My husband won't let our son on a playdate for one silly reason

He's picked a side - and it's his sanity. Is he being grossly unfair? 

A dad trying to navigate the challenges of working from home has met his match: the school holiday playdate.

He works remotely three days a week, but during the holidays, he’s joined by his children. 

However, his approach to managing  his eight and nine-year-old has raised concerns with his wife.  

Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this.

RELATED:  I threatened to punish our daughter, and my wife freaked out

"He is refusing to let our son go" 

Taking to parenting forum, Mumsnet, she sought some advice from other parents. 

“Often, our son is invited to a friend’s house once or twice during the holidays for a playdate,” she explained.

But this time, her husband isn't on board. 

“He is refusing to let our son go,” she complains. 

“Our daughter starts whining that she’s bored and wants to go to her friends for a play date.” 

The complaints lead to a stressful work environment for her husband. 

“My husband said it’s too disruptive for his work and doesn’t want to deal with it,”

While the obvious solution might be to arrange a playdate for both kids, it’s not always possible. 

“Occasionally that’s feasible, but sometimes it isn’t. If it isn’t, she will become upset,” the mum explains. 

She believes her husband’s stance is “massively unfair,” especially when it punishes their son. 

This dad won't let his son go on a playdate because his daughter's boredom is too much to handle. Image; Getty

RELATED: My wife asked me to tidy up the house. This is what it looked like 

"He is relying on the nine-year-old to watch and entertain the eight-year-old"

The post sparked a debate in the comments section. 

Some suggested a more practical approach for the family. 

“The problem is you need childcare or to use annual leave between you,” one person suggested. 

Another was more blunt: “It is people like you who give WFH a bad name! Pay for childcare.” 

But the mum pushed back. 

“Do you know how expensive childcare and holiday clubs are? It’s not cheap and we cannot afford that,” she explained. 

Other sympathised with the children. 

“There is no way he should be caring for two children while working. It's a recipe for disaster. It sounds like he is relying on the nine-year-old to watch and entertain the eight-year-old,” one user shared. 

“It’s properly s**t for two young children to have to entertain themselves all day while your husband works, honestly. That’s really the root of the problem,” another pointed out. 

A third added: “Your daughter has to learn she can't always have or do the same as her brother. That's a life lesson all children have to learn.”  

In a follow-up, the mum clarified that her husband can manage the kids when his workload is lighter. 

“My husband has long patches where he has no meetings and can fully focus on the kids,” she explained. 

Still, any parent who’s worked from home with children knows that it’s no job for the faint-hearted.

Originally published as My husband won't let our son on a playdate for one silly reason