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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To stop buying for godson?

42 replies

aslkdfjh · 26/10/2025 01:53

He’s six and I have known his mother since nursery. Three of us have stayed in touch since school. The third friend has a five year old DD and one year old DS and lives in Spain.

I realised when DGS was about four that it was getting to the point that I only seen him or his mother when I dropped his birthday or Christmas present off. I resolved to hand over all future presents only when I seen him or his DM.

I don’t see third friend a lot because she’s in Spain with two young kids. DGS’s mother lives 10 minutes away. It was DGS’s birthday in July and his present has been sitting in my house since then. I’ve tried to arrange lunch or dinner with my friend, his mother, twice, but she’s cancelled and not rearranged. Friend in Spain’s daughter was five last week and I sent a present via Amazon.

Friend in Spain has posted on social media her daughter saying thank you to me. DGS’s mother has commented ‘lovely! [DGS] still waiting for his gift from Auntie X’.

AIBU?

OP posts:
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FlyMeSomewhere · 28/10/2025 09:14

aslkdfjh · 26/10/2025 13:39

Am I to be sending a child I don’t see two gifts a year forever?

I definitely find the god parent thing a bit weird at times. My partner and I never wanted kids, my partner was pushed by a friend to be god parent to their child from a now ended relationship. He's never had a relationship with the kid and they moved out of the area. He sent a gift card for her every birthday but not now she's over 18.

verycloakanddaggers · 27/10/2025 07:58

aslkdfjh · 26/10/2025 13:39

Am I to be sending a child I don’t see two gifts a year forever?

You're the child's godparent, what you do for the child is not linked to your love for the parent IMO. Send a token gift, write them a nice card, keep the door open.

Who knows what the child's life is really like? They might write back at 18, or 25, or 30. They might not.

If you don't want to spend money, just send the card and something tiny.

But don't break the link with a child because you're angry at the parent. You agreed to be a godparent to the child.

ClaredeBear · 26/10/2025 17:52

Her comment was rude and you tried your best. But this whole god parent thing can’t be taken seriously anyway. It’s a snapshot of the parents’ friendship group at the time and this can change quite quickly. I wouldn’t put too much h pressure on yourself as both parties are moving on in life - but she’s clearly feeling a little hurt that someone else’s child seems to be taking precedence over her own. I wouldn’t make a fuss on social media as you’ll look as bad as she does right now, but perhaps send her a DM saying you’ll get something for her child the next time you see her - but don’t make plans to do so.

zingally · 26/10/2025 16:18

Like others have said, I think you're muddling the two issues.

You need to decide what you want. A relationship with the child and his mother - which, at the moment at least, the cost of admission seems to be gifts - or you don't.
You seem happy to send gifts to the child in Spain, for which you get a fb post thank you. If the "thank you" is the important bit for you, then you have to weigh it up with how much you want that acknowledgement versus the relationship.
If the relationship is the most important, I'd just drop the present on their doorstep in the next few days, with perhaps a follow-up text.
"Hi X, I've just dropped off the belated present for Child. Sorry it's late. I'd really wanted to see you and hand it over in person over a coffee, but we haven't been able to make a date stick. Please let me know when you're next free to do something, I'd love to see you!"
Then the ball is very firmly in her court. If she replies and you set a date for a outing that she keeps, then all is well. If she doesn't respond, or cancels your date again... Well, that's information for you to use as you see fit.

Remember, it's not the child's fault his mum is seemingly a bit of a user. But after this you get to decide how to move forward.

TheHairInClaudiasEyes · 26/10/2025 14:10

It depends on how invested you are in being this boy’s godmother. Just call round with the gift or post it. Moving forward, it’s up to you. Personally I’d still get something if it was my godchild. Not sure what the relevance of the friend in Spain is.

