While some people spring out of bed as soon as their alarm clock chimes, others struggle to function first thing – especially if they haven’t got a full eight hours.
That’s the crux of the issue for one mum – who is annoyed that her partner expects her to get up early.
Why? So she can be around for his 11-year-old son – her stepson – when he leaves for school in the morning.
On the Am I Being Unreasonable? (AIBU) thread on Mumsnet, she explained that she works shifts, typically getting home at around 11pm, while her husband tends to leave for work around 7:30am.
As well as a younger daughter they both share, her husband’s son who stays with them on a week-on, week-off basis, and has been walking to school himself since the start of the year.
‘My husband ensures my stepson’s alarm is set in the evening and he knows to make some cereal, brush his teeth and what time he needs to leave,’ she wrote.
‘But he’s always mithering me to get up and “see him off, say good morning, goodbye,” or saying he doesn’t want him getting up to an empty house all the time.’
Due to their work schedules, the woman is the only one home when her stepson is getting ready in the mornings.
However, although she wants to lie in, her husband (who takes their daughter to nursery before he starts work) feels she should be available for the boy and send him off for school each day.
The stepmum’s post continued: ‘He expects me to get up when I’ve been on lates just to do this. I don’t think it’s necessary and if he’s that bothered he should go into work late.
‘AIBU not to get up early after working late just to say goodbye?’
Reactions were mixed, with some claiming it’s the husband’s responsibility while others argued seven hours’ sleep is more than enough.
‘I think it’s a bit mean to be honest sorry,’ commented one person. ‘You can still rest after he has left for school.’
‘It’s horrible for an 11-year-old to get up by himself and have no company or goodbye in the morning,’ added another. ‘But it’s his dad’s responsibility to do that, not yours.’
A third wrote: ‘How lonely for the child, I feel sorry for them. Very mean not to. You’re a family. All this “he’s not your child you have no responsibility towards him” is utter nonsense, it’s a very cold attitude.’
Someone else agreed saying: ‘Are you not getting up because he’s not yours?’
Others pointed out that there may be an unequal share of parenting duties, with one commenter noting: ‘I am not sure it is fair that you have a lie in every day while your husband does all the morning routines for both kids and you don’t even get up to say goodbye to the kids.’
Some also suggested alternative options such as enrolling the stepson in a breakfast club or switching up their schedules to ensure he’s not left alone.
‘The only fair compromise would be that your husband gives up one of his weekend lie-ins so you still get one,’ said one, while another asked, ‘Maybe he could pop his head round the door to you to say goodbye before he leaves?’
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