Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to ask husband not to take job that would make me solely responsible for childcare during the working week?

282 replies

Veganornotvegan · 21/11/2025 11:17

My husband and I both work full time 5 days per week Monday to Friday, typical office hours. We both do a combination of in office and WFH (average 2 days in office / 3 days WFH per week) but exact days vary week by week depending on our diaries. Both of our offices are approx 20 minutes away.

Our toddler son is in nursery approx 10 minutes away.

We currently split drop offs and pick ups between us 50/50 (I typically do pick ups, he typically does drop offs) but we communicate daily on this if we want to swap for any reason and this works well for us.

My husband wants to take a job which would be a little extra money (not significantly more, and whilst we are not rich by any stretch, we are comfortable (and not in the middle class way where comfortable means rich! Just comfortable)) but accepting the job would mean he would be out of the house 7.30am until 7pm every day. These longer hours would mean that I would have to do all nursery drop offs and pick ups, as well as all dinners, and bedtime prep for our toddler (which we currently split). I would also have to do all kids sick days as I would be significantly closer to the nursery than my husband, so it wouldn’t be fair to expect our child to wait 90 minutes to be picked up by dad, when I am 10 minutes away (nursery is in between our house and my office, so whether I’m WFH or in the office I’m still only 10 minutes away.).

WIBU to ask my husband not to accept this new job? As a household we would walk away with only a little extra money, which arguably we don’t need, but I would have to take on more of the childcare responsibilities. My husband isn’t unhappy with his current job, he’s just bored, and this new one would be more interesting for him.

OP posts:
Veganornotvegan · 29/11/2025 16:52

OhamIreally · 29/11/2025 16:44

@Veganornotvegan would be interesting to know what was decided.

He decided not to take the job. And not really through anything I said, because he reflected on it, and decided he didn’t want to miss out on our family time together.

We’ve agreed he can continue to job hunt, but closer to home. And if nothing comes up, to revisit the situation in a few years.

OP posts:
Hollietree · 29/11/2025 17:01

That’s a great result, so glad for you that he saw sense.

SheilaFentiman · 29/11/2025 17:27

Good outcome @Veganornotvegan

OhamIreally · 30/11/2025 07:11

That’s great, particularly that he arrived at that decision through his own reflection. Sounds like a good one.

UninitendedShark · 04/12/2025 12:32

Great outcome and plan.

DancingInTheMoonlights · 04/12/2025 13:16

Veganornotvegan · 29/11/2025 16:52

He decided not to take the job. And not really through anything I said, because he reflected on it, and decided he didn’t want to miss out on our family time together.

We’ve agreed he can continue to job hunt, but closer to home. And if nothing comes up, to revisit the situation in a few years.

Pleased for you 😊

Outnumberedby3 · 09/04/2026 22:06

My partner is in a role currently which means he doesn't see the children week day nights and now my eldest is older - it's heartbreaking to watch how much he misses daddy and I do feel like a single parent. I don't think you are being unreasonable to expect him to consider the impact on your family as opposed to just his wishes.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page