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Parenting

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Massive blow up. Who is in the wrong here?

47 replies

blewupshit · 17/12/2023 20:45

Firstly we are both in the wrong for it happening infront of my son and I feel absolutely shit about that.

My son wanted me to do bed time but I was busy with baby so my husband did it. He got really upset and screamed and screamed for me.
He has a 15 minute timer in which he gets stories, if he wastes time kicking off about something then he gets less stories before the timer goes off.
He spent the entire timer crying for me, crying for a toy etc. My husband gave him the toy (a light up bloody Marshall car!) and also let him have stories after his timer went off. After the stories we was just messing around with the toy, not going to sleep at all and I could hear my husband getting really cross at him. Speaking through gritted teeth, shouting at him to lie down now etc. Just clearly really pissed off with him. If we get angry it makes bedtimes so much worse. It has been going on for 1.5 hours by this point and it escalated to those two having an argument. I went in and said enoughs enough, you're arguing with a 4 year old, tap out. We have a deal made that if either of us lose it with him we tap out and the calm parent takes over.
I took over, I took the toy off him and laid down and said time for sleep. He asked for the toy back, I said we don't have toys in bed, he asked for more stories, I said the timer had gone off. He lost it, because I had taken away all of the things that my husband had given in on.
He needs consistency at bed time, there's always some push back but he's never still up arguing over an hour later, he was worse because my husband had been so inconsistent and aggressive.
I was talking to him totally calmly, and suddenly my son started screaming for his daddy back because he wanted the toy back. I was very calm but firm and said it's bed time. I fully believe if I'd been left to carry on he would of kicked off for a few minutes then realised that shit doesn't fly with me and given in.
Instead my husband came storming back in, shouting at me that I've made everything 100 times worse, he wasn't this upset before I took over (yes because he was dicking about with a toy). I said calmly leave me to it please. He's shouting at me to get out the bed now, don't make this worse, get out now. I tell him I'm fine and to leave me to it, he is getting so aggressive and shouting GET THE FUCK OUT. I just lost it at that point and climbed out of the bed, pushed past him and said to go fuck himself. He's terrible at swearing infront of the kids whereas I never do it so I'm pissed off that I did it too. He turned around and got in my face like oh there she is, go on then, get the fuck out. I was like why are you doing this? Look what you're doing in front of him. What an example is this. It was pitch black and I was talking with my arms and my phone in my hand caught his face and he started shouting "You just punched me in front of my son, you just punched me in the face in front of my son!!!" Repeatedly. My son was hysterical at this point, I walked out and could hear him comforting my son saying it's ok, she's gone, it's ok. As if I was some abusive bitch of a mother.

I'm shaking now. It should never of happened in-front or my son and I completely accept that and will never allow it to happen again, but am I in the wrong with the rest of it?!

OP posts:
SgtJuneAckland · 17/12/2023 20:49

Wow, ok he didn't stick rigidly to the rules, but you then undermined him rather than let him deal with it. You're both swearing, shouting and threatening each other in front of a child and you've hit him in the face 'accidentally' . That poor boy he must be terrified.

Crikeyisthatthetime · 17/12/2023 20:52

Well neither of you have come out of this well but you were badly provoked. But as to the way your partner totally lost it at you. I don't know how you come back from that to be honest. I don't think I ever could.

Toottooot · 17/12/2023 20:52

Peer kid - how awful. I’m sure if he ‘accidentally’ smacked you in the face it wouldn’t have been an accident eh.

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xyz111 · 17/12/2023 20:53

This sounds like a toxic relationship on both parts. Your son was feeling rejected. I would have said let daddy read the books and I'll come in at the end. But sounds like you just said no and then waited 90 mins until you intervened? This clearly isn't a one off?

mynameiscalypso · 17/12/2023 20:56

Trying to apportion out blame in this kind of situation seems to be missing the point somewhat. You're both in the wrong. Your poor DS had to witness that shitshow. Protect your child and end the relationship.

