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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Children weddings birthdays... Am I being precious?

175 replies

Mapley · 28/03/2011 18:14

We've been invited to close friend's (of my dp's) wedding on ds's second birthday and it's a no children invite. We rang the groom to say that we're sorry, we wouldn't be able to come as we wanted to spend ds's birthday with him, and he said to bring him then, we want you there.

I felt uncomfortable with this as I don't want other folk who have had to leave their kids at home to feel put out. And I don't want him to spend his birthday somewhere innaptopriate. I'd rather celebrate it with him. But equally I do not want to upset my friends.

The wedding's couple of hours away, but not impossible to go along in the evening. So we thought about it and said we'd just come along in the evening. Since then though the bride to be has texted my dp to say that her dp is upset and can we reconsider? She wants us to do something with our dp in the morning and come along for the meal at 4pm.

So now my dp wants me to spend the morning with my ds, drop him off at babysitter's after lunch and go to the meal onwards. He says he thinks I'm being selfish, that ds won't care about his birthday and that our friends will only get married once. The thought of leaving my boy without us in his birthday makes me sad, I don't want to do it. But dp says that I'm thinking about myself rather than our friends or him, and he personally wants to do both and go for half the day.

I feel really sad now. I don't want to upset dp, or our friends, but am I being precious by not wanting to be apart from ds on his birthday. I've offered a compromise that dp should go on his own if that's what he wants to do, but he's still fed up. I was trying to think positive, and even though dp wouldn't be there I was thinking of doing a birthday tea for ds with friends, but dp says he wouldn't want me to do that without him there.

Not sure what to do now!

OP posts:
CadleCrap · 28/03/2011 20:37

Wow, OP I am staggered by the lack of flames.

Can you recall your 2nd birthday? If yes,then YANBU and enjoy the day with your DS.

On the other more likely hand, if you cannot remember your 2nd birthday then it is highly likely your DS won't either. BUT, dp and his friends will remember how precious you are being.

Ragwort · 28/03/2011 20:42

I think your relationship with your DP is more important than celebrating the 'exact date' of your DS's second birthday - if your DP really wants to go to this wedding then I think you should go with him rather than want to 'celebrate' with a 2 year old. You can easily compromise by celebrating the birthday the previous or next day but your DP will clearly be upset if you choose not to be with him and his friends for this important occasion - and the friends have already made compromises for you. This is all about you - not your DP or your son - you need to think about the wider picture.

Dawnybabe · 28/03/2011 20:59

Haven't read the whole thread, sorry, but just wanted to say that the exact thing happened to us, except my dd1 had actually been asked to be flower girl and it was her godparents wedding so we really couldn't say no.

Looking back, it was a horrendously long day for her, and although we tried to have a little birthday celebration the next day everyone was just too knackered to really do anything. She was none the wiser but I do look back at it and regret that her 2nd birthday was more or less missed out. It was a lovely wedding, but it wasn't her day.

strangenoisesfromthebathroom · 28/03/2011 21:11

Chances are the happy couple will be divorcing in a few years. You'll be able to go to their respective round two nuptials when the kids are older and you are happy to leave them with a baby sitter.

Your son will only be 2 once though, and you sound very unhappy about missing his birthday.

If it were a family wedding that would be a more difficult dilemma and to be frank, nobody is going to look back at their wedding day and says 'oh it would have been wonderful but "Mapley and OH" had to ruin it by not turning up'

FourFortyFour · 28/03/2011 21:13

This wedding is a one off.

Your son will have his birthday every year and at 2 they still don't really understand.

Go to the wedding.

it is actually really lovely that they have texted and said how they felt rather than stewed on it and slagged you off.

Go to the wedding. (Did I say that?)

Northeastgirl · 28/03/2011 21:20

I don't think the bride and groom are putting pressure on you. I think they're trying very hard to accommodate you. How lovely that they're offering to bend the "no children" rule for you. I'd be flattered.

I've never celebrated my daughter's birthday on the day. We've always picked a convenient day to celebrate, usually the weekend after the birthday.

I totally agree with others that wanting to celebrate "on the day" is more about the parents than the child. I do kind of understand that, but I think your friends will remember if you missed their wedding, but your son won't remember if his birthday was delayed by a day or so. Having said that, I rather suspect you've made up your mind you don't want to go, and you posted here, hoping there would be 100% support for your view, so you could show it to your husband and turn him to your way of thinking.

Mrsdoasyouwouldbedoneby · 28/03/2011 21:22

My DD was born the day before DS's 2nd birthday, and on the day I did feel a bit wretched (in part due to the fact that both me and DD were well, and only in due to protocol that the hospital had failed to follow when I was in labour, but keen to do after...). DS opened his presents with me, and went home with DH and my gran. He doesn't remember, so I feel less gulity now.

We had a cake when I came out of hospital. So all was well.

I'd go, and not worry too much about DS, if he is happy at his baby sitters, then he will probably think he is being treated!

LtEveDallas · 28/03/2011 21:25

Go to the wedding. Your child won't understand or remember if you move his birthday (or even if you don't celebrate at all). Your friends and your DP won't forget (ever) that you didn't go to the wedding.

DD is 6 this week. She doesn't remember her 1st, 2nd or 3rd birthdays. She only remembers her 4th if you remind her. She does remember last years though.