NameChangeForThisQuestionOnly · 26/10/2025 14:07

No, not if you don’t want to. It’s entirely your choice! How much does the child mean to you?
I send regular gifts to a child I’ve only met in person a handful of times because they live far away. That child is important to me, I intend to have them be a part of my life permanently. I don’t give gifts to plenty of other children I see regularly because that wouldn’t mean anything to me or them. Only you can choose how important this child is to you, and how much being a godparent is worth to you.

Fandango52 · 26/10/2025 14:02

aslkdfjh · 26/10/2025 13:39

Am I to be sending a child I don’t see two gifts a year forever?

No - of course not. I totally understand you’re feeling hurt and upset though 🌺

If I were you, I’d drop off the gift for your godson, as you’ve bought it already - maybe with a note saying you’d love to catch up with your friend. If friend doesn’t reply, I’d just leave it and stop sending presents.

aslkdfjh · 26/10/2025 13:39

NameChangeForThisQuestionOnly · 26/10/2025 13:20

No it wouldn’t be reasonable, but that’s a pretty petulant response that ignores the point I was making. You’re withholding the child’s gift because your friendship with the mother isn’t working.
Give the child gifts, or don’t, but don’t make the gift-giving conditional of how often you see the mother.

Am I to be sending a child I don’t see two gifts a year forever?

OP posts:
Fandango52 · 26/10/2025 13:25

EleanorReally · 26/10/2025 13:02

she is rude
respond to say
you are welcome, it is here waiting for you, i would like to see you both

This is a good suggestion, I think.

NameChangeForThisQuestionOnly · 26/10/2025 13:20

aslkdfjh · 26/10/2025 12:01

I don’t think it would be reasonable to expect a friend in Spain to fly over for lunch.

No it wouldn’t be reasonable, but that’s a pretty petulant response that ignores the point I was making. You’re withholding the child’s gift because your friendship with the mother isn’t working.
Give the child gifts, or don’t, but don’t make the gift-giving conditional of how often you see the mother.

EleanorReally · 26/10/2025 13:04

surely the point is you are a god parent
it is about your relationship with her ds not her

EleanorReally · 26/10/2025 13:02

she is rude
respond to say
you are welcome, it is here waiting for you, i would like to see you both

Noshowlomo · 26/10/2025 13:00

Your friend is soooo cheeky with that post. Post back “you keep cancelling our catch ups.the gift has been here waiting!” And leave it at that.

Rosiedayss · 26/10/2025 12:31

notthisagain2025 · 26/10/2025 01:01

Move on from them. I have seen people do this before, rope people into being Godparents to get gifts for their kids and make sure they have a free babysitter and etc.

You're not obliged to see them or give them gifts when they have no part in your life other than them expecting material things from you.

Ignore the comment and move on from them

Agreed.
One of my close friends is single, happily childless, late 50's with a hugely successful career.
She has said No to being a godparent to more than a dozen people including siblings that she is not close to, nor lives near.

Her sole god child is that of a tremendous friend who has always been there for her for 50 years, long before she scored the big time 20 years ago.

She has happily insisted on paying for their university education and she is her heir, with a gift to her nephews and nieces.

She didn't want lots of godchildren.
She takes the role seriously, always has, and wanted it to be something that meant something to her.

isthesolution · 26/10/2025 12:10

I stopped buying for my godson. It got to the point that my friend had cancelled on me so many times I decided I wouldn’t try to arrange anything again and just left it at ‘let me know when you are free and want to catch up’. Heard nothing further and she took to putting £20 into my bank account on Xmas and bday. And so I did the same (sent cards with cheques) which seemed really pointless. This year I stopped - I moved house a year ago and have had no contact so I just stopped putting the £20 in a card and sending it. And she’s done the same. It was time to let go.

aslkdfjh · 26/10/2025 12:01

NameChangeForThisQuestionOnly · 26/10/2025 01:21

If you’re willing to post a gift to a child in Spain who you don’t see often, you should also be willing to post (or drop off) a gift to a child near home who you don’t see often.
You’re mixing up issues here - you are annoyed/frustrated about your friendship (with the mother) not being how you want it to be, and you’re taking that out on someone else (the child).

