Why is this mum so angry at me?

[Ohhilois]

So, dd asked if I could take her and her friend to the cinema. They are 11, (both 12 in November).

The kids worked out what they would like to see, the new Jurassic World film. I text his mum, saying I would book the tickets for it and take them, I checked she was okay with the film choice. She said yes, amazing, thanks so much. I took them this afternoon, they had a great time and both loved the film.

We got back, the kids had dinner here and then she picked him up, all smiles.

This evening, she absolutely kicked off at me over text as she says she didn’t realise it was a 12A and she can’t believe I took her son to see something so inappropriate, she feels so let down after leaving her son in my care, and she will take it further with the cinema, whatever the hell that is supposed to mean.

I just can’t be arsed with this madness. I don’t know where it’s suddenly come from. I checked the film choice with her prior to booking. The boy wasn’t scared or anything, he loved it. He was talking to me and dd about the previous Jurassic World films at dinner - in depth, so he has seen them.

I’ve replied that I am really sorry for any misunderstanding, I asked her if the film choice was okay before I booked but I think she’s blocked me. I mean, ffs, it’s ridiculous, right? Thank god they are going to different secondary schools.

Jurassic Park - PG13
The Lost World - PG13
JP III - PG13
Jurassic World - PG13
Fallen Kingdom - PG13
Dominion - PG13

So, he's SEEN all of these films, but you're in the shit for having taken him to see the LOWEST RATED JP franchise movie, even though she pre-approved it, AND an 11 year old CAN see it in cinemas if accompanied by a parent/guardian?!!

Yeah, she's off her feckin' head.

She doesn't realise what the Jurassic Park franchise is????

The mum is a loon

She's probably a stickler for rules, and as @RedToothBrush and others have said, doesn't understand what the rules actually are. She's probably mortified by now, if she's already followed up on her threat to take it further with cinema staff.
One of my DC had to be taken out of a Jurassic Whatever screening years ago as they found it too scary. It was DH who took them, not the parent of a school friend, but if it had been, I'd have been the one apologising for my DC messing up the outing.

Awful op she sounds very hard work. Keep your distance going forward..

I thought the age rating just meant you had to have an adult with you if under 12. Which is what happened.

As a quite over protective mother myself I still can’t relate to that mother’s over dramatic response. She sounds quite barmy.

Yep, years ago one of my DS also had a friend with a mum like that. For his 12th birthday he chose to have friends over for pizza and to watch a Star Wars movie - a 12 rating. The boys were all in the same school year, so aged between 11 and 12.
I was staggered when this one mum said her son couldn't watch it as he wasn't yet 12 for a few months.

I put it down to the fact that they were a very religious family and had brought him up to believe that rules are rules, but still - poor lad.

I don't the mother of the DS is coming off great here, but do women need to call other women bitches and silly cows?

Just remembering all the inappropriate stuff I watched at around the age of 12.... Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday 13th...not saying I'd recommend it but hasn't done me any harm!

Yes probably this.

She's bonkers either way. And even if the boy (and he clearly wasn't) was scared and had had a bad dream, she's probably the kind of mum that goes all in making it worse. And even if it was a nightmare and he'd been scared, a normal parent would just deal with rather than go back to you.

She's a weirdo, better rid.

The Exorcist kept me awake for nights.

Someone else is in her ear

the boy has got home and said he went to see the film in front of another adult - that adult has said xyzzy its a 12 film blah blah you need to tell Ohhilois

she is out of order

so the other mum has text you and blocked you

what she hasn't done is taken responsibility for her own actions, and admitted she allowed her son to be taken and she knew about it all along

thats my scenario for the madness of this nutter its literally a guess at what may have happened and why she said yes at the beginning and kicked of afterwards

She’s nuts! I just feel sorry for the boy who had a great time and now being berated. What a sad world we live in ☹️

Sorry, I haven’t read the whole thread so maybe someone’s already said this, but it sounds like maybe she doesn’t understand what 12A means, ie she might think you have to be to 12 to watch it… It still doesn’t justify her mad behaviour though.
So don’t worry OP… if you get chance, you can very clearly reinforce to her that a) you had checked she was happy with the film with her beforehand, and b) kids under 12 are allowed to go to a 12A with an adult.
But if (due to her blocking you) you don’t get chance to say this to her then still don’t worry - it’s probably a lucky escape for you from her… though a shame for the kids.

Her responsibility to check the age of the film - you told her what film and she agreed. There’s nothing more you could have done or should do.

Lol, we watched it the 1st day it came out with no rating assigned at a time of booking. My 8 yrs old DC watched and loved it; in fact, the cinema was filled with children of all ages, and there was nothing inappropriate there whatsoever.

Did you sit in the theatre and watch it with them OP? I think you implied you did. If not, maybe that might be the issue?. I brought DS 12 and his two buddies to a 12 movie and walked in with them, bought their snacks and was there to meet them on the way out. I didn't realise til later that one of the mums was pissed off I didn't stay, she was nice about it but made a point of telling me that she sat with them when it was her then to take them. It honestly didn't occur to me, why kids that age can't sit and watch something themselves. If it was in my house I'd be in the other room anyhow so I really don't get what bothered her. But it did bother her, people surprise me sometimes

You can't reason with crazy....

She texted you later that night, having been fine with it earlier, and her son had seemed totally fine with the film.

Methinks someone had got into the wine bottle....

She’s bonkers , she ought to be grateful you took her son along to a film

Yep, batshit about sums it up. On a more serious note, it's the kid I feel sorry for. You do come across mums who are possessive and controlling about their kids and try to keep them indoors with them forever.

Excuses are - it's about their safety; they don't want them making friends with the wrong kind of kid, no offence; other parents don't have the same standards /principles/religion/food as them; kid has allergies/sensitivities/needs that other parents can't possibly cope with (when the child clearly doesn't have such life-limiting issues).

It's a kind of psychological Munchausens By Proxy, and it really messes the kid up.

I hope you haven't deleted the text message exchange, OP - just in case she does ever get back in touch or you see her around. At least you'll have clear, unambiguous evidence that she was originally alright with the film choice.

Sorry to say but she sounds like a nut job. It's her responsibility to check the rating of a film before she let's them go. You've done nothing wrong at all. Cut her off and never look back.

Oh FFS, does she really have nothing better to make a pointless ungrateful fuss about? You did all the right things and were kind and generous to this boy and I am sure he had a great time. Shame his mother is an immature ingrate with too much time on her hands.

Probably miffed that her son had such a good time with someone else!