Dh sulking after being away

[Overitagain88]

Dh has been away for a couple of days with work. Left sunday lunchtime and back today about 16:00 so just over 48 hours away. And is now sulking that we haven't all made a massive fuss about him being home

For context there is me and 2 kids at home (9 and 5) i WFH on a tuesday and had just got back from school run (agreed I take a later lunch break on WFH days) and was just jumping on a call as DH came back

Kids were up playing in their bedrooms and didn't hear DH walk in

We then had to leave for a sporting activity we do on a Tuesday about 30 minutes after he walked in so it was all a mad rush and he is now in a strop saying we all should have made more of an effort to welcome him home

I've also had to feed the pets, sort the washing, lunches for tomorrow and finish off some work while hes sulking

What a brat! Did he expect balloons and cake? Is he always such an entitled idiot?

My husband walked in after 5 days away just this Monday night and his 12 year old daughter greeted him with, "dad, you need a shower" 😅. He needs to get over himself OP. Surely he could have jumped in to get the kids ready to go to the activity instead of thinking he should be made fussed over.

He’s an embarrassment.

The fact that he screamed and shouted at child says everything.
What an absolute arsehole.

Thinking he'll either double down or go for the 'boo hoo hoo I need love' sympathy approach.

Either way; arsehole.

Life is far too short and sweet for angry fucking men.

We got a dog so my husband would get the enthusiastic greeting he seemed to expect. Works well.

Did he go off to battle?

You’ll find he’s having an affair

I was thinking the EXACT same thing

Looking on MN, I fear not 🙈

Your poor DH. No-one has explained to him him about modern life.

In the 1950s his wife would have been dressed to please him, the house would smell of his favourite meal and the children would have been interrupted in their play to fuss daddy and well aware of his Many Importance.

In 2026 the father/mother who goes away for work for two nights is the one who had it easy. The one who stayed home copped for it. This is widely understood by every mother and most fathers.

In our household the returning parent is also greeted by a quick between calls kiss/hug and assorted domestic chaos.

Returning parent protocol: make self (& spouse) a cup of tea. Return to the coal face.

Top tips - try not to return home in a state of extreme hunger.

This is my new bar.

My father used to yell at me if I didn't drop whatever I was doing and come running to the door as soon as he came in from a normal day's work. Reading, homework, watching TV... I got a pass if I was in the garden but I was still supposed to do it once he passed by the kitchen window.

Didn't make me look forward to him coming home...

Oh my god. What a pathetic little man child

That would give me that major ick.
How dare he treat his kids like that also! I hope you stood up got them and told him he'd being a prick? They don't deserve that from their dad.

That is a great idea and frankly more people should have dogs instead of children because that's what they really want.

If his ego is that fragile. God help him when they are teenagers.

He is a prize knob. Please tell us he brings something better than this man-child behaviour to the party before you get a chorus of LTB

He shouted at his DC? This tells you everything.

He’s probably a selfish entitled manchild - the type to had his head turned so I would be wary….

“For context there is me and 2 kids at home”……….No, OP, you have three kids! DH was away for 48 hours and he sulks because none of you made a massive fuss on his return?!?! What a silly little man!

Get him a dog. They're always overjoyed to see you when you get back.

Mine is so dumb we walk, get back, he runs in, turns around, sees me and gets so excited.

What am I reading, what sort of loser behaves like he does. Does he feel small and insignificant at work so needs to be lauded at home

how have you not got the ick?

Your husband received a hug from you, before you had to go on a work call. The children didn't hear him come home, so why didn't he go upstairs and greet them instead??? I'm sure if they'd know he was home, they'd have raced down the stairs to see him!

My husband used to have to go away with work, but my son was younger 2-3 years old. He'd jump up and down in excitement when Daddy came home!! You can't really expect the same reaction with a 9 year old! A 5 year old might be more excited. Also how often does your husband go away? If it's frequently, then it's a normal occurrence for them.

I think your husband has behaved ridiculously. Normal life continues whilst he's away and once he's home. It sounds as if Tuesday, once work and school are over, it's hectic! Why did he expect this Tuesday to be any different from any other Tuesday??

then brace yourself for the teen years

Er nope. Wife works too. Not the breadwinner. Also who said it was an 'exhausting trip'? It was two days. Of yninterrupted sleep, no sibling bickering, no spilled juice, no juggling school pick ups. I will never understand the view some people have on here that 'work" is this perennially exhausting, medal.worthy, comes before everything else achievement. And I'm a teacher.

He then proceeded to shout and scream at our eldest as they didn't come down at all until told to. Youngest had come down looking for a toy and seen him. Eldest has been upset all night as it was a proper shouting (i wasn't in the room but heard it from the where I work)

Does he routinely ‘proper’ shout and scream at his 9 year old child?

If so, it’s domestic abuse. Get advice.

Do not let him upset your child again because he doesn’t get what he wants. It’s very damaging. It’ll affect their self-esteem and make them anxious. They’ll think it’s how men behave and either copy his behaviour (shout and scream at people who don’t give them what they want) or normalise it and end up in relationships with people who do it to them.

He sounds entitled at very least. And quite screwed up. He can’t make his family have love and respect for him by shouting and sulking. It’ll have the reverse effect and make you all dread him coming home, as @ThatCyanCat says.

If he blames it on being tired, fragile etc. ask if he shouts and sulks to his boss or clients when he’s tired.