Decide how you want this to play out. Do you want to maintain the friendship, even if the friend regularly cancels? Are you getting anything from the friendship? Just because you’ve known each other a long time doesn’t mean you have to maintain the friendship if it’s become one-sided.
Also decide what being a godparent means to you, it’s different for everyone. If the friendship with the mother drifts, is it still important to you to maintain a connection with the child? This might mean dropping off gifts when you don’t see each other, in the hope that when he is older he will want to build on the relationship with you. Or it might mean you end gifts and all effort completely and free yourself of the obligation.

I don’t think it would be reasonable to expect a friend in Spain to fly over for lunch.

OP posts:
aslkdfjh · 26/10/2025 12:01

Left · 26/10/2025 06:31

OP do you have children, and do they buy for your children?

I’d probably reply they he’s only waiting because his mum cancelled plans to meet up.

But long term I’d wonder about the direction of the friendship.

I don’t have children.

OP posts:
Lurkingandlearning · 26/10/2025 11:53

If you are still fond of her why not just ask her if she realises that you no longer see each other, other than when you go to hand over gifts. That’s a horribly one sided friendship.

She may have been so busy that it hasn’t actually registered with her.

But for me friendship doesn’t work that way. I want to be in contact and meet up with my friends because it’s a pleasure to do so. It’s one of the things that brings me a bit of joy even when things are pretty hectic. I want friends who have the same mindset. I certainly don’t want to be kept around with bare minimum effort because I’m useful.

I wouldn’t stop spending money on my godson because his mum wasn’t as good friend as she had been because I would still be godmother. If I was only ever going to see the friend to hand over gifts, I would start sending vouchers/ links in greetings cards.

Gothzilla · 26/10/2025 11:50

‘lovely! [DGS] still waiting for his gift from Auntie X’

Perfect opportunity for you to reply to that social media message so it’s out there for all to see with ‘well I have tried to meet up with you but you keep cancelling!'

Btowngirl · 26/10/2025 11:45

As a parent with 2 young children, she is being unreasonable. I would not dream of saying one of my kids was waiting for a gift from someone! On the contrary, they are being taught not to expect them. Never mind the fact she posted it online, what a looser. I think it’s nice the other friend made the effort to make a video for you but I don’t get why she didn’t just what’s app the video to you? All sounds like there is an agenda to me tbh and I wouldn’t be bothered with a friendship like this.

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 26/10/2025 11:25

On the other hand, the birthday was in July and you have only tried twice to meet up.
Why not now just post the present.

KathyDuck · 26/10/2025 11:22

That is so rude. Reply and say was expecting to have it over on one of the lunches that you cancelled. Oh well, maybe next year Smile

Mydadsbirthday · 26/10/2025 11:05

Your friend is really cheeky and rude, actual grown ups do not post passive agg comments in public on social media. This is a friendship deal breaker for me - honestly do not know anyone who acts like this.

PussInBin20 · 26/10/2025 10:08

I don’t understand why you would send the present to the child in Spain but not your GS when you don’t see either of them.

I would knock the presents on the head. Seems a bit ridiculous when you don’t really have a relationship with either.

Neverflyingagain · 26/10/2025 08:20

She's way out of line saying that on someone else's post. I'd block and ignore it. Send godchild an evoucher in future?
Godparent duties are really tricky. I was frozen out by the parents of my godchild after my ex, who was their friend, and I separated because of his affair. For a while I took birthday and Christmas gifts, handed them over on the doorstep as not invited in. At Christmas I was buying for their sibling too so they didn't feel left out.
Then I moved away. I still sent gifts via post for the first two years. No response. Nothing, not even a Christmas card. I gave up after that. We now buy for the local children's charity using the money we would have spent on the godchild and sibling.