When my husband, Danny, gave me an ominous ultimatum, he didn’t expect me to stand up so strongly for myself and our children. The lesson I taught him showed him how unreasonable he was, especially when we already had so much to be grateful for. His ultimatum ended with him begging for my forgiveness!
I never thought I would find myself in this situation, but here I am, at a crossroads. I was pushed to take drastic action when my spouse put me in a bind with a demand. But that demand was enough to push me into action.
Danny has always been a devoted father and a successful businessman. He has provided well for our family and spends a lot of time at the office. This has allowed me to be a stay-at-home mom and care for our five beautiful daughters.
However, recently, his desire for a son to “carry on the family name” turned into urgent demands and then threats!
One night after dinner, Danny said to me, “Lisa, we SHOULD have a sixth child.” His tone was serious, almost icy.
“Danny, we already have FIVE daughters. Do you want me to keep having children until we have a son?” I replied, feeling the tension rising.
“But aren’t children a blessing to you? Is it really that hard?” His words were scathing. We had had this discussion many times, but this time it felt like an ultimatum. We continued to go around in circles, with neither of us willing to give in.
Our argument became so intense that he implied that he might consider DIVORCE if I refused to give him a son! “Are you saying you’ll leave me if I don’t give you a son?” ” I asked, my voice shaking.
“I didn’t say THAT,” he whispered, looking away. But the implication was clear. He was willing to consider divorce if I didn’t follow HIS wishes. That was the end of our discussion and we went our separate ways to get ready for bed.
That night, I lay awake, thinking about our conversation. How could he be so indifferent to the life we had built together? Our daughters are amazing, each one unique and full of life. I couldn’t imagine our family any other way.
I had to make him understand what he was asking of me, what it meant for us. Before I closed my eyes and fell asleep, I decided to show him EXACTLY what it meant to raise five children BY MYSELF!
The next morning, I woke up very early, before everyone was asleep. I packed my bags and drove to my late mother’s country house. I turned off my phone and ignored all her calls and messages.
After making breakfast and a hot coffee, I settled in to watch my favorite show of the day: “The Drama That Unfolds When You Leave Your Husband Alone with Five Children.” I followed everything in real time through the security cameras installed at home.
Danny was in for a rude surprise! As soon as he woke up, he started getting ready for work. But he interrupted his preparations when he heard the children making noise. “Where is your mother and why aren’t you dressed and ready for breakfast?” he asked our rambunctious little ones.
My children made me proud by ignoring him and continuing to jump on the beds and play. My husband started looking for me, calling my name before realizing that I wasn’t home. He then started calling me and I watched the calls come in.
“What is this, Lisa?” he said frustratedly before giving up on his sixth missed call. He couldn’t go to work because he couldn’t leave our young daughters alone. The first morning was HILARIOUS and utter CHAOS!
He tried to make breakfast and ended up burning the toast and spilling orange juice EVERYWHERE! The kids were running around refusing to get dressed. He was completely overwhelmed and I was loving every minute of it!
“Emma, stop running! Jessica, put your shoes on!” he could be heard yelling, his voice frazzled.
“Daddy, I don’t like this cereal!” Emily complained as she pushed her bowl away.
“So WHAT do you WANT?” he asked exasperatedly.
“I want pancakes!” she asked. Danny sighed, rubbing his temples.
“Alright, I’ll make some pancakes.”
Jessica, feeling left out, added, “I want scrambled eggs and cake!”
Emma, not wanting to be left out, requested, “Waffles and sour cream, please!”
If her temples were sore before, I’m SURE they were SWOLLEN now! As the day went on, the chaos only intensified! He tried to help the kids with their online lessons, but they kept getting distracted and running away!
“Jessica, focus on your math homework,” he pleaded.
“But I don’t understand, Dad!” she cried. He sat next to her, staring at the screen.
“Okay, let’s figure this out together.” Between helping the kids and a call from work, he forgot to report for the day!
When lunch time came around, my husband didn’t know what our kids liked to eat. So they ended up with a picnic of random snacks.
