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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is ds ex asking for too much childcare during holidays.

1000 replies

burnedoutgrandma · 07/05/2026 14:37

ds ex wife and him split up early last year, they were married a decade and have 3 kids. Due to the cost of living he came to move with me and she moved about an hour and 20 minutes away as she had some support there and it was much more affordable. I agreed that the kids could come every other weekend to see their dad. It goes well but they are high needs kids and I am older. Ds also agreed with ex that he would see them during the school holidays. I thought this would be a couple extra nights but in the last year he has had them 2 whole half terms, a chunk of Christmas’s holiday, 4 nights in Easter and last summer she asked for him to have them for 2 weeks broken down but I intervened with that and said it was taking far to much of his and my annual leave to have the kids. So ended up being a week and then some long weekends. I know ds would have been happy to have them but I just feel like it’s a lot on him to have them for big chunks and then I feel like I need to take time off to help him.

his ex has now messaged and asked again for a week at the beginning of summer holiday and the end. We have them May holiday as well. I have said again it is too much. They take over the house, the youngest doesn’t sleep well and the middle one is very fussy so it just feels like a lot. I am exhausted and DS is again either taking time off or putting them in holiday clubs which he is paying for. I have asked for it to be one week. Ex has got very very upset saying that I am interfering in ds relationship with the kids and this was meant to be the arrangement. Am I wrong for feeling like this is a lot of childcare she is expecting? Ds now is asking me to reconsider.

OP posts:
FebruaryClouds · 07/05/2026 14:52

burnedoutgrandma · 07/05/2026 14:50

He took 22 days out of his 25 of annual leave last year on the kids. I just find it all overwhelming when they are here. He can’t move out, no way he could afford it with where we live and his wage. She works very part time.

Yep. That’s what you do when you have young kids. All your annual leave goes on school holidays. He’s lucky he had 3 left over frankly, I don’t.

JustAnotherWhinger · 07/05/2026 14:52

I know DS would have been happy to have them but I feel it’s a lot on him to have them for big chunks and then I feel like k need to take time off to help him

Do you offer their mother any help in her considerably bigger chunks? Or do you just consider your son incapable of looking after his own children?

Ds is now asking me to reconsider

Let your son deal with his arrangements for his children.

If living with you doesn’t work he needs to find somewhere else where he can stick to his arrangement, not have his mum veto it because she doesn’t think he should have his own children for “big chunks”

phoenixrosehere · 07/05/2026 14:52

You cannot be serious.

They are his kids! He doesn’t have them enough.

He needs to move out so he can have them properly and not have his mother dictating how much he can be a proper parent.

You could also leave him to PARENT his children when they visit. You chose to take off work to help him. Are you saying he is incapable hence you needed to help him or you don’t want him to do it and think it’s the mother’s job?

Upsetbetty · 07/05/2026 14:52

burnedoutgrandma · 07/05/2026 14:50

He took 22 days out of his 25 of annual leave last year on the kids. I just find it all overwhelming when they are here. He can’t move out, no way he could afford it with where we live and his wage. She works very part time.

Then he will need to get a better job! What else does he want annual leave for?

WhatAMarvelousTune · 07/05/2026 14:54

burnedoutgrandma · 07/05/2026 14:50

He took 22 days out of his 25 of annual leave last year on the kids. I just find it all overwhelming when they are here. He can’t move out, no way he could afford it with where we live and his wage. She works very part time.

So? Don’t most parents of young children spend most, if not all, of their annual leave with their children? I do. DH does.

JustAnotherWhinger · 07/05/2026 14:54

burnedoutgrandma · 07/05/2026 14:50

He took 22 days out of his 25 of annual leave last year on the kids. I just find it all overwhelming when they are here. He can’t move out, no way he could afford it with where we live and his wage. She works very part time.

Given that you deem your son incapable of having his children for big chunks of time obviously she works part time. She’ll have covered all of the other holidays (and all the inset days and days off sick)

MintTwirl · 07/05/2026 14:54

This is surely a joke?

Scrumbless · 07/05/2026 14:55

He took 22 days out of his 25 of annual leave last year on the kids.

And…?

His kids.

Youspurnme · 07/05/2026 14:55

Bloody hell how the fuck do you think other parents manage? I have 25 days AL. 2 kids at different schools where the holidays don’t always coincide. Their dad and I divide the holidays between us (we are divorced). If one of us can’t get time off then we arrange paid childcare.
Your DS is being a useless pathetic father and you are enabling it. Shame on you both.

pawpatrolandparks · 07/05/2026 14:56

Using annual leave to take care of kids is what anlot of parents have to do. I get that kids can be overwhelming but you have agreed to him staying the kids are part of the package that is non negotiable. You don't need to help he is the parent.

inmyhair · 07/05/2026 14:56

burnedoutgrandma · 07/05/2026 14:50

He took 22 days out of his 25 of annual leave last year on the kids. I just find it all overwhelming when they are here. He can’t move out, no way he could afford it with where we live and his wage. She works very part time.

You're keeping count of how many days of his annual leave he was with his kids and how many days of his annual leave he wasn't? Really?

All his annual leave is to be spent with his kids. What do you think other parents do?

Honestly, with you raising him, he never really stood a chance at maintaining a good relationship. Or perhaps he'll do better next time.

Did he take you all out to eat at a cafe last time the kids came to visit or did he just expect you to cook and organise all the food? Did he buy you a bunch of flowers for having them when they left?

