Wife Asks If She's Wrong For Expecting Husband Who Works 64 Hours A Week To Spend His One Day Off Outside With Her
He is exhausted. She is sick of being inside.
Andrey_Popov | Shutterstock A woman sparked a debate after she asked if she should expect her husband to spend his day off outside with the family after he insisted on staying inside. The wife said her husband works two jobs and has very limited time off. However, she also said that the weather has been getting warmer where they live, and she would like him to participate in outdoor family activities on his one day off instead of spending his time off relaxing.
The wife asked if she was wrong for expecting her husband, who works 64 hours a week, to spend time with her outside on his day off.
In a TikTok video that has been viewed over 400,000 times, Mehr (@mehrx24) asked viewers if she was asking too much of her husband. She didn't hide the fact that her husband is exhausted, working 64 hours per week, juggling two jobs. He only has one day off as a result.
“Within that one day, I want him to go outside with us, and I want us to have a family day,” Mehr said. “But he wants to stay home and spend time with us.”
Since the weather has been getting warmer where they live, Mehr argued they should take advantage of it instead of spending their time cooped up indoors. “I'm upset with him because we don't go outside and do activities as a family,” she said. However, she couldn't help but wonder if she was being an unfair wife and asked others for their opinions. It’s safe to say viewers were divided on the matter.
Some people felt the wife was being unreasonable, especially since she wasn’t the one working two jobs 64 hours a week.
“This is unreasonable. Maybe pick up a part-time job yourself so he can work less and be able to do more family activities,” one TikTok user commented.
“You realize that means your husband only gets four days IN A MONTH off, right? Maybe once a month schedule an outside family activity. The other three days let that man sleep and enjoy the home he is providing,” another user suggested. “He's tired. Put your daughter in daycare and work a job so he can get a break,” another wrote.
However, others believed that working should not excuse the husband from spending time with his family, despite his schedule.
“He's valid for being tired and she's valid for not only wanting to see her hubby at home,” one TikTok user commented. “Plenty of parents work overtime and still do the family activities,” another wrote.
It is important to note that neither Mehr nor her husband is necessarily in the wrong. It’s completely fair for her to crave outdoor family time, and just as reasonable for him to prefer relaxing at home after a busy week. This is where compromising would come in handy. Perhaps Mehr and her family could find some outdoor activities they can do in their own backyard, just a few steps away from their home.
“Good relationships are about balance, where both partners feel they have an equal voice and can reach a mutual compromise if there is a disagreement,” Robert Taibbi, L.C.S.W., wrote in an article for Psychology Today.
Thankfully, Mehr and her husband are still on good terms — and he even brought her dinner as an apology for not wanting to be outside!
Megan Quinn is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in Creative Writing. She covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on justice in the workplace, personal relationships, parenting debates, and the human experience.
