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AIBU?

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To be sad this is how I found out DS is engaged

329 replies

Gladlygracious · 01/01/2025 11:02

DS is 26, we have a good relationship, his girlfriend is lovely and they have been together for 2.5 years, they make a great couple.
We spent Christmas with them, but they have been saving up and have taken a month of unpaid leave to go to Australia for New Years, a friends wedding and the Australian Open for a month.
This morning DD called me and very excitedly said omg I can't believe DS is engaged. I said what I didn't know. She told me to check his girlfriend's instagram.

He proposed on New Years Eve before the new year came in so at least 22 hours ago. His girlfriend posted on instagram 8 hours ago, 2 separate posts first a post with some pics of them, the ring and a little video of him proposing, then a second post of little videos and pics from the year with the proposal at the end. DS messaged me at midnight UK time so 11 hours ago.
They are at the united cup tennis today so I appreciate they are busy, but he has messaged and she has made 2 instagram posts, DS has shared one of the posts on his story too.

AIBU to be sad this is how I found out and that he didn't tell me or DH directly? Or is this just the modern world?

OP posts:
PeppyGreenFinch · 01/01/2025 12:57

saraclara · 01/01/2025 12:54

DD would probably have spilled the beans to them anyway. So OP did the right thing in being honest.

Why would dd have spilt the beans? DS wasn’t going to call her, he asked his mum
to call her.

MikeRafone · 01/01/2025 12:56

Gladlygracious · 01/01/2025 12:31

Just off FaceTime. They called from outside the tennis venue so didn't waste any time at all.
DS joked "so I need to tell you why I spent less on your Xmas presents this year" then flipped the camera and said "all my money went on this".
We shared congratulations, he told us the story etc.
Then he said I can tell DD etc. and I said actually DD already knows, and he looked a little confused and I said instagram! He said oh shit, and said he didn't even think about it, his girlfriend was really apologetic too and said it didn't even cross her mind that we were on there and said she felt bad. DH and I told them not to worry.

Hopefully lesson learnt for future life events, it sounds as if through they wanted to surprise you with their engagement but had already published it not thinking it through, so it wasn't a surprise

Such a shame for them and you

Lentilweaver · 01/01/2025 12:56

spuddy4 · 01/01/2025 12:53

Make preps for their arrival? That sounds like instructions from the pilot to the cabin crew when they are due to land.

Ok. Whatever. OP can just carry on with whatever she is doing and ignore them. Wouldnt want to be overinvested and controlling or make anyone feel bad by sorting the guest room.

Nonsense10 · 01/01/2025 12:56

Gladlygracious · 01/01/2025 12:38

We didn't intentionally make her feel bad. I mentioned DD already knew and how she knew. They apologised and DS girlfriend said she didn't even think and she felt bad as she didn't want us to find out like that. We reassured them it was okay, to have a lovely time and not worry about it for a second.

And you couldn't just pretend that no one knew? How sad for your son and his girlfriend.

You know all those MIL posts on here...yeh.

saraclara · 01/01/2025 12:55

harriethoyle · 01/01/2025 12:53

Because otherwise she would have had to lie and to tell her DD to lie and DS would inevitably have found out. I think OP dealt with it very well when it was DS who raised telling DD

Exactly. You put it better than I did.

Longma · 01/01/2025 12:54

Why mention it though? What did it achieve?

At that point I think it was fine. When he told OP's dd it would have come out anyway.

So, nice for op to have him/them be able to share their news with her.

And then also fine for the op to mention it when son said he was going to tell his sister.

Op has reassured her son and his partner that it wasn't an issue, so all is good.

saraclara · 01/01/2025 12:54

DD would probably have spilled the beans to them anyway. So OP did the right thing in being honest.

PeppyGreenFinch · 01/01/2025 12:54

AlpacaMittens · 01/01/2025 12:50

Keep up! Because she didn't think to either tell them in person when they were together at Christmas (don't know how that would exactly work but whatever), or they didn't stop what they were doing at the point of proposal and ring the parents at home. Obviously someone's engagement day is all about how their mum would have liked it to happen, come on keep up.

Yes, a lot of blame and responsibility is being placed on the poor fiancée.

harriethoyle · 01/01/2025 12:53

PeppyGreenFinch · 01/01/2025 12:39

Why mention it though? What did it achieve?

Because otherwise she would have had to lie and to tell her DD to lie and DS would inevitably have found out. I think OP dealt with it very well when it was DS who raised telling DD

spuddy4 · 01/01/2025 12:53

Lentilweaver · 01/01/2025 12:51

Op, leave this thread and make preps for their arrival.
Better posted in Parents of Adult Children, I think.

Make preps for their arrival? That sounds like instructions from the pilot to the cabin crew when they are due to land.

Optigan · 01/01/2025 12:53

AlpacaMittens · 01/01/2025 12:45

Thank you, what a constructive contribution to this thread.

OK, to break it down: the OP has said nothing to suggest there is meddling and drama in her relationship with her DS, and nothing in her update suggests a secret wedding is likely to be on the cards. I think you are either conflating what's happened here with much worse experiences with your own mum; or, that you are the one creating drama and ill-feeling in that relationship - but you've given no details of what led up to your secret wedding, which is why I said I couldn't comment on your relationship with your mum.