SunnyRedSnail · 07/05/2026 14:56

burnedoutgrandma · 07/05/2026 14:37

ds ex wife and him split up early last year, they were married a decade and have 3 kids. Due to the cost of living he came to move with me and she moved about an hour and 20 minutes away as she had some support there and it was much more affordable. I agreed that the kids could come every other weekend to see their dad. It goes well but they are high needs kids and I am older. Ds also agreed with ex that he would see them during the school holidays. I thought this would be a couple extra nights but in the last year he has had them 2 whole half terms, a chunk of Christmas’s holiday, 4 nights in Easter and last summer she asked for him to have them for 2 weeks broken down but I intervened with that and said it was taking far to much of his and my annual leave to have the kids. So ended up being a week and then some long weekends. I know ds would have been happy to have them but I just feel like it’s a lot on him to have them for big chunks and then I feel like I need to take time off to help him.

his ex has now messaged and asked again for a week at the beginning of summer holiday and the end. We have them May holiday as well. I have said again it is too much. They take over the house, the youngest doesn’t sleep well and the middle one is very fussy so it just feels like a lot. I am exhausted and DS is again either taking time off or putting them in holiday clubs which he is paying for. I have asked for it to be one week. Ex has got very very upset saying that I am interfering in ds relationship with the kids and this was meant to be the arrangement. Am I wrong for feeling like this is a lot of childcare she is expecting? Ds now is asking me to reconsider.

You do realise that the school holidays are 13 weeks and your son should be having them HALF of the holidays?

From what you have written above, he hasn't even had them a third of that time!!

You ARE interfering. It has nothing to do with your holidays. Your DS needs to sort out and pay for holiday clubs like every other working parent does, or take unpaid leave.

TheZTeam · 07/05/2026 14:57

should be having them more than half of holidays to make up for how little he does the rest of the year. If it’s too much for you he needs to move out.

I can’t believe you intervened. Doesn’t he have a mouth on him? Needs his mummy to do the talking for him?

quarterlyreporting · 07/05/2026 14:57

What a joke.

burnedoutgrandma · 07/05/2026 14:57

im surprised by the comments.

when I split from my ex I was very lucky if he saw my dc every other weekend and he never took time off work during holidays. I just did it myself. When I agreed to this I just didn’t think that it would be this amount if I’m honest. He can’t afford to move out. Rentals here would be his monthly wage.

OP posts:
Lordofmyflies · 07/05/2026 14:58

Your DS sounds a lazy bastard. He’s their dad. There are 12 weeks of school holidays - that means 6 each. Or perhaps he’d like to pay for childcare for 3 kids with his saved cash during the holidays?

springyla · 07/05/2026 14:58

Wow you haven’t accidentally raised a loser, you’ve actively encouraged your son to be one.

SheilaFentiman · 07/05/2026 14:58

burnedoutgrandma · 07/05/2026 14:57

im surprised by the comments.

when I split from my ex I was very lucky if he saw my dc every other weekend and he never took time off work during holidays. I just did it myself. When I agreed to this I just didn’t think that it would be this amount if I’m honest. He can’t afford to move out. Rentals here would be his monthly wage.

I'm sorry your ex was a useless tool.

I am sure you don't want your son to be a similarly useless tool, though.

MintTwirl · 07/05/2026 14:59

burnedoutgrandma · 07/05/2026 14:57

im surprised by the comments.

when I split from my ex I was very lucky if he saw my dc every other weekend and he never took time off work during holidays. I just did it myself. When I agreed to this I just didn’t think that it would be this amount if I’m honest. He can’t afford to move out. Rentals here would be his monthly wage.

Surely you’d want better for your grandchildren then? Times have changed, your son should be having the children more not less.

Pippa12 · 07/05/2026 14:59

Are you for real? Parenting for 2 whole weeks out of SIX is too much? Come on… even you must read this back and think he’s a bloody chancer. Let him be a Dad and you get back to whatever you were doing before he started cocklodging back with his mother!

TheZTeam · 07/05/2026 14:59

burnedoutgrandma · 07/05/2026 14:57

im surprised by the comments.

when I split from my ex I was very lucky if he saw my dc every other weekend and he never took time off work during holidays. I just did it myself. When I agreed to this I just didn’t think that it would be this amount if I’m honest. He can’t afford to move out. Rentals here would be his monthly wage.

Times change.

lessglittermoremud · 07/05/2026 14:59

He is their Father?!
Of course he should have them during school holidays, using up 22 days of annual leave on them is nothing. We all use our annual leave to look after our children.
His biggest issue is living with you, if he cant afford a mortgage then he needs to rent/up his earnings.
How much child support is being paid?

gerispringer · 07/05/2026 14:59

I get that you think it's too much childcare and too disruptive for you- so don't take time off work to look after the kids. He should be able to organise his own children and work schedules without relying on you the whole time.

oustedbymymate · 07/05/2026 14:59

Childcare? I think you mean parenting. YABU

youalright · 07/05/2026 15:00

burnedoutgrandma · 07/05/2026 14:50

He took 22 days out of his 25 of annual leave last year on the kids. I just find it all overwhelming when they are here. He can’t move out, no way he could afford it with where we live and his wage. She works very part time.

What do you mean he can't move out what do you think he would of done if you didn't take him in. If the area you live is to expensive he can move to a cheaper area

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