing when he's doing his uniform.

But I'd also expect the OP to include her husband's washing when she was putting a load on. Leaving it out seems very petty to me.

Personally, I think the OP is getting a pretty good deal given the ages of the children.

ButterAsADip · 06/09/2024 12:18

Anything outside of working hours is 50:50 for us. Works well for us!

DillyDilly · 06/09/2024 12:19

You listed out what you do in a working day - could you list out what he does during his working day. Your list pretty much is part of the ‘job’ of being a SAHM. When I was a SAHM I tried to get all house stuff/grocery shopping/errand running, etc done while DH was at work so weekends were free for relaxing, outside of the obvious meal prep/childcare.

When we were both at home at the same time, everything was 50.50/teamwork. DH would cook as much as me, he would not be sitting down for the day while I ran around. But I had organised things so there would be only very minimal housework/laundry/running errands at the weekend. We would both do kids bedtime routines every evening whether it was the week weekend. We would both tidy up after a meal. But I always tried to have the house sorted during the day when he was at work, so we could both just hit the sofa once the kids were in bed. Of course, there were some days DH came home to chaos.

Would it be an option for you to get a cleaner in a few hours a week ? Or go back to work part time do you don’t feel like a housekeeper.

PicturePlace · 06/09/2024 12:19

Woister · 06/09/2024 12:02

I would swap with dh in a heartbeat.

Dh typical day:

  • wake up and get ready
  • commute to work (includes Costa drive through and podcast)
  • work
  • commute home
  • eat
  • sleep
  • maybe there will be a dog walk/school pick if possible

my typical day:

  • wake up with baby - feed, dress
  • cook breakfast - normally eggs
  • wake up older kids
  • school drop off
  • dog walk
  • tidy up house
  • take baby to play group
  • Come home - normally do house admin, laundry
  • load up baby and dogs for school pick up
  • come home
  • afternoon club twice a week
  • put on dinner
  • help with homework
  • feed kids
  • baths
  • kitchen tidy up
  • sort out uniforms if needed
  • bed

This is disingenuous. By the same count, you husband could list his day as:

  • wake up, get breakfast
  • commute to work
  • sign in at work
  • check schedule for the day
  • meet with colleagues
  • start check-in process for flight
  • board plane
  • equipment check
  • check in with crew
  • passenger announcement
  • fly plane (!!)
  • land plane
  • check plane equipment and sign off on flight
  • paperwork
  • commute home

Your day:

  • get up and hang out with kids
  • some light housework
  • cook meal

See?

Scirocco · 06/09/2024 12:19

Woister · 06/09/2024 12:02

I would swap with dh in a heartbeat.

Dh typical day:

  • wake up and get ready
  • commute to work (includes Costa drive through and podcast)
  • work
  • commute home
  • eat
  • sleep
  • maybe there will be a dog walk/school pick if possible

my typical day:

  • wake up with baby - feed, dress
  • cook breakfast - normally eggs
  • wake up older kids
  • school drop off
  • dog walk
  • tidy up house
  • take baby to play group
  • Come home - normally do house admin, laundry
  • load up baby and dogs for school pick up
  • come home
  • afternoon club twice a week
  • put on dinner
  • help with homework
  • feed kids
  • baths
  • kitchen tidy up
  • sort out uniforms if needed
  • bed

It feels to me like you've broken down your work into tasks but not his, which gets presented as one activity.

When he's at his work, you're also working. So when he's not at his work, there's a 50:50 responsibility for the things that need to be done. Those things also include him being sufficiently rested and recovered for his return to work. I don't think it's unreasonable to expect a grown man to put his own cereal bowl in the dishwasher, but overall it sounds like you might be expecting too much.

Cosyblankets · 06/09/2024 12:19

Whatever gives you equal down time

FinallyPregnant23 · 06/09/2024 12:20

I don’t think he should have to do much on a work day, but he absolutely should not be creating more work for you - leaving his socks on the floor for you to pick up, leaving his bowl on the side for you to put in the dishwasher, etc. then 50/50 on the days he has off

Mooneywoo · 06/09/2024 12:21

Woister · 06/09/2024 12:13

Not a dream just knew that I wanted to be present in my children’s lives

And now you’re at home but you’re complaining you would swap with your DH in a second, so which is it?

Being a stay at home parent isn’t all coffee mornings and trips to the park after school.

What did you do for the 3 years in which your children were both at school?

Growlybear83 · 06/09/2024 12:22

My husband worked very long hours when I was a stay at home parent. I didn't expect him to do anything other than spending some time with our daughter if she was still up when he got home or at weekends. I would never have expected him to do any housework when I was at home all day.

Tomorrowsanuthrday · 06/09/2024 12:22

YeahComeOnThen · 06/09/2024 12:12

@middleagedandinarage

so it all renders him unable to put his own dishes in the dishwasher & wipe up any spills/mess he makes.

Desr god, men are given such a pass to adult. Let alone the pathetic swooning because he's a pilot.

