Thank goodness DH is going back to work tomorrow!

[perpetualworrier]

My 2 DS's are not bad kids. A long way from perfectly behaved, but don't generally show me up any more than I think is normal.

However, the are very accomplished at winding their father up. He reacts at every little thing, especially in public when he feels embarrassed, but he doesn't actually take action, so they know he doesn't always mean what he says (unlike me )

I feel like I've been referee between the three of them all weekend. I love DH dearly and try to back him up, but often I just feel he's being unreasonable, or I can't help myself pointing out what he's doing wrong when trying to get the DS's to behave. I really don't want to undermine him but...

Is this normal, or is it just in our house?

We have a bit of a similar thing here but only with DS1 who is 3, DS2 is only 10 months.
I always find weekends and bank holidays harder then usual and pretty stressful, lots of shouting/arguing etc, but its difficult to say that to DH without sounding very critical

I think that it is not so unusual, I am more used to our DCs and I know how they will react. DH sometimes overreacts to them and it all gets a bit manic.

I will just be happy to have the house back to for myself adn to be able to MN without disapproving looks.

He huffed at me because I was online today instead of putting the washing away. HE was golfing, but I was supposed to do housework.

I sometimes find things more fraught at home if we're all here and DH takes the kids out himself so I get a breather - they are older than yours though. It's good that you back him up unless he's being REALLY unreasonable. Do you get a chance to talk to him about how things are going with the kids, what stage they're at etc, when they're not around and things are calmer?

Don't get me wrong , he is great Dad. He took them swimming on Saturday and chased them round the park, while I entered a race on Friday, but he just lets them wind him up so much and I as a bystander can see they enjoy it. He knows this, but still lets them do it.

Actually it's just occured to me that maybe they get along better when I'm not there to tell him how he should be doing it.

Let him get on with it,
back him up in front of the kids

• and compare notes afterwards.

Particularly, if most of the clashes are personality-related
rather than to do with parenting approaches.

Stop worrying He sounds like a top bloke!

I have abolutely no doubt that he is a top bloke I'd just like weekends to be a bit less stressful!