Dad who works 84-hour weeks says his wife should calm their crying newborn twins at night – but she thinks that’s unfair despite having a nanny most days
- A working father said he ‘shouldn’t have to get up at night’ with newborn twins
- The dad posted to Reddit saying he works long hours, whereas his wife does not
- The post was met with divided comments; some supported and others didn’t
A corporate father has sparked debate by saying he ‘shouldn’t have to get up at night’ with his newborn twins.
The dad posted to Reddit to say that he and his wife had their babies three weeks ago, but he works ‘while she does not’.
‘I help whenever I’m not working but have told my wife she has to cover the overnights as I need sleep for work,’ he wrote.
A working father has sparked debate by saying he ‘shouldn’t have to get up at night’ with his newborn twins (stock image)
‘She thinks it’s unfair, however she can take two hour naps while they sleep while I can’t do that at my job.’
The dad went on to say that the couple ‘even have a nanny that was here four out of five work days this week’.
‘I’m up early on the weekends and take care of them while she sleeps in. I’m not trying to get out of doing my part but AITA [am I the a**ehole]?,’ he said.
He concluded his thread by saying he is on ‘dad duty’ from the moment he comes in from work until when he goes to sleep, so that his wife can rest.
He also said he works between 72 and 84 hours per week, or 12-hour shifts, while the nanny is at their home between 8am and 3pm on weekdays.
The nanny also does the housework.
The dad posted to Reddit to say that he and his wife had their babies three weeks ago, but he works ‘while she does not’ (stock image)
People in the comments section were divided as to whether the man was being reasonable or not.
Some said that getting up is ‘an inevitable part of parenting’ and others said he has a point.
‘You signed up for this when you had kiddos,’ one person wrote.
’70+ hour work weeks ins’t doing his part?,’ another said.
‘I get that the Internet tends to be significantly more sympathetic to women, but this is ridiculous.
‘He takes care of daddy duties, but it’s bordering on physiologically not possible (definitely not recommended) for someone to crank out hours like that while not actually sleeping. His work performance is going to suffer. Significantly.’
The post has received more than 700 comments, with people split down the middle as to whether the dad is in the right or the wrong.
‘It’s only been three weeks,’ one person wrote.
‘She’s still bleeding, in horrible pain, exhausted, hormones crashing. Your mum cooked and cleaned and took care of you but I bet at three weeks post partum she was a mess.
‘Her body will heal and she will be able to handle more and more, but at three weeks she is physically suffering.
‘Also, I don’t buy that the wife sleeps for seven hours with newborn twins.
‘There’s no way the housekeeper/nanny is able to care for both babies, keeping them quiet enough not to disturb mum, and 100 per cent of the housework while mum sleeps soundly for seven hours.’
Another said: ‘He’s the sole breadwinner, his wife doesn’t work and he pays for a nanny.
‘Is it fair for him to be putting in 84 hours a week at work so his wife can stay home with a nanny/housekeeper, and be getting up at night with the kids?’.