Parenting is hard work, and pretty much everyone will tell you the hardest part is never getting a day off from it. Regardless of whether you're a stay-at-home mum or you work 50 hours a week, being a parent is a full-time role.
So, you can understand why one mum has been left feeling frustrated, after her husband started demanding a "day off" from childcare so he can have a bit of much needed me time, despite the fact they both work full time.
The man, who holds pretty traditional values that men should be the breadwinner and women should deal with childcare, argues that because he earns more money and is able to contribute more financially, that he should be entitled to more time away from their toddler.
"I'm not a stay at home mum and never could be, hats off to those wonder women - I can't hack it and we also can't afford it," the frustrated mum wrote on Mumsnet.
"My husband feels that because he pays the mortgage, bills and most of the food shopping that he is entitled to do less childcare and have days off to himself, whereas I take our son out to play dates or just generally stay out of the house, so he can do his own thing.
"I contribute financially to my son, all his classes, pay his nursery fees and so on. All my salary goes on our son, yet he's the one who needs more 'him time' because he pays out more."
Whenever the mum asks her husband to look after their little one so she can do something for herself, like getting her hair cut or going for a meal with a friend, he has a tendency to complain and make a big deal out of how much of an inconvenience it is.
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"I'd like another child and he would deep down, but he's refusing right now because he knows he'll be 'stuck' with even more childcare as I care for a newborn," she continued.
"I work four long days a week and have my son at all other times. I'm either working or looking after my son. I don't get time to myself. My husband has my son half a day a week, which I'm grateful for as I'm aware many dads don't do this, and is generally around with us at the weekend."
The mum then turned to Mumsnet to question whether she was justified in feeling as though she was getting the unfair end of the deal "because that's what mums are expected to do."
"Your poor son having such a s*** dad. Of course treating you like his staff and opting out of parenting his own child is not acceptable," one user replied.
"The fact that some other men are even more neglectful of their children and disrespectful to their partners is hardly a redeeming factor. Let's set the bar somewhere higher than the ground."
Another agreed: "I know that you're looking for some kind of magic bullet that will make him see that he's treating you badly or allow you to accept it without feeling hurt and uncared for. I'm sorry but there isn't one. He's an old school misogynist.
"Nothing is going to change his deeply-held world view that you deserve less than him because you are a woman. Not unless he chooses to change. Even then it would take counselling or deep reflection. You can't make him treat you as an equal and the resentment will eat you up. Don't have another baby with him."
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