ChristinedePizan · 28/03/2011 21:27

I agree with northeastgirl - I think the B&G are really trying to accommodate you. And that it's obviously really important to them that you're there. I barely remember my DS's 2nd birthday and he's only 4. This year his birthday was on a Monday - his party was on the previous Saturday

AuntiePickleBottom · 28/03/2011 21:27

i would go to the wedding, and spend time with your DC in the morning.

seeker · 28/03/2011 21:29

~can anyone here say hand on heart that they wouldn;'t be upset if a close friend said "Sorry, I can;t come to your wedding because it;s my 2 year old's birthday"? Honestly?

And I know that if it was me, I would (to my shame, I know) be thinking it was close friend;s partner who was stopping him coming. And I would probably remember that for a long time. Particularly if I had bent over backwards to make it possible for him to come and he still said no.

moulesvinrouge · 28/03/2011 21:37

I agree seeker - this is about the OP and a bit self indulgent and navel gazing. And putting the DP in a bad position. The more I think about it the more it would annoy me if I was the bride and groom!

anonacfr · 28/03/2011 21:40

I just don't get why having a birthday breakfast/morning with the child and then going on to the wedding isn't good enough.
The OP and her DP could easily have a little morning cake and candle and presents with their son, and then maybe do a bigger party with more guests/relatives the next day. That way he gets 2 birthdays!

Basically OP is saying that she will sulk at the wedding no matter what. It just sounds rather ridiculous to me.

megapixels · 28/03/2011 21:44

I would go for the wedding. It looks like the couple are being really nice and trying to accommodate your son too after not inviting him at first, so it looks like they really want you two there. Sounds rather unkind to miss it then.

Disclaimer - I don't do "my children's birthdays are so precious to me" so I'm not thinking of that angle. It's like any other day for me even though we may sometimes do something special for it (not as a given). So my opinion may not be that useful to you!

megapixels · 28/03/2011 21:47

Were you being serious strangenoises? What an odd post.

oohlaalaa · 28/03/2011 21:47

I can remember mum and dad going to a wedding on my birthday, I got a present and spoilt by grandparents. I always understood that a wedding would be priority, to a birthday that happens every year.

I think you are being unreasonable, if this is a close friend to your DH.

Mapley · 28/03/2011 21:49

Thanks all, it's very helpful to have such a broad range of oinions, I do find aibu very useful for reality checking yourself when there's something I'm not sure about. I do appreciate it. Lots of opinions ring true, one's that agree and disagree. Given me lots of food for thought so thank you. Going to sleep on it now.

OP posts:
anonacfr · 28/03/2011 21:49

A 2 year old is going to be bored of celebrating after about half an hour anyway. Mine didn't even play with their b'day toys. They enjoyed the cake and candle but after that were back to their normal day.

pigsinmud · 28/03/2011 21:53

Well I would spend the day with my child - partly because I hate weddings. I know exactly where the op is coming from.

Who would your ds be staying with if you went to the wedding? You mention babysitter - is this a relative? If my ds was staying with grandparents then I could do it as I would know that the gps would make a huge fuss of him.

PoisoningPigeonsInThePark · 28/03/2011 21:54

Why does your DP not want you to do a birthday tea for your DS if he goes to the wedding by himself? It means you'd get the day with DS and nice tea with rest of family and friends while he honours the friendship obligation. Has he said?

Presumably you would be doing something as a family ie with him at a later more convenient time so he would not miss out?

Magicjamas · 28/03/2011 21:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

pigsinmud · 28/03/2011 21:56

Just realized you mention grandparents - sorry read too quickly. I would do this with my dc4, but probably wouldn't have left dc1!

jimpisone · 28/03/2011 22:00

No-one has the right to tell you how you ought to feel about this.

Personally, I would be livid if someone had texted my husband and told him they "want us to do something with our dp in the morning and come along for the meal at 4pm". I wouldn't even take that off my mother.
As far as I'm aware an invitation is an option, not a summons and if you don't want to go, don't go. You obviously won't enjoy it as you'll be thinking of your ds, at least if you only go to the evening do you'll have at least a chance of enjoying yourself.
Hope it all works out.

Mapley · 28/03/2011 22:07

I'm quite pleased that there is a nice big range of opinion on this. I can see where most people are coming from too. There's always just too many ways to see things, it gets me very confused!

Things I know tho

-is that I want to be with my ds on his birthday
-that I don't want to upset my dp

so I think the solution is to take up the offer of the bride and groom and take him along. I'll just need to not worry about what other people think.

OP posts:
DitaVonCheese · 28/03/2011 22:11

I understand how you feel. We celebrated DD's second birthday with a party at the weekend, but on the actual day (a Monday) DH took the day off work and we went out, just the three of us and had a lovely day. She'd only had two birthdays and was completely oblivious for the first one Grin, it would have felt odd to carry on like it was just any other day. No, I'm not planning on taking her out of school for future birthdays.

I do think it's a bit odd that the couple are putting so much pressure on you - if any of our guests said no (or simply didn't RSVP Hmm) then we just accepted it. If they are happy for you to take DS and it's going to cause a lot of friction with your DP for you just to go for the evening (which sounds fine to me btw) then perhaps you should take him?