Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Relationships

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

Working from home

65 replies

WifeBroken · 23/02/2022 02:12

If you or partner are working from home, do you give the other person a break in the day. I'm not talking an hour, but 10/15 mins to just give them a break from small children.

Huge argument with husband who works from home.
Have said before that 2 children under 3 is hard going and perhaps he could instead of going out for numerous vapes outside, turn left and see if I could do with 10 minutes outside.

I've asked 'nicely' I've pointed out that he gets about 5+ vape breaks per day and takes lunch to his desk to eat etc and therefore it might be nice to give me a pathetic 15 minute break?
I've been passive aggressive and made comments and finally just been upset and told him he's a shit husband.
Is he though or am I asking too much?

My argument is that I spend all day and all night with the children, feed them all day, play, clear away food from weaning baby and child, I do all domestic chores, daily vacuum, clear up cat litter, daily laundry at least 1 load, empty and stack dishwasher and I clean up from the day at night, including the floor from dinner and plates etc. So it's not like I'm relaxing.

His argument is that if he was at work, I'd get no break.
Mine is... but you aren't at work, and why wouldn't you give your wife a break? Especially if she's saying she's worn out.

He spent longer giving me reasons why he never gets a break, and various others things he does which mean he doesn't need to, rather than just saying, ok.
I told him he was a shit husband and he would give a random person off the street a break over me.

It's very depressing

OP posts:
IrishKatie1971 · 23/02/2022 17:03

That's incredibly mean of him. He should be happy to spend time with his little ones. Not many parents who work full time get that luxury after all. Hire a home help to give you a break for one hour every day and sod him.

user1481840227 · 24/02/2022 00:43

@Justkeeppedaling

His argument is that if he was at work, I'd get no break. Mine is... but you aren't at work, and why wouldn't you give your wife a break? Especially if she's saying she's worn out

But he IS at work. He's just not in the office.

I wfh, and not sure I would want to fit childcare in between my Teams meetings.

Maybe you wouldn't want to but if your partner was very upset and practically begging for a break and you could see that they really needed one would you say no?

He doesn't have to want to do it. He just has to do it because it's important.

WifeBroken · 24/02/2022 06:23

The way I asked was the problem
Amazing really isn't it

OP posts:
ByHook0rByCrook · 24/02/2022 07:17

He's a dick.

SarahDarah · 24/02/2022 21:01

@Trolleedollee

I'm going to be controversial and say that I don't think that he's particularly unreasonable to not help you through the day. However, he should be helping you before and after work. During my work day I'm in work mode and my day is entirely focused on managing that. I do other things during the day but that's on my terms and during work hours I don't want to commit to anything in addition to that. Anything non work related which is time committed during the day just doesn't work for me.
Agree with this. I also see the husband's point about the vaping - his body is addicted to nicotine so he's not setting out to have breaks, it's him physically needing to get his brief fix so he can continue working without the craving pangs (and I say that as a non smoker who hates any form of smoking).

Working at home is the same as working in an office (or sometimes more intense) unless you're lucky to have a job which isn't pressured and at the end of the day your employer is paying you to work those hours, which is what he's doing. He also might be the type that if he gets distracted from work, it's hard to focus again.

The focus should be him giving you a break @WifeBroken before and after work each day by taking over child related tasks and possibly at lunchtime sometimes if he has time to.

Let him have the kids for the WHOLE day on his own at a weekend while you leave the house to do something you like to de-stress, so he gets first hand experience of how challenging it is. He'll be much more empathetic after that.

trackerby · 24/02/2022 21:26

So he's in the living room, where are you and the children OP?

Neveragain85 · 24/02/2022 21:46

I'm sorry but it sounds like he doesn't respect you or care about you. Even a quick 5 minute break can make such a difference when you're at home all day with young kids. If he can't even give you that what's the point?

user1481840227 · 25/02/2022 01:10

I also see the husband's point about the vaping - his body is addicted to nicotine so he's not setting out to have breaks, it's him physically needing to get his brief fix so he can continue working without the craving pangs (and I say that as a non smoker who hates any form of smoking).

