Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To just want a childless day out?

156 replies

ToxicChristmas · 01/05/2024 20:50

Love my friend. Love her kids. Do not love her wanting to take her kid or kids on every bloody outing we go on. I get she thinks they are brilliant -I think the same about mine. But it's driving me potty that every single trip we plan to do or do she adds on a kid.
We've just this evening arranged to go out to an event next weekend -all great until she adds that her youngest wants to come. I KNOW he will be bored within the hour and it's a whole day event. We won't be able to sit and watch anything for any length of time, we will have to plan around said child. Any suggestion of it being adult only won't go down well. I'm just going to cancel as it's expensive and seems pointless to go now (for me).
Any ideas of how to deal with this diplomatically in the future? Or do I just accept that we won't be doing days out? I've tried to nicely say in advance about adults only but it's been brushed off or told it will be ok and how much the kids enjoy going out with us. Do I just be brutally honest? Do I try and laughingly say I need an adult day? Or am I a miserable bitch who should just put up with it? Or a mean mum who enjoys time sans kids?

OP posts:
Squishwallow · 01/05/2024 21:05

Is leaving the kids at home even an option? Does she have a partner to take them? Maybe they have an arrangement where they give eachother child free time and maybe she prefers to have her time on her own at home while her partner takes them out, rather than with you?

CulturalNomad · 01/05/2024 21:04

Do I try and laughingly say I need an adult day?

That's the approach I'd take. Emphasize how you're looking forward to one-on-one adult time with her. And honestly, it's hard to have an uninterrupted conversation when kids are in the picture. Everybody deserves the occasional adult day/outing.

Gymmum82 · 01/05/2024 21:02

Can you not just tell her to leave her kid at home? No one likes kids that much and no one likes other people’s kids that much.
Just say it’ll be more enjoyable if you leave the kids at home and it’s just adults. Or I’m looking to have a break from kids. I need some child free time. Can you leave them at home?

easilydistracted1 · 01/05/2024 20:58

This friend likes to take her life everywhere. You don't. Neither is wrong but if you want a child free event I would fine another friend or a group to go with

exomoon · 01/05/2024 20:58

YANBU. Tell her you’re leaving your own kids at home as you thought it was going to be a child-free outing, and that you’d prefer not to take any kids.

If she says she can’t say no to her kids then say that’s fine, I’ll sit it out, you guys have fun.

MummytoAAandX · 01/05/2024 20:56

Can you suggest an evening meet up-drinks or a meal out after the kids' bedtime?