Justmuddlingalong · 17/12/2023 20:56

He needs consistency at bed time
He needs a calm, relaxing bedtime, which he's got from neither of you.

AuntMarch · 17/12/2023 20:56

You both handled it badly.
What were you doing with the baby that you couldn't go to the child crying for you for that amount of time?

Riverlee · 17/12/2023 20:57

It sounds like you’re both at fault to be honest.

For whatever reason, dc was winding dh up and dh reacted. We all have nights like that when our tolerance is down and we have an off day.

You did the right thing by going in. However, when dh heard dc crying, he assumed you hadn’t improved the situation (probably was still feeling stressed out). He wasn’t to know that you thought the situation would improve.

After that, neither of you conducted yourself well. You were both stressed with each other and the situation.

Going forward, you both need to apologise to each other and re-discuss your bedtime routines.

exoticmicrophone · 17/12/2023 20:57

I think you both need to de-escalate and apportioning blame won't achieve that.

NuffSaidSam · 17/12/2023 20:58

I think arguing over whether he should or shouldn't have had a bedtime story after a timer went off is so, so far from what you should be worrying about you should be asking yourself some very serious questions.

What he witnessed was absolutely and completely unacceptable from you and your partner. You should both be seeking some parenting classes, and individual and couples therapy, some anger management etc. Anything to make sure that this never, ever happens again. Your poor son.

The fact you're here looking for views on who was right or wrong about toys/stories speaks volumes about how far off base your parenting has got. Ridiculous.

exoticmicrophone · 17/12/2023 21:00

Riverlee · 17/12/2023 20:57

It sounds like you’re both at fault to be honest.

For whatever reason, dc was winding dh up and dh reacted. We all have nights like that when our tolerance is down and we have an off day.

You did the right thing by going in. However, when dh heard dc crying, he assumed you hadn’t improved the situation (probably was still feeling stressed out). He wasn’t to know that you thought the situation would improve.

After that, neither of you conducted yourself well. You were both stressed with each other and the situation.

Going forward, you both need to apologise to each other and re-discuss your bedtime routines.

I think this is a calm, fair and practical appraisal of the situation and way forward.

Quitelikeit · 17/12/2023 21:00

You are both tired and stressed

JustOneMoreBaileys · 17/12/2023 21:00

The blame doesn't matter. To worry about that is to dick about with the details.

Your son witnessed an awful scene in which his parents acted unpredictably and scarily in front of him.

That's what needs to be the focus.

MolkosTeenageAngst · 17/12/2023 21:02

So you have a policy that you tap each other out and so when you weren’t happy with the way he was handling things you went in and took over, but then when you’d not helped the situation at all and he tried to do the same and swap out you refused to leave? One rule for you and another for him?

You also say you ‘pushed past him’ and then ‘accidentally’ hit him in the face with a phone. Sounds like you brought physical aggression into this. His verbal shouting and swearing was obviously also on the wrong. You both sound toxic and like shit parents to be honest, your poor kids. They don’t deserve any of this, it’s no wonder your son can’t settle to sleep he’s probably scared out of his mind living amidst all the dysfunction.

Poppybob · 17/12/2023 21:02

I can't imagine a least relaxing, consistent bedtime routine. It sounds pretty stressful. You were both in the wrong here, maybe no toys at all in bedroom just stories and relaxed/non stressy parents.

Christabelladaisy · 17/12/2023 21:02

I don’t think you handled it badly until your husband started shouting but we all lose our temper sometimes: it isn’t ideal it happens in front of children but it didn’t happen over nothing or in isolation. I am sorry for your son but worried for you as it sounds really horrible for you and I’m sorry you’ve had some unpleasant replies here.

vanillaredbushtea · 17/12/2023 21:04

You need to split up. This is toxic

Cas112 · 17/12/2023 21:05

Your poor poor child

blewupshit · 17/12/2023 21:08

Poppybob · 17/12/2023 21:02

I can't imagine a least relaxing, consistent bedtime routine. It sounds pretty stressful. You were both in the wrong here, maybe no toys at all in bedroom just stories and relaxed/non stressy parents.

