I find this passive-aggressive and mean. While it's great that Dad wants to clean out the garage, and it's certainly his prerogative to do so, he can take five minutes to celebrate with kids who came over to his house.

Unacceptable. You don't do this sort of thing to people who want to celebrate you. Regardless of your own agenda and regardless of whether or not it's "your day." Imagine if a child acted this way -- there would be cries to spank the kid. Why is it acceptable for a grown man to act like a spoiled brat. It's not.

I think I've deducted that this is your Dad, not your husband, since you arrived with steak and presents.

More power to him. It's Father's Day, he raised you, let him clean out the garage if he wants to. Less for you to do when he dies. You're getting the present there.

There's also no reason you couldn't cook those steaks and enjoy them while he enjoyed cleaning the garage. Take your pity party somewhere else.

Are you talking about your father or your husband?

Um I would love it if my husband cleaned out the garage. I've been bugging him to move a shelf for 4 months now.

At least he's not insisting on help from you and the kids.

Usually this type of chore - memories from childhood and currently - this chore resulted in a lot of unpleasantness.

Safe to say there will be no *special* Father's Day present tonight.

Anonymous wrote:Did you even ask what he wanted? Or did you just "decide" this is what he would (or should) want?

This is my thought.

Did you even ask what he wanted? Or did you just "decide" this is what he would (or should) want?

That's really pissy, OP. How old are your kids? Really bad example for them, however old they are. What happened on his birthday? Mother's Day?

Anonymous wrote:He just wants to work up a sweat and clean the garage out, which is fine, except that he knew that and agreed to that we had a big dinner and celebration planned. So we are all standing around with the steaks and the presents...

I left out that he sprang this on us after we arrived with the presents and the food.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's his day. You can do steaks and presents another day.

... works for me, but the presents and dinner are over. Don't ask me to do the cooking.

Did you return the presents?

It sounds like he's trying to get rid of stuff. I am no longer accepting physical gifts (except photos) from adult loved ones. No more mugs. No more fuzzy socks. No more kitchen gadgets. What I get, I regift or donate.

Anonymous wrote:It's his day. You can do steaks and presents another day.

... works for me, but the presents and dinner are over. Don't ask me to do the cooking.

It's his day. You can do steaks and presents another day.

At least he's getting what he wants for his day.

He just wants to work up a sweat and clean the garage out, which is fine, except that he knew that and agreed to that we had a big dinner and celebration planned. So we are all standing around with the steaks and the presents...