“Can we have some peanut butter and jelly?” Emma asked.
“I’m not sure we have any,” he replied, searching through the pantry.
“How about just some jelly?” she suggested. I have to admit, it was sad to see Danny suffer like this, but it was absolutely hilarious and worth it!
The house was a mess, with toys everywhere, and he looked like he was about to break down! “Why is there playdough on the carpet?” he growled.
“I don’t know, ask Emily,” Jessica replied. Hearing her name, Emily began listing all the reasons why she wasn’t the culprit!
“I only play with purple and blue playdough.” I wasn’t sitting on the rug, I just ran over it in one spot. I…” My husband hilariously interrupted her before she could continue, “Okay, Emily! I get it! Can you just PLEASE take it off for Daddy?”
That night, the girls wanted to play dress-up, and Danny HAD to join in! They made him wear a crown and feather boa while pretending he was a princess!
“Daddy, you look SO pretty!” Emily exclaimed with a laugh.
“This is ridiculous,” he muttered, but he smiled at their joy.
My husband looked out of place and exhausted. Bedtime was the last straw! They REFUSED to go to bed, demanded stories, and snuck out of their rooms! I was SO proud!
“Just one more story, Daddy,” Emma pleaded.
“Okay, but THEN it’s REALLY bedtime,” he agreed, his patience wearing thin. By the end of the second day, Danny was clearly on the verge of breaking down! He started texting me desperately, begging me to come back and help him.
“Sweetheart, please, I can’t do this alone,” he texted me. He even sent a video of himself on his knees begging for forgiveness.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Please come home. I need you.” What made the video even funnier was that he filmed it in our locked bathroom while the girls DEMANDED for him to come out and play!
I decided it was time to go home. When I got there, Danny was the first to join me, looking more relieved than ever!
“I’m so sorry,” he said. “I’ll never pressure you to have a son again.” He squeezed me so tight I could barely breathe!
“I realize now how much you do for us, and I promise to spend more time with the family,” he vowed. I was touched by his words.
“If you really promise to spend more time with us and help us more, we can discuss the POSSIBILITY of a sixth child,” I said.
He nodded vigorously. “I promise, I swear. Please don’t ever leave me alone with them for that long again!” We laughed together, and from that day on, he kept his promise. He became more involved in our family, appreciating all the work that went into raising the children we already had.
Our lives began to improve. Danny became more present, coming home from work earlier and even working from home from time to time. He helped with homework, attended school events, and took over bedtime duties!
My once-stray husband even learned to braid hair, much to the delight of our daughters!
“Look, Mom! Dad braided my hair!” Jessica exclaimed one morning.
“You did a great job, sweetie,” I told her proudly.
One Saturday morning, as we gathered around the breakfast table, Danny looked at me with a sweet smile.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said. “Maybe it’s not about having a son. Maybe it’s about enjoying the family we have.”
e smiled back at him, feeling a warmth flood my chest. “This is all I ever wanted, Danny.” We continued our breakfast, talking and laughing, the tensions of the past weeks melting away. It was in these simple moments, surrounded by our daughters, that we found our true happiness.
As the months passed, my husband never mentioned the idea of having a sixth child again. He was a changed man, more involved and connected to our family than ever before. The girls adored him, and our house was filled with joy and laughter.
“Daddy, will you come to my dance recital?” Emily asked one day.
“SURE, sweetheart. I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he promised. And he kept his promise! He attended every recital, every football game, every school play. Our girls blossomed under his renewed attention and love.
One night, as we watched our daughters play in the yard, Danny took my hand. “Thank you, Lisa,” he said softly. “For everything.” I squeezed his hand, tears welling in my eyes.
“Thank you for understanding,” I said.
Our journey hadn’t been easy, but it had brought us closer together. My husband had learned to appreciate the family he had. And I had found the strength to stand up for myself and our daughters. We were stronger than ever, ready to face whatever challenges life threw at us.
And as we stood there, watching our daughters chase fireflies in the setting sun, I knew we had found our happiness.