I do bed time almost every night and it is a calm routine. He used to demand about 10+ stories and kick off constantly for more so we put a timer in place. When it goes off he will ask for more but with clear boundaries and consistency he accepts really quickly that it isn't happening and cuddles up and goes to sleep. He'd gotten so distressed this bed time because there was no consistency, he was pushing back and being given toys and more stories and he was so overtired he was just getting more and more emotional but nowhere near falling asleep.

It's not one rule for me and another for my husband no, but we tap out when we've lost our temper. He was shouting and being quite aggressive so yes, it was time for him to tap out. I was entirely calm and just parenting in a normal way, trying to bring bed time back to normal. I wasn't shouting or angry at all, so no, it wasn't right for him to come back in shouting at me to get out and insisting I leave.

This isn't something that has ever happened infront of my kids, this isn't something that has ever happened between my husband and I so I'm feeling pretty shook up. I've never thought of our marriage as a toxic one at all, he does have a temper and gets more shouty with my son than I'd like, I'm not a shouty mum but it's never escalated like this before.

Of course my concern is with my son, it's horrific he had to witness that and I will make it right tomorrow once he's awake. I will apologise for my actions and explain that it should not of happened. My husband however is putting the blame entirely on me and I just wanted an outside opinion on the situation.

OP posts:
hobbitonthehill · 17/12/2023 21:10

Bloody ridiculous and you had another baby ?

Dogsandchocolaterule · 17/12/2023 21:15

Oh OP it happens, you have two young DC no one is perfect.

Both reflect tonight, apologise tomorrow and move on. Don't listen to people saying leave and it's toxic, that's an over exaggeration for one chaotic night.

If every marriage split up over one stressful shitty night there would be broken homes everywhere.

Be calm, sleep on it and talk to you DH tomorrow.. your DS will not remember this don't worry.

Cornishclio · 17/12/2023 21:15

I wonder if you should change the bedtime routine so your husband does it more often. My DD and her husband have 2 children and almost from birth they swap daily and one does one child and one does the other. If your DS was more used to your husband doing the bedtime routine he may not have kicked off in the first place and neither of you covered yourself in glory even though I understand the need to tap out if one parent is struggling to stay calm.

Your DH needs to be consistent and maybe if he was more used to putting your son to bed he may have stuck to the rules more. Him coming in being shouty and aggressive made everything ten times worse and if you were otherwise calm and coping I would say he was in the wrong. You retaliating made it even worse though so you both need to talk about how you parent.

Justmuddlingalong · 17/12/2023 21:15

Your DS has witnessed unsettling and upsetting behaviour from the very 2 people who he should trust, feel safe and protected by. I don't think it'll be as easy as you think, making it right tomorrow.

Bluebelle82 · 17/12/2023 21:15

Sometimes we just have to adapt our rules and routines because it all goes to sh*t. Both adults are in the wrong. Both adults need to take some time out and apologise. Tomorrow is a new day.

I do think you need to have a look at why you need a special tap out arrangement for when you start to loose it with your 4 Yr old.... why are you 'loosing it'? It sounds like this is a regular thing?
It didn't sound like you were the calm parent taking over - more the parent most insistent on rules. I've been that parent - some sense of control feels better than chaos... but really it wasn't chaos- just a tired young kid acting up... say goodnight, turn off light, shut door and walk away. Or leave DH to get on with it.

blewupshit · 17/12/2023 21:18

I do think you need to have a look at why you need a special tap out arrangement for when you start to loose it with your 4 Yr old.... why are you 'loosing it'? It sounds like this is a regular thing?

He isn't the easiest child to parent. He throws a good tantrum and yes, my husband has a short patience with him and loses it and makes it all worse. That was mainly put in place to avoid that.

OP posts: