A mother asked for the public’s perspective on a situation where she chose to have dinner alone after noticing that her husband and children hadn’t cleaned up. Her decision sparked anger among her household, but she remains convinced that she didn’t do anything wrong.
The mother turned to the “Am I the Asshole?” (AITA) section on Reddit, an online platform where users discuss their dilemmas and seek opinions on whether they were in the wrong or right.
The Glasgow-based mother of four kids sought input after a heated disagreement broke out over domestic tasks not being performed. She explained that both she and her husband work full time, putting in 50 to 60 hours a week. They have four children in their home: two 13-year-old twins, a 12-year-old, and an eight-month-old.
In her post, she highlighted: “I implemented a chore system from the time my kids were little. However, since the arrival of the baby and as the kids have gotten older, ALL of them have significantly reduced their efforts (husband included).
“I collect our baby from daycare around 5 pm and when I come home, I typically find my husband on the sofa with his phone and the kids in their rooms absorbed in video games or make-up tutorials. The house is generally in a disarray, and honestly, the only issue I have is with the dishes.
“I’ve voiced numerous times how tiresome it is to wash all the dishes just to cook, and have even taken drastic measures (like switching off the Internet, cancelling family outings, arguing with my husband). Things will improve for a week or so and then revert back to them refusing to help. It drains me to the point where I can no longer raise the issue.”
The issue escalated for the mother and her family when she asked for domestic tasks to be completed before she arrived home from work so she could start cooking dinner.
“My husband doesn’t work weekends, so he and the kids were home while I was at work. Before heading out, I told them, ‘your chores should be done by the time I get home’,” she wrote. Even after discussing the dinner menu, she came home to an untidy house with unwashed dishes and laundry.
“Annoyed, I put the groceries on the table, packed a bag for the baby and told my husband ‘it’s all yours, I’m going to Applebee’s’ and left. He called apologising around 20 minutes later, excusing himself for being too tired. When he requested me to return and assist with a convoluted dish he was trying to make, I refused.
“I told him that I’ll be dining at Applebee’s with the baby and that they’d have to manage dinner themselves. I declined their request to bring food from Applebee’s and reiterated that this will be the consequence every time they fail to complete their chores.”
Responding to the mother’s predicament, one user commented how disrespectful it was for the husband to put her on speakerphone. They questioned the appropriateness of such a move, which demonstrated a clear disrespect.
Conversations about domestic chores and responsibilities can become heated, as evidenced in this Glasgow mother’s experience. What’s your take on this situation? Comment down below.
