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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Husband unwilling to help my parents with minor task

523 replies

AnnieG1986 · 04/05/2025 14:19

A quick sense-check would be helpful. My parents are going on a much needed holiday next week for a fortnight (my Dad is visually impaired and my mum does a lot for him, and they've not had a break for a while).

My mum gets anxious about the house (there have been some burglaries in their area recently) and has asked me and DH if we could pull their curtains and check on the house morning and evening, sharing the task with their neighbour, so covering only the times that the neighbour cannot do. We live 15 min away by bike.

I am overseas with work for some of the dates and asked DH to cover the rest - not more than 5-6 slots. My parents have been incredibly supportive and generous to us and rarely ask us for anything. DH dad died earlier this year and I gave a lot of support during the illness, death, funeral and aftermath (as of course I would given that it's my father-in-law) so I felt it wasn't unreasonable to ask DH to help my parents in this way. (FWIW my parents also looked after our cat in their home during my father-in-law's final 10 days which was a huge help to us).

DH was unhappy to be asked and said it's too much, he can't be expected to go morning and evening, especially before work (he works from home). He said he felt that when I asked whether this was because he was busy, I was implying that he had nothing better to do and that his own Dad's situation can't be compared to this. He was confrontational and angry and I felt very upset at the apparent lack of willingness to accept this additional responsibility for a few days. We have no DC so there's no school run or anything. And wondering what will happen when my parents potentially do need more when they get very elderly. FWIW also we clashed during his Dad's illness as I felt he wasn't stepping up and offering enough support to his mum and brother: very unpleasant but he eventually did step up towards the end.

AIBU?

OP posts:
OldLondonDad · 04/05/2025 17:45

Keep in mind his own dad died just a few months ago- maybe he’s still processing complicated feelings and maybe this is reminding him off that. Which imho wouldn’t really be all that strange or unreasonable.

I sometimes get the impression mumsnet thinks men are just emotionless robots. We’re not.

Impostersyndicate · 04/05/2025 17:45

I wouldn't be rushing to commit to that either tbh. There are plenty of other solutions that don't involve going to someone's house every day to open curtains.

Catpuss66 · 04/05/2025 17:46

BoredZelda · 04/05/2025 17:33

Insurance isn’t invalid if you don’t set your alarm.

Can be especially if you have it down as prevention on your policy.

shuggles · 04/05/2025 17:47

@BernardButlersBra You chose that commute, no one is making you do it.

Yeah, I told my employer to build their site 1 hour away from my house, decades ago before I had even heard of them.

Are you 6 years old or what?

Topseyt123 · 04/05/2025 17:55

I'd think once a day would usually be sufficient, not twice. Your parents are possibly expecting a bit too much here.

My Dad used to actually do this twice a day thing for his friend, morning and evening, watering the plants in the greenhouse too. It was a reciprocal arrangement.However, they did live right nextdoor to each other so only a two minute walk and both of them liked the arrangement. I'm not sure my Dad would have been so keen if it had been a half hour round trip twice a day.

So I would just ask DH to go once a day while you are away.

Intranslation · 04/05/2025 17:57

Digdongdoo · 04/05/2025 17:43

Yeah, but he's not moving in is he? He has to get back home again. It's not a one way journey.

Point of my reply is that a relative 15 mins away lives near. Not far away.

UnstableCow · 04/05/2025 17:58

shuggles · 04/05/2025 17:47

@BernardButlersBra You chose that commute, no one is making you do it.

Yeah, I told my employer to build their site 1 hour away from my house, decades ago before I had even heard of them.

Are you 6 years old or what?

@shuggles your comparison is absolutely ridiculous. Surely you can understand this yourself.

Intranslation · 04/05/2025 17:58

faerietales · 04/05/2025 17:42

Yes, but he has to go there/back twice a day, so that's an hour out of his day - without the time it will take him to faff about with lights, post and curtains.

They have an alarm - they should use it.

An hour out of the day plus the extra mins for the task is almost nothing

JandamiHash · 04/05/2025 17:58

Intranslation · 04/05/2025 17:57

Point of my reply is that a relative 15 mins away lives near. Not far away.

I wouldn’t especially wanna cycle an hour every day no matter what the weather to do a pointless task that can be done by a literal alarm system.

faerietales · 04/05/2025 17:59

Intranslation · 04/05/2025 17:57

Point of my reply is that a relative 15 mins away lives near. Not far away.

It's still far enough away to be a pain in the arse of a journey, especially if you're expected to go there/back twice in one day.

SeriaMau · 04/05/2025 17:59

shuggles · 04/05/2025 15:48

My total commute to work every day is over 2 hours.

This guy can't be bothered to get his ass out of bed 30-40 minutes earlier, for 2 weeks only.

Cycling an hour every day for a totally unnecessary task because they don’t want to turn on their burglar alarm? FFS. I wouldn’t be doing it either.

Digdongdoo · 04/05/2025 18:00

Intranslation · 04/05/2025 17:58

An hour out of the day plus the extra mins for the task is almost nothing

If you think an hour a day is almost nothing, you must have a lot more free time than I do! Wow.

faerietales · 04/05/2025 18:01

Intranslation · 04/05/2025 17:58

An hour out of the day plus the extra mins for the task is almost nothing

Then I'm sure they'll be able to find someone else to give up their time for free.

Datafan55 · 04/05/2025 18:02

A lot of unsympathetic responses in the first three pages. I don't disagree it's a big ask, but ...

Some people go away all the time and have routines set up for it/are used to. However OP is clear that these people aren't used to going away. Thus their anxiety about doing so is high and they are asking unreasonable things for their peace of mind on a very rare break.

If they are at home 99% of the time, they will be more anxious, have no need of ring doorbells all the rest of the time.

Is also next week so short notice to fix ring doorbells, test them, get used to them... Especially for people not used to things like that.

And for those saying 'what could happen'... Well, it's like those times you're out for ten minutes and water starts coming through the ceiling.

Also evident from first post is the fact OP's husband wasn't stepping up when his dad was dying, so has form for being crap.

TheHerboriste · 04/05/2025 18:02

Digdongdoo · 04/05/2025 18:00

If you think an hour a day is almost nothing, you must have a lot more free time than I do! Wow.

Exactly.

My days are fully booked. An hour to go move around some inanimate objects in an empty house is never happening.

Intranslation · 04/05/2025 18:03

faerietales · 04/05/2025 18:01

Then I'm sure they'll be able to find someone else to give up their time for free.

You can't make it up on here.

UnstableCow · 04/05/2025 18:04

outerspacepotato · 04/05/2025 17:41

"but is totally doable."

It requires at least an hour of biking every single day. To open and close curtains. That's crazy.

It's a ridiculous ask and it's unhealthy to feed such over the top anxiety when they already have a burglar alarm and lights on timers.

I’m sorry but I can’t help laughing now. I can just imagine OP’s husband cycling an hour in rain or heat, pissed off, to open and close curtains. Before and after work. 😂

OP I do hope he helps them in other ways though. My DH helps my parents several times a weeks. During the years we’ve had so much help from them and he thinks it’s time to help them back now that they need it.

cryinginthechapel · 04/05/2025 18:06

AnnieG1986 · 04/05/2025 14:42

OK thanks everyone - sounds like perhaps I have been a bit quick to judge my DH. I don't however think I've been unpleasant or selfish, just trying to manage a tricky situation as best I could. My parents are very nervous about this sort of thing - they have a burglar alarm but won't turn it on for this trip as they'd rather have the in person check. They have timer lights and they leave the radio on 24/7. Points taken.

Why on earth wouldnt they set the burglar alarm? Regardless of whether a twice daily in person check is performed, the burglar alarm would be non negotiable ( and I don’t have any anxiety whatsoever about this)

faerietales · 04/05/2025 18:06

Intranslation · 04/05/2025 18:03

You can't make it up on here.

Make what up? Hmm

If it's "nothing" to spend over an hour of your day travelling to someone's house just to faff with their post and curtains, they'll easily be able to ask someone else to do it, won't they?

Or maybe you could volunteer if it's such an easy task.

faerietales · 04/05/2025 18:07

TheHerboriste · 04/05/2025 18:02

Exactly.

My days are fully booked. An hour to go move around some inanimate objects in an empty house is never happening.

My days aren't remotely fully booked and I still wouldn't be doing it Grin

Intranslation · 04/05/2025 18:08

Digdongdoo · 04/05/2025 18:00

If you think an hour a day is almost nothing, you must have a lot more free time than I do! Wow.

OP says they don't have kids.

As it goes, I have career but moved back where my parents lived to be near them in old age. That was to a home 20 mins from their house. So I do have a good overview

DreamedTheSweetestDreams · 04/05/2025 18:09

faerietales · 04/05/2025 18:01

Then I'm sure they'll be able to find someone else to give up their time for free.

Exactly. Maybe @Intranslation could help out. 😂

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 04/05/2025 18:10

Your parents need to sort out their anxiety about leaving the house. I wouldn’t want to be doing a 30-minute round trip to open and close curtains in a house that has a burglar alarm switched off either!

Digdongdoo · 04/05/2025 18:10

Intranslation · 04/05/2025 18:08

OP says they don't have kids.

As it goes, I have career but moved back where my parents lived to be near them in old age. That was to a home 20 mins from their house. So I do have a good overview

All I can say is that I wish I had the time and energy to dedicate an hour a day to someone else's curtains 😂

Intranslation · 04/05/2025 18:11

faerietales · 04/05/2025 18:06

Make what up? Hmm

If it's "nothing" to spend over an hour of your day travelling to someone's house just to faff with their post and curtains, they'll easily be able to ask someone else to do it, won't they?

Or maybe you could volunteer if it's such an easy task.

You know