@Woister

I do hope your swishing around the house with your maids uniform, pretty little fluff healed slippers and hair & face done. Bringing the poor pilot his slippers & whisky

How disrespectful to men & women who literally take people's lives into their own hands. I for one am extremely grateful for pilots & they deserve the utmost respect for the job they do. SAHM have a hard job,nobody is denying that. It's actually a privilege though. If they are resentful of their chosen position in life they are in the wrong job.

Bunnycat101 · 06/09/2024 12:23

You seem to be vastly underestimating the responsibility and long hours he has as a pilot and sole earning for the family. I think you’re being very unreasonable to think he has an easier time of it than you. For most of the time you’ve just got the one child who should be napping and it sounds like you get time to yourself if he’ll take all 3 kids out on a day off and be engaged. If you’re becoming resentful maybe you need to get a job. In those circs as a sahm I’d be expecting to do all of the jobs around the house or get some additional and specific support from a cleaner if it was too tricky with the baby.

error404notfound · 06/09/2024 12:25

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

BellesAndGraces · 06/09/2024 12:25

What difference does it make that he’s pilot? Bus drivers, train drivers, lorry drivers, nurses, surgeons etc all have other people’s lives in their hands. There are plenty of mothers in these roles too and my guess is that they are not all married to stay at home dads.

As for those people saying OP should get a job - do you mean that she should work full time but then continue to do the vast majority of childcare and housework because her DH will still be a pilot and presumably still incapable of doing more than he does now by virtue of his occupation?

If the OP divorced her DH and insisted on 50:50 custody (or whatever it’s called now) so that she too could build a career and pension, then what would the DH do then, stop being a pilot? When the DH has his own house, will he then be able to learn how to put his own bowl in the dishwasher despite still being a pilot?

My mother was a nurse who worked 7 12 hour shifts in a row and still managed to do housework and be present for her children. I used to be married to a police officer who worked 12 hour shifts and if his days off fell during the week he would do the childcare pick ups and drop offs or keep our DD home so he could spend time with her. On those days off I always came home to a clean house. But then again, he actually wanted to be involved in family and home life and didn’t see me as his cleaner.

Fwiw OP, for so long as you have a pre-school child at home with you I think housework should be split (but not necessarily 50:50). If your DH is unable to up his game and take on more housework then you need a cleaner and I would suggest outsourcing laundry. Everyone should pick up their own laundry and clear their own plates as that is basic respect.

If you remain as a SAHM once kids are all in school then I would agree that all housework and admin should be done during school hours.

Catza · 06/09/2024 12:25

Woister · 06/09/2024 10:29

When I say he does 85% of childcare I mean that he occupies them for 85% so that the kids are not all over me for that time.

For example, he will take all 3 kids out - swimming, bowling, park, then pick up lunch things, feed them and set up an activity. Ie he has ‘built’ older kids a castle and rocket ship and he Amazoned paint and pens for them to decorate. He’s not actively engaging for 85% of the time. Just makes sure they are not all over me for that time.

Edited

Very much sounds like he is engaging with them, doesn't it. He is not exactly sitting on his phone at home while the kids are running riot around him.

Northernparent68 · 06/09/2024 12:30

Op, you dismissively refer to your husband’s day in one line, do you not think being a pilot may be difficult or stressful ?

Stresshead84x · 06/09/2024 12:30

I think not too much as he works long hours and he's doing a lot with the kids- maybe help with things like taking bins out, maybe jobs like cleaning windows, sticking a wash on etc.

Myusername19 · 06/09/2024 12:30

Woister · 06/09/2024 10:23

i have a 9 month old, 7 and 8 year old.

Well considering youre 24/7 at home then your partner should share the load 50.50 when he is at home.

ThisBlueCrab · 06/09/2024 12:32

Days he is working nothing.

His scheduled Days off or annual leave he should be doing 50/50

Quartz2208 · 06/09/2024 12:32

FinallyPregnant23 · 06/09/2024 12:20

I don’t think he should have to do much on a work day, but he absolutely should not be creating more work for you - leaving his socks on the floor for you to pick up, leaving his bowl on the side for you to put in the dishwasher, etc. then 50/50 on the days he has off

This

i would communicate to him that although he works that doesn’t mean he gets a complete free pass - just like he has people facilitating his ability to fly he should do the same for you, place things in the dishwasher, tidy away his things put away his clothes and be mindful so that if he notices that the dishwasher is full put in on, put a wash on, pick up mess etc

Lolaandbehold · 06/09/2024 12:33

If you're a SAHM mum, I'd expect no help from your husband during the week when he is working, even if he is WFH.
If he is generally around during the evenings and weekends, then I'd expect it to be 50/50.

Mystery2345 · 06/09/2024 12:33

7 and 8 year olds shouldn't need constant entertainment. Sounds like he does his bit. Has he ever been good at putting bowls in dishwasher?

Sounds like a good set up

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