The physical need for nicotine is less than the need for the OP to have a break. It's very clear she needs a break, and not just emotionally, the stress and upset and frustration will be building in her body.

I say that as someone who vapes!

He could stick on a nicotine patch if it's all about the physical addiction! but for most smokers/vapers it's as much about the habit and break as it is about the nicotine.

WifeBroken · 25/02/2022 01:32

@user1481840227

I also see the husband's point about the vaping - his body is addicted to nicotine so he's not setting out to have breaks, it's him physically needing to get his brief fix so he can continue working without the craving pangs (and I say that as a non smoker who hates any form of smoking).

The physical need for nicotine is less than the need for the OP to have a break. It's very clear she needs a break, and not just emotionally, the stress and upset and frustration will be building in her body.

I say that as someone who vapes!

He could stick on a nicotine patch if it's all about the physical addiction! but for most smokers/vapers it's as much about the habit and break as it is about the nicotine.

Yes poor him Your wife is drowning in the hell that is 2 tiny children and all house chores . But he needs to vape .. for 10+ minutes a time... numerous times a day.

He doesn't eat lunch with us. He scurries off to sit at his desk to scroll through Facebook, news, TV shows, watch work stuff download.
He has lots of meetings where he manages to send photos of cars, houses, etc to colleagues and chat.
He also works until whenever he chooses as I'm here looking after kids. If I was to play the "if I was at work...." petty card like he does, he'd be forking it for x2 daycare/afterschools, he'd be picking them up and taking them, emptying bags sorting them so wouldn't be able to work, he might even have to do laundry for uniforms clothes in his special work time.
He'd need to use annual leave for sickness holidays etc.

He uses one of our living areas as his study so we are in kitchen/living area for those who ask.
That's not an issue in itself, it's more that we are having to be quiet in order for meetings to not have shrieking in the background.

OP posts:
user1481840227 · 25/02/2022 01:48

What do you do for him that you can stop doing?
Cooking? washing his clothes?

He'd just let the kids trash the house if I left for half an hour. Then I'd return to destruction as punishment

So what? Let him let them trash the house...

He uses one of our living areas as his study so we are in kitchen/living area for those who ask.
That's not an issue in itself, it's more that we are having to be quiet in order for meetings to not have shrieking in the background.

I'd let the kids shriek as much as possible.

layladomino · 25/02/2022 07:52

He's either utterly selfish and uncaring (about you and DC) or he's really thick.

Ask him which it is.

bongobingo43 · 25/02/2022 08:02

My argument is that I spend all day and all night with the children,

Does he work all day and all night? Why are you having to do everything outside his working hours?

bongobingo43 · 25/02/2022 08:07

@Trolleedollee

I'm going to be controversial and say that I don't think that he's particularly unreasonable to not help you through the day. However, he should be helping you before and after work. During my work day I'm in work mode and my day is entirely focused on managing that. I do other things during the day but that's on my terms and during work hours I don't want to commit to anything in addition to that. Anything non work related which is time committed during the day just doesn't work for me.

Even in the office everyone takes breaks over the course of the day. Smoking/vaping breaks, linch breaks, usually 2 or 3 tea/coffee breaks.
Just because you're wfh doesn't mean you should sounds every waking minute chained to a desk

newrubylane · 25/02/2022 08:22

Yes, I am a SAHM with 2yo twins (almost 3 now, actually). Their dad wfh most days. Unless he's having a rare particularly busy day he stops for lunch with us and gives me some support then, and will also stop on request for a short time if I need some support - often when I'm cooking dinner it can get tricky if they start playing up, for instance. They go to playgroup 3 mornings a week, and on the two days they don't go he will always do breakfast and let me sleep in so I'm not on a 12 hour shift with them; will normally try to make sure I get a proper 15 minute break at lunchtime; and also gives me a 15 minute break after he finishes work before we start the bedtime routine as well. Playgroup days I have the morning to himself so lean on him less, of course.

MrMrsJones · 25/02/2022 08:37

What does he do when he finishes work?

Cook, take care of the children, Bath them, put them to bed?

Does he step up then

If not why not

Get yourself a hobby in the evenings a few times a week, lat him sort stuff

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread