I Came Home to Find My Kids Sleeping in the Hallway — What My Husband Turned Their Bedroom into While I Was Away Made Me Feral

I’d just come back from a week-long business trip, and I was dying to see my boys, Tommy and Alex. A week is like forever when you’re 6 and 8, and Mark? Well, I figured he’d be relieved to hand the reins back to me.

I arrived at midnight to find the house eerily quiet. But when I stepped inside, something felt off. I tripped over Tommy and Alex, who were asleep on the hallway floor, covered in dirt with their hair all over the place. I was freaking out, trying to figure out what happened, when I noticed the living room—a disaster zone with pizza boxes and melted ice cream.

Mark was nowhere to be found until I heard muffled sounds from the boys’ room. I opened the door to find him gaming in their room, surrounded by empty energy drinks and snacks. The boys’ room had turned into a gamer’s paradise, complete with a massive TV and mini-fridge.

I was furious. When I confronted Mark, he casually said the boys were “adventuring” on the floor. I was beyond mad and made him put them to bed. But I had a plan.

The next morning, I set a breakfast of Mickey Mouse pancakes and served his coffee in a sippy cup. Then I unveiled my masterpiece—a chore chart for him! I even set house rules, including a 9 p.m. screen time curfew, and gave him gold stars for every chore. He was NOT happy.

A week of this went on—plastic plates, dinosaur-shaped sandwiches, and even a time-out corner for him when he misbehaved. Eventually, Mark admitted he was wrong, but I had one final surprise: I called his mom. She showed up to give him a lecture, and Mark finally got the message. I made him promise to do better.