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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to think DH should have given some thought to the Easter hols?

44 replies

BEAUTlFUL · 26/03/2009 21:14

I genuinely don't know - so feel free to judge, or not!

DH has a seasonal job, so tends to be busier in the spring and summer than the rest of the year.

We are going away twice this year - once to house-sit while DH's brother gets married, and once in late august to stay with DH's friends in France.

But the Easter holidays are coming up... And DH is working. So I have to arrange entertainment for DS1 (5) and DS2 (1) for 2 weeks.

Do you all do this quite happily, or are your DH's all desperate to spend time with you when school holidays come around? It feels like all DH does is work while I do everything else. And both our holidays are with his friends or family.

AIBU to want DH to give some thought to school holidays, and the fact that I'll be stuck with two kids for 2 weeks, or should I be grateful he is hardworking and sort out fun things to do myself?

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BEAUTlFUL · 26/03/2009 21:48

Louannie - that sounds lovely. But I've forgotten what I like doing. All my time is spent propping up (and mopping up) the DC and the house. I try to slot work in during DS2's sleeps, and by the evening I'm destroyed.

We don't have money to shop. I'm sick of cooking. I can't remember how I used to spend my time, pre-DC.

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BEAUTlFUL · 26/03/2009 21:49

Sorry, sorry. Now I'm being a needy drain with all you lot.

Maybe I just need to get an early night or something? Nothing's wrong, but it all looks really shit at the moment.

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Louannie · 26/03/2009 21:56

You definitely need a break! Just go out out for a coffee and read a magazine. Nothing complicated or expensive just time to yourself and time for them to realise how wonderful you are and appreciate you even more!

SerendipitousHarlot · 26/03/2009 21:57

Aw, doesn't it get you down sometimes?

You need some me time, young lady x

surrofab · 26/03/2009 22:06

We also dont have money to spend on anything at all really and i've found a way for me to have some 'me time'.When hubby is not working i will ask him if he would take the kids and dog to the park,which they all enjoy doing together,then i have the most lovely,chilled out bath!
lol,i know it sounds stoopid but to just have an hour on your own in the bath,reading a good book and doing all the things that go with such a simple thing,is really relaxing.

BEAUTlFUL · 26/03/2009 22:08

I love MN. Coffees, magazines and baths sound BLISSFUL.

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Louannie · 26/03/2009 22:12

Yes bath sounds lovely. Think I will go for one right now before my other half gets home!

btw sleep is the cure all! both for you and the kids!!

pointydog · 26/03/2009 22:12

Don't the two of you discuss holidays? Does he have a holiday entitlement, a number of weeks he takes eachyear, or does he just take a little time off when he wants?

I'm not quite sure how you unwittingly end up in teh situation where you don't know what's happeneing in teh holidays till teh last minute.

surrofab · 26/03/2009 22:12

Very true Louannie!!

surrofab · 26/03/2009 22:15

When it comes to easter holidays i personally never know what we are doing because hubbys work holiday entitlement starts every April,with the new tax year.So it's luck of the draw with who books up first on the morning.
Every work place is different though i suppose.
My in laws can book their holidays from the beginning of January.

BEAUTlFUL · 26/03/2009 22:20

pointydog - DH is self-employed, so works when the work comes in, like mad. No, we haven't discussed it. Well, we did tonight (when I brought it up) then I felt all sad and deflated that had to bring it up.

Have perked up a bit and emailed friend to arrange taking older boys into London for day. Feeling better already.

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pointydog · 26/03/2009 22:22

ah, ok.

Yes, I think you just need to cheer yourself up a bit. It is understandable that he can't take time off if he's busy so don't see it as a reflection on you and the dc.

Carry on making holiday plans

solidgoldbrass · 26/03/2009 22:33

If there are two parents (ie one hasn't died or moved miles away) then both should be doing some of the childcare unless one is unfit or incapable (ie an abuser who no longer lives in the same house, a hopeless addict/alcoholic or has severe disabilities and can neither manage to look after DC nor be left unattended hiim/herself).
Being the wage earner doesn't turn a person into the owner of the SAHP and mean the SAHP is working 24/7 for nothing more than subsistence.

anastaisia · 27/03/2009 00:10

plus the SAHP is a WAHP, so is doing all the childcare AND working too.

BEAUTlFUL · 27/03/2009 00:35

DH currently works from 9am-5pm, comes home, eats, puts DS1 to bed then works from 8pm-10pm.