PeppyGreenFinch · 01/01/2025 12:52

Slowhorses1 · 01/01/2025 12:47

@PeppyGreenFinch because otherwise OP would have had to pretend that she didn’t know, and then give a heads up to DD to also pretend she didn’t know.

In any honest, open family that would be weird.

The son doesn’t know how OP felt (she’s only vocalised that on here). OP has done nothing other than to congratulate her son, and mention that DD already knows. Hardly crime of the century.

Honestly OP, completely agree with previous poster talking about individuality. Family (if healthy and functioning), is about love, respect and the ability to rely on each other. That doesn’t mean that you think you own your son or that he owes you anything. Totally fine to feel mildly hurt and offload on here (hopefully he won’t have any inkling as to how you really felt).

Sounds like your son and his girlfriend are lovely. Don’t let the whole “daughter for life, son until wife” nonsense get into your head. Just stay a loving, non overbearing and calm presence and all will be good.

I would have just I’ll tell dd rather than have the happy couple apologising to me.

spuddy4 · 01/01/2025 12:51

I feel bad for the girlfriend, she probably feels terrible now and given that you've said she's lovely she clearly didn't mean anything by posting on her social media.

Lentilweaver · 01/01/2025 12:51

Op, leave this thread and make preps for their arrival.
Better posted in Parents of Adult Children, I think.

AlpacaMittens · 01/01/2025 12:50

PeppyGreenFinch · 01/01/2025 12:36

How was she thoughtless?!

Keep up! Because she didn't think to either tell them in person when they were together at Christmas (don't know how that would exactly work but whatever), or they didn't stop what they were doing at the point of proposal and ring the parents at home. Obviously someone's engagement day is all about how their mum would have liked it to happen, come on keep up.

GCAcademic · 01/01/2025 12:50

PeppyGreenFinch · 01/01/2025 12:47

When someone tells you happy news, you be happy for them, not tell them you already knew.

And I still don't understand why you are now saying she's made them feel bad when you were adamant that they'd done nothing bad, and when she only mentioned factually that the daughter knew because they wanted to let her know. How can you make someone feel bad when they haven't done something bad, just by mentioning it?

MaMoosie · 01/01/2025 12:50

Oops I didn’t tell my mum I got engaged before updating my Facebook status. Just didn’t really occur to me that I had to! She’s never said anything though.

FrothyCothy · 01/01/2025 12:50

They were daft to post on SM before letting close family know, word travels fast and you rarely keep track of who is following you and could then have messaged OP to congratulate her without her even knowing about it. However, I’m sure neither OP nor the happy couple will waste any more time worrying about it now they’ve spoken and instead can focus on planning a lovely future together. Congrats to your DS, OP!

Longma · 01/01/2025 12:50

Gladlygracious · 01/01/2025 12:08

DS has just messaged saying

"Take it you didn't see the year in then, tut tut. Tennis just finished, will call soon if you're around? Got some news to share"

Not sure if I should tell him we already know when he calls or if we should just let them excitedly tell us?

Definitely let him tell you.
Ignore the social media post or your dd telling you for now.

PeppyGreenFinch · 01/01/2025 12:49

ScaryM0nster · 01/01/2025 12:46

Sounds like he was!

I’m going to guess if you’d been up and replied you’d have got a phone call straight back.

However, most adult children have at least a bit of awareness that phoning in the middle of the night and waking the parent up jumps them to ‘there’s been a disaster’. So we test the water first before late night or early morning phone calls.

Really pleased for you, and that your son has found someone that both he and you are so keen on.

Enjoy celebrating when they get home.

But no one asked if OP already knew. There was literally no reason to mention it.

GCAcademic · 01/01/2025 12:49

PeppyGreenFinch · 01/01/2025 12:47

When someone tells you happy news, you be happy for them, not tell them you already knew.

So she should have lied about the daughter already knowing? And told her daughter to lie about it?

skiiii · 01/01/2025 12:48

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AlpacaMittens · 01/01/2025 12:47

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This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Where's the hyperbole? The poor couple hasn't even been engaged a full 24hrs and the OP has already managed to be hurt and disappointed and started a thread fixating about time zones, tennis matches, 00:07, Instagram, texts, etc

Sure, this is all not dramatic at all, it's very chilled 🙂

PeppyGreenFinch · 01/01/2025 12:47

GCAcademic · 01/01/2025 12:45

As you've said, they did nothing wrong ("How was she thoughtless?!")

So, there is clearly no reason to assume that the mere mention (without any accusation or recrimination) of already knowing the news would make the couple feel they have done anything wrong, surely?

When someone tells you happy news, you be happy for them, not tell them you already knew.

Slowhorses1 · 01/01/2025 12:47

@PeppyGreenFinch because otherwise OP would have had to pretend that she didn’t know, and then give a heads up to DD to also pretend she didn’t know.

In any honest, open family that would be weird.

The son doesn’t know how OP felt (she’s only vocalised that on here). OP has done nothing other than to congratulate her son, and mention that DD already knows. Hardly crime of the century.

Honestly OP, completely agree with previous poster talking about individuality. Family (if healthy and functioning), is about love, respect and the ability to rely on each other. That doesn’t mean that you think you own your son or that he owes you anything. Totally fine to feel mildly hurt and offload on here (hopefully he won’t have any inkling as to how you really felt).

Sounds like your son and his girlfriend are lovely. Don’t let the whole “daughter for life, son until wife” nonsense get into your head. Just stay a loving, non overbearing and calm presence and all will be good.

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