Can’t get outdoor toys because of DHs dream garden 🙄

[LeaveTheSweetsAlone]

Sort of lighthearted?

DH has been planning his dream garden for 5 years now - since we bought this house.

Now this garden hasn’t happened because of funds - it would need levelling etc, he wants to do patio and a pergola, it’s a nice to have and not a necessity. Also we both work FT and honestly NEVER sit in the garden. It’s also super hot in this weather, no shade whatsoever so it’s not even pleasant to do the odd BBQ on a Sunday.

But guess who does use it? DC! Of course they do, it’s way more entertaining than the house. Weekends, after school, love it.

So I said to DH let’s get a little play house in there, maybe a slide, one of those proper swings. They have a trampoline but that’s now turned to shit after a few years.

He is ADAMANT we cannot put garden toys in there because the “wood is just going to rot” and “it’s just another thing to get rid of when he does the garden up nice”. THE SAME GARDEN HES BEEN DOING UP FOR FIVE YEARS NOW. As it stands it’s just a patch of grass with some pebbles. DCs love the weeds though so it’s ok.

So AIBU to put my foot down, get a parasol and some stuff for them to enjoy or respect that it’s the only space that’s ‘his’ to decide on (I’ve furnished and designed everything else and the trade off was garden was his 😂)?

Or in true MN fashion, just LTB 😂

Get the parasol and some garden games. I’m not sure how much use slides and swings get tbh - maybe depends if you’ve got a playground nearby. But we had all sorts of other things over the years. A playhouse can serve later for storing supersoakers, swingball etc etc. Paddling pool is an essential - I wish we still had one with these heatwaves!

Are you seriously going to go along with him depriving your kids of your outdoor space and a play area because he has a picture in his head that he's done nothing about for years?

Wake up! He's an asshat in this and your kids enjoyment of an outside play space should take priority here.

Make a nice seating area, table and chairs and a big umbrella, and add some toys and a couple big things the kids will use and you can eat outside, the kids can play and burn off energy, and your husband can plan the garden in his head.

Get a tent and camp out back on a nice weekend. Get a hammock and watch the stars or a telescope of you have a nice sky view and do some stargazing.

I would get rid of the trampoline, they're future ER visits and insurance views them dimly, at least here.