A dad has been branded ‘lazy’ because he refuses to get up in the morning to help his wife with the kids as – he argues – they’re old enough to get themselves sorted.
Having kids is tough, there’s no two ways about it.
They wake up early and they don’t want to go to bed when you want them to.
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It can be a thankless task at times, although most parents will tell you that there are rewarding elements as well.
However, it’s not a role that offers much in the way of sleep, a lot of the time.
As kids get older, they might be able to look out for themselves in a morning, allowing their parents to have a snooze, but that doesn’t seem to be the case for this family.
Now, taking to Reddit, one dad has explained why he chooses to stay in bed every morning whilst his wife gets up and sorts out the kids.
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Sharing his views on Reddit’s ‘Am I The A**hole?’ page, the dad said that his three kids, aged eight, 10, and 12, should be old enough to fend for themselves whilst he catches a few more moments of sleep before the day begins.
His wife doesn’t see it that way, though.
The 38-year-old dad explained how he and his significant other had been fighting over the fact that she wants him up and helping at 6:45am every morning, helping get the kids out for 7:45.
It’s a tough schedule, admittedly.
Especially if you aren’t a morning person.
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The dad insisted he’s ‘an engaged and active parent’ but argues that children need to be encouraged to take steps towards independence.
On the other hand, his wife accuses him of lacking involvement in the kids’ day-to-day lives.
What’s more, his wife has strict limits on the kids’ screen time each day – limited to two hours per week – which he also disagrees with.
“As long as homework is done, why not [allow them screen time] until bed?” he argued.
He says he’s sick of his wife’s ‘self created holes’ and ‘constant state of overwhelm’ which – he says – leaves her ‘very easily irritated’.
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Bet that goes down a treat when he mentions it.
The man says he’s keen to do his ‘fair share for the kids or household’ but feels it never amounts to enough ‘because her standards are too damn high’.
So, he asked the internet, with predictably mixed results.
Several people called him ‘lazy’ and another urged him to ‘become an actually engaged parent like your wife is’.
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Another person said: “It makes me sad for the kids that OP could be a part of the morning and is just choosing not to when so many parents don’t even get a choice”.
There were those who defended him, but they were pretty thin on the group, with even one person who was broadly supportive suggesting that ‘a parent has to be up’.
One supportive comment read: “Your children are old enough and capable enough of taking care of themselves in the morning, and if they do find themselves needing help they are more than capable of waking you up and asking.”
Another wrote: “While I don’t believe the pendulum needs to swing fully into OP’s style, I do think there needs to be a better balance.
“Mom needs to back off and let OP have some relaxed parenting days. It will be good for everyone.”
Tom Wood