I don't think it's fair for me to ask him to do childcare too. Not at the moment. His work is seasonal, and there's a recession. I can ask other people to help me out with the kids, it doesn't all have to fall from my shoulders onto to DH's.

I just wanted him to want to drag me away on holiday!

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BlueCowWondersWhenItsChocTime · 27/03/2009 06:01

Maybe you're also a bit worried about losing the structure of your day (presumably 5 yr old at school?) And maybe you feel the need to have plans for every day - but obviously not every minute .

If the Easter hols are looming, get a calendar and put something in for every day, even if it's 'library' or 'feed ducks' or 'make biscuits'. Low key will suit the dc; it's you who needs more. So your list has to include 'me' time as other suggest.

Your 1 yr old is going to be really hard work at the moment, but that does get easier as he grows into a more independent toddler. But it does get easier as you'll probably remember from older son.

Notquitegrownup · 27/03/2009 10:48

Ooh, sorry Beautiful. I fell asleep

My dh works very similar hours to yours - ie every evening as well, and it is only since the children have got bigger that he has started having time off during holidays. I do so know how you feel, feeling that you have all of the responsibility. It is exhausting, isn't it?

The scheduled once a week/fortnight lounge around in the bath, with magazine, is a great you-treat. Similarly I learned to plan for an early night - 8.30/9.00 pm - with a good book or just for 10 hours sleep - once a week. It's amazing how different the world looks with some decent sleep under your belt.

Can your dh have an evening off at weekends? If so, can you plan for a nice meal, glass of wine/DVD/massage session with candles, if you aren't able to get out/meet up with friends? Make a social event of it. Dress up a bit, light a candle, feed each other strawberries dipped in melted chocolate for pudding. Spoil yourselves. This is the tough bit. It will get so much easier once your ds1 is settled in full time schooling and disappearing off on sports days during the holidays. It is now that you need these extra treats/pampering. (And I found that if you make the effort to pamper your dh occasionally, even if you feel exhausted, it does tend to help, as he might return the compliment.)

I also found life easier once I stopped expecting dh to be able to help out. Like you, I had hoped that he would be bursting to spend time with us/suggest creative ways to spend an hour at weekends with the boys etc. It wasn't ever going to happen. Assume that you need to pace yourself to do it all and avoid looking at other couples whose dh's seem to do a lot with the kids. It only makes you feel worse to compare your lot with theirs, and besides those couples often have tensions/problems which you just don't see.

As Bluecow suggests, I found it helpful to try to structure my days/holidays with the kids, in advance. You don't have to stick to the structure, but it's there if you feel at a loose end. Have a daily/weekly timetable on a sheet of paper and have a list of things for each day:

art hour/painting/papier mache making,
trip to the library (twice a week in hols), swimming trips,
walk to the park/playground,
cooking session - can include sandwiches, cakes, jelly, pancakes, fruit salad . . . .
lunch,
den-building session (under table covered with sheets),
CBeebies/MN hour,
welly walk/puddle jumping/duck feeding,
indoor hide and seek combined with tickling session when you get found,
buy a 99p bag of popcorn from the supermarket and turn a DVD afternoon into a home cinema event,
face painting,
early evening disco (30 mins boogying to favourite music is a great tonic!)

For a boost to social life, I also found joining a book group useful. We only met once a month, so not too much strain on dh to look after the kids in case they wake, but you get the book to read too, so giving you something to do in the build up to the meeting. Choose your bookgroup carefully. Some are very intense. Others focus more on the chocolate/wine/chat and talk about the book as well

HTH - don't forget to build in an hour a day on MN for you at least! It keeps you sane, when all else is failing.

BEAUTlFUL · 27/03/2009 13:35

That was LOVELY! so thoughtful and helpful. thank you so much!!!!!!!!

Love the idea of activity-planning to avoid the "Argh!" feeling. And can stuff organised, bag packed, etc the night before so we can just get up and leave in the morning. otherwise would probably never leave house.

will sit down with ds1 later and make the list together.

I LOVE MUMSNET!

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BEAUTlFUL · 27/03/2009 13:37

thanks Bluecow! yes, ds2 is hard work at the moment - at the climbing-on-furniture stage. Eeek. Will remember it gets easier. DS1 (yes, at school - hooray! ) gets easier every day.

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