A dad told his wife, a stay-at-home mom (SAHM), to go back to work because he thinks she does not seem to be watching their three-year-old son. Although it's difficult to side with a parent who dictates what their partner does, Reddit users favored the dad for putting their son's safety first.
In the "Am I the A-hole?" subreddit, a dad wrote that he and his wife were both working full-time when their son was born, and they placed their son in daycare after his wife's maternity leave. When the pandemic started, his wife lost her job, and she became a SAHM.
The husband admitted that it took a toll on their finances after his wife lost her job, but they made it work. However, the dad made it clear that it was not the finances that made him want his wife to return to work.
Husband asks SAHM to go back to work
He said his wife liked being a SAHM. She joined a "mom group" that gets together around three to four times a week, and their kids play together. However, it puzzled him that their son has a new injury such as bumps, bruises, and scrapes every time she goes to these meetings. When he asked his wife about it, she told him it was just the way with kids. He did not think much about it as kids get hurt a lot, and toddlers are not known for being careful, She Knows reports.
However, one day his wife called him from the emergency room, telling him they had gone to one of the mom's houses and the kids were playing outside. A power wheel-type car ran over his son, which another kid drove. His son's leg got cut so severely that it needed stitches and was pretty scraped but nothing much worse.
His wife said it was just an accident and happened so fast. However, when he talked to his son about it, the little boy said he was dragged for a long time after a kid hit him, and his mommy was not there to help him.
When he confronted his wife, she admitted that she was inside chatting with other moms when the incident happened. Other moms were outside, but she confessed to not being outside while her son was playing.
The husband said he was livid. He did not yell at her but did give her a mouthful. He told her he would not be busting himself to support her mommy's social time if she did not make sure their son did not get run over by a power wheel. The mom cried, saying that she had already felt guilty enough. The husband said he was also mad that she was not telling him the truth, yet she questioned his trust.
The dad said their son should return to daycare, and his wife should start working again.
Reddit supports the dad
Most Reddit users supported the dad for putting their son's safety first. Other users also point out that getting bruises and hurt thrice a week is not typical. Another user said that the clincher was that she was leaving their son unattended and lying to him about it.
Since the argument, the husband said that his wife became extra attentive to their son, which seems a way to convince him not to put him in daycare.
According to VeryWell, after the pandemic, the shift in work parenting responsibilities affected working women more than men, causing increased stress, burnout, anxiety, and loss of income.
Related Article: Group Helps Parents, Especially Those in the WIC Program, Find Formula Milk in Detroit
