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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to want to avoid this woman...

61 replies

lucylookout · 28/05/2011 17:54

Sorry in advance for this being a long one, but would like to know whether IABU or not.

Last year I had a termination at 20 weeks due to a lethal condition. Around three weeks later I had a play date with a woman I had met through NCT and her son, both 2 1/2. Half way through the play date she said, almost aggressively 'look, I feel really awkward about this but I'm pregnant, OK'. She said it in such a way that I felt guilty about my termination because it made her feel awkward about being pregnant Hmm . I started apologising to her and it was only after that I felt manipulated and thought actually, she's only 7 weeks, there's no reason why she had to make her announcement to me right now.

Then, I felt like she started hounding me a bit. Our sons seemed to get on and we had a few play dates but to be honest, her son was always pretty horrible to my son (as in picking up a large plastic and metal toy, holding it over his head and hurling it at my DS). She never intervened enough for my liking (another time we were in a park and her son started attacking an older boy, maybe 5 or 6. I looked at her expectantly to do something and she said 'oh no, I like to leave it to them to sort their own battles out, and that boys old enough to defend himself Shock ). Anyway, I stopped having the play dates.

Then, she enrolled her son at the same nursery as mine (because mine went there). They have an odd relationship where they are friends, but her DS is always very aggressive towards mine. At one point my DS was coming home with a different injury every day, including a bite on his belly that was bruised and had broken the skin. She talked to me about her son's aggression one time and said she believed it was because he was 'an alpha male finding his way in society'. Shock Shock

So she kept asking to meet up for play dates and I really didn't want to, but felt guilty for refusing all the time and thought to myself 'she can't be that bad' and went for a coffee when the boys were in nursery (I could avoid her aggressive DS that way). By now her second ds has been born, a cutie. She asked me with a flick of her hand 'so, uh, how's your pregnancy thing going?' I said 'uh, well, I'm not, but I'm fine about it' and she said 'well, for people who are trying to conceive, I always say, just relax, but it's probably easy for me to say that because I conceive very easily and have straightforward pregnancies' Shock Shock Shock She said more things along these lines too, but I won't bore you with them now.

After that I said 'never again' to myself and have avoided her at all costs. Except this afternoon I saw her at a mutual friend's son's bday party. I have an almost physical reaction when I see her. I feel shaky and emotional and want to cry and want to slap her all at the same time. Obviously, I must be projecting some of my feelings about the termination and the crap time I was having onto her because she always made me feel worse whenever I saw her around then, but come on, I'm not being that unreasonable to want to avoid her am I? She is also a self obsessed, insensitive cow.

Sorry, rant over. I don't blame you if you didn't get to the end of this!

OP posts:
bluebellewood · 30/05/2011 20:06

You come accross as a pleasant, gentle, well meaning person. You are quite right to sever your links with this person. I would not write to her or have any communication with her, in my experience people like this thrive on drama. She is a bully. Do not give her any ammunition to fire at you.
You could explain to the new nursery, in confidence, the reasons why you are moving your son. Add if she sends her son there you will cancel your sons place.
I hope you manage to shake her off. She will no doubt start to look elswhere for her "entertainment". Do not let it effect you too much. She is the one with the problem.

hairfullofsnakes · 30/05/2011 21:17

Ring/go see your new nursery immediately! Do it tomorrow! Tell them
All your concerns and be sure to tell her your son is leaving the nursery to get away from HER son (poor thing to be bought up so badly). Tell her in no uncertain terms that her son's behaviour is unacceptable and
Also about her behaviour and then just avoid her and forget it! Don't be surprised if she tries to go to your new nursery which is why it's VITAL you get on the phone with them tomorrow morning and tell them
You have left because of her bullying son and that je os tryif to follow you to new nursery. Don't be scared to do so!

Oh and put in a complaint to the old nursery about the fact they haven't dealt with the bullying properly - how dissapointef you are and that's why you are leaving

hairfullofsnakes · 30/05/2011 21:19

If you do tell her, do it to her face - not in an email
As she may print it and band it around.

lucylookout · 31/05/2011 12:16

Gastonladybird I just wanted to say sorry for your loss. It's really tough isn't it.

I have sent the woman an email this morning. I felt I could get my feelings across in a calmer and more measured way doing it this way. No reply yet, but I already feel relieved I've done it. Thanks for all your help and I'll keep you posted x

OP posts:
JamieAgain · 31/05/2011 12:49

Good for you.

This woman (and I don't say this lightly) sounds like she has a personality disorder. I think you are picking up on this in an instinctive, visceral way

BrokenBananaTantrum · 31/05/2011 21:27

Well done Lucy. I'm glad you have done it.

Happylander · 31/05/2011 21:42

Well done you. She sounds horrible and her son is clearly learning bad behaviour from her.

I am sorry for your loss and that must have been very difficult. I hope it all works out okay. x

diggingintheribs · 31/05/2011 21:51

I knew someone like this - whatever happened she just wanted to make you feel crap when you had finished talking to her. I just blanked her out of my life. Luckily she emigrated to Australia but somehow my DH is on her round robin 'my life is so fab' email list. he blocked her in the end

I hope your kids don't end up at the same school. Sounds like your LO could do with a break from her kid too!

lucylookout · 01/06/2011 07:59

Well, no answer so far. It looks like she's taking the denial route, which is what she's being doing so far. That's fine by me, I think she'll give me a wide berth now.

OP posts:
ZombiePlan · 01/06/2011 11:16

Hope she gets the message. She's either crashingly insensitive or a total bitch, Either way: you don't like her, your son is effectively being bullied by her son, you will both be better off without the pair of them in your lives.

saffronwblue · 01/06/2011 12:13

Lucy I am sorry about your pregnancy loss and also that your life is being made harder by this dreadful woman. I think at a time of great grief we are so raw that both kindness and bullying behaviour become magnified in our memories. She sounds ghastly and you do not need her or her not so D S. Well done on sending the email.

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