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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

What do your DP/DHs do around the house?

37 replies

TiarasTimeOutsAndTantrums · 21/10/2011 20:43

DP works a 1.5 hour commute away 5 days a week. Leaves at 7am, gets back around 6:30/7pm. I'm a SAHM with 2 toddlers and do all the housework, kids stuff, make DPs lunches for next day, food shop, bath kids, cook the meals. DP doesn't do any of this even at weekends. Is this normal/fair and what do your DPs do or do you expect them to do?

OP posts:
prioneyes · 21/10/2011 21:29

:(

Not sure what else to say - I think you know all you need to, don't you?

TiarasTimeOutsAndTantrums · 21/10/2011 21:30

He just says that about the childcare aspect. The housework excuse is that he's at work/the gym every day and he needs to relax before getting up early.

OP posts:
RiffRaffeta · 21/10/2011 21:33

DC 5 and 7, both at school. I work PT 4 days pw school hours. I do all the food shopping, 95% of the cooking, all the washing, 95% of the cleaning.

DH will sometimes wash up after dinner, does the bins and all the DIY. He vacuums about 4 times a year or if a glass gets smashed. He'll put the dishwasher on and sometimes unpack it, esp at the weekend.

He works FT leaves at 7am back at 7pm on average.

Yama · 21/10/2011 21:33

I was thinking that it wasn't relevant what my dh does since I work full time.

But that is bollocks.

When I was on my maternity leaves my dh did more housework than I did.

When my dh took parental leave for 3 weeks when I went back to work after dc2 I came home invigorated and made the dinner.

We are a team. I make hs life easier and nicer and he makes my life a heck of lot easier and nicer.

Not worth it otherwise.

DoMeDon · 21/10/2011 21:34

You must know why you're with him? What are his redeeming features?

I wouls tell him that you want a cleaner 2 hours a week. If he says no, tell him he needs to help more. He has a choice.

ScareyFairenuff · 21/10/2011 21:34

It's up to you to tell him no. He doesn't get to do what he wants all the time because he's in a relationship and he has a family.

If he wants to relax, go to the gym etc. he can work it around his other responsibilities. But being a functioning member of the family is priority and must come first. Going to work is one thing he does. There are other contributions he needs to make to the household such as sharing the housework load and spending time with his children.

Unless he would rather be single . . .

clam · 21/10/2011 21:39

How much "down" time does he have compared with you? (That means his gym time, his "relaxing" before he gets up early). How many unbroken nights' sleep does he have compared to you?

auschopper · 21/10/2011 22:05

In my case I was the DH... I use to go to work at 7 in the morning, and try to be home by 6.30. Depending on what happened at work, most nights I was able to be home by 7 at the latest. It was a long day, and most of the time, because of my work, I came home completely mentally drained, although I use to enjoy the travel home to try and at least recover.

I use to cook every meal at night, even though, DW demanded dinner for her be put on the table by 7.30, which drastically cut into the time I use to spend with our DS, which to this day I resented, as basically didn't get any time to spend with him. I, to be honest would have rather have spent time with our DS, and then cook dinner after he was put in bed.

I use to bath our DS every night, and put him to bed, unless of course I was working late, which happened maybe once or twice a month, but unfortunately the times that it did happen they were completely unavoidable. Being 2IC, you have responsibilities, and also the pay packet to go along with it, which is often ignored.

I use to then take care of all the odd jobs around the house, including doing the gardening and mowing, which does take time, but also needs to be done.

DW's parents use to come down every day and do everything else, they would come after I had left, and leave before I came home, and DW use to pretend that she had done it herself.

The thing it comes down to as well, is the other partner picking up on things that need doing. Some partners have different tolerance levels and perceptions on when things should be done. I.e noticing when things need a vacuum etc, or the washing needs to be put on. It is all about allocating jobs, sticking with them. I tend to believe if the other partner has a low tolerance level for something, then, they become responsible for it, within reason of course and of course if the jobs are spread fairly, and evenly. There is little point in arguing over the fact that you noticed it first, and getting upset because the other partner hasn't picked up or done anything about what is concerning you.

Ask yourself this question though.... if the roles were reversed, (which they could be) what would you expect? Unfortunately such reversal is harder to implement, if there is a massive differential in pay between what the two partners separately could achieve. It is a difficult one that is for sure.

The thing is though, both sides have a role to play. While one partner stays at home, and the other goes to work, who can assume that the partner who works actually likes going to work, rather than staying at home. Both things can suck at times, and at the same time, (hopefully at least equally if not more) they have their bonuses.

Think about what you would expect, and try and give it a go if you can. Otherwise there is just going to be resentment, and that doesn't get you anywhere.

TiarasTimeOutsAndTantrums · 21/10/2011 22:24

My day goes
Wake up, DS lunch box, nursery bags ready
Laundry on, get dressed
Kids up, dressed, teeth, breakfast
Nursery run (3 days a week 1 hour)
Laundry out to dry, wash up, bins
Change beds/make beds/ironing
DC snack, kitchen sides
Play/activity with DCs
Lunch for DCs, wash up, sweep floor, kitchen sides
DC nap, clean table, clean bathroom/sort hallway/kids room/laundry away
Tidy living room and kitchen
Nursery run
Play with kids
Kids dinner
Wash up, kitchen sides, laundry, Hoover, kids bath
Bedtime story and bed
Do DPs lunches, laundry out
2 hours studying

I dont really have downtime. Any free time I try to study, occasionally read

OP posts:
ScareyFairenuff · 22/10/2011 11:43

You and DH are both busy during the day. You both work. You both work hard. You are both physically tired and mentally drained by the end of the day. No-one is sitting around relaxing. You both understand that.

Therefore, you should:

Share the childcare during the night if they wake
Share the childcare before work/nursery
DH leaves to go to his work, you work at home
Share the childcare/housework when DH returns
Take turns to have 'relaxing/downtime' in the evening
Share the childcare/housework over the weekend
Take turns to have 'relaxing/downtime' over the weekend
Plan to do things together as a family

This is a completely fair allocation and is workable. If you both pull your weight equally you will find that more 'free' time becomes available. If your DH is not prepared to do this you will have to decide if you are going to carry on as you have been, or change. I personally would change the situation. He's taking advantage of you and not giving the children the time and attention they need.

rainbow2000 · 22/10/2011 12:23

He works fulltime not to far away but he brings the 2 toddlers to bed so i have the baby.Hes a better cleaner than me im a bit lazy and he brings the kids out for drives so i can have a bath,clean up.Hes very good.Im a sahm at the minute.So all in all he does his share.I even had a lie in this morning.

MoistTowelette · 22/10/2011 14:14

I am a SAHM and DH works full time in a pretty stressful job (brings work home with him etc.) We have a 2 year old and a 5 month old.
He gets up with our eldest DD every morning without fail and makes us all breakfast so I can get extra sleep (still bfing at night), gives both DDs a bath every night, cooks dinner, hangs out washing, shops etc. whatever needs to be done really that I haven't got to in the day.
Basically he wants to spend as much time with the girls as possible when he gets home (as would I if I was gone all day) so I try to leave all the child related jobs for him eg. baths, making sure teeth are brushed, room tidying etc. and I do everything else if I can.
If one of us is really buggered or had a bad day we let the other disappear quietly to another room and have some 'time out'.
Today I took both kids out so he could watch football. He cooked dinner and I washed up. Tomorrow I am going out to meet a friend for coffee by myself whilst he watches the kids.
It is give and take and a pretty even split I'd say.

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