Single mums- opinions please

[CharlieWeasleysWife]

If you do a day out with married friend + DC, is it your preference for just the Mum to come along or is it ok for the Dad to come too?

We have a mix of friends both married and single that we spend time with. Both of us work full time so sometimes on the weekend we like to do stuff all of us together + friends. It would be me making arrangements and me that Is primary friend, DH wanting to come along to do activity/spend time with DC. Is this weird/annoying if friend doesn't have a partner to bring? Is it weird of me to even wonder about this?

I was on my own for a long time - I valued almost any invitation - however sometimes it would be good to not feel like the spare prick tagging along.

Depends on the other parent and their relationship. Good people who behave as individuals as well as parents when out and about? Great. A couple that finish each other’s sentences and make you feel like you’re intruding on their togetherness as a family? Not so much. I’ve had both when I was a single parent and make sure that DH and I aren’t like that now around single friends (regardless of whether they bring kids or not).

Depends on the h.

If he’s mainly looking after the kids so I can have a natter with the kids then that’s very different to if he’s joining in the conversation and only doing some of the childcare.

Basically if the single mum is made to feel like a third wheel then not great at all.

No longer single but when i was definitely just the mum otherwise you feel like the third wheel

Ah, I'm glad I asked! Thanks for the replies- actually surprised me but will definitely take into account when planning.

No idea why it's quoted a specific post, sorry!

Daughter is an adult now but I was always ok with it or my five best friends, three of their partners/husbands often tagged along for a day trip out and it was nice for my daughter to also be part of the friendship, the dads were great, one couple we also went on holiday and is was nice to also see my daughter thrown around the pool like her friend.

I agree it depends in the partner one was not interested but that was equally fine, one was an arse, they are now divorced anyway.

I think the idea of bringing your DH along to look after the children so you and your other friend can natter is lovely! Would also be perfectly fine with socialising with couples where I like both people and know both of them well. There's only maybe one or two friends I can think of where that would feel awkward - but that's because I barely know the husbands.

It depends. Some couples I am equal friends with, like I would text the man just the same as the woman, or they were friends before married. Some couples I've hardly met the man and would feel awkward.

I’m always ok with hanging out with couples, and I don’t think it’s a problem to bring your husband along.

What I do find frustrating, is if I’m hanging out with a couple and the guy doesn’t pull his weight. So basically I’m child wrangling whilst he and his wife hang out. Or she is child wrangling whilst he and I hang out. And he’s never the one doing the work.

Quite a few of this sort of days out leave me thinking how glad I am that I’m single!