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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think being excluded from a social event because you have children is bloody rude....??

40 replies

flootshoot · 09/08/2011 16:08

Ok, so some background. DH and I are friends with two couples, we'll call them Ann & Bob and Cath & Dave. Dh went to school with all four of them (I am the interloper in our group!), he shares a hobby with Bob and Dave. Dave was both Dh's and Bob's best man, Bob was Dave's best man, you get the picture.

Ann and Bob have form for being a bit antisocial, rarely accepting event invitations, although Ann loves to host her own gatherings and gets miffed when people can't come even if it's short notice. They also don't particularly like children - fair enough. They wanted a child-free wedding. I intended to breastfeed DS and they said they would make an exception for him even though I was very clear that I was happy to stay away with him and that it was their choice etc. As it was, we ended up FF and I left DS with a babysitter to give them the childfree wedding they wanted. All of this was with no hostility, I had no problem leaving him. We have occasionally taken DS to gatherings at their place when we've had trouble getting a sitter but we have always, always asked first and made it clear that they were well within their rights to say no and that I would stay at home. On these occasions we have not stayed long. They have not acknowledged DD's existence since she was born 5 months ago, nor Cath and Dave's DD who is now 3 months. Dave was rather hurt by this as is it his first child and Bob is his oldest friend.

A few weeks ago it was Dave's birthday and they went to his party. Ann's birthday was two weeks later and they said they were planning a weekend in London. DH mentioned to me recently that he still has not seen Ann or Bob and hasn't been able to get a present to her. NB we are all turning 30 hence lots of big do's this year!

I had lunch with Cath today and she said that another mutual friend had told her Ann in fact did had a birthday party. Cath was very suprised and the mutual friend was horribly embarrassed and said he didn't know we were in the dark, he had assumed we were invited and didn't come. Cath then asked another friend X who said she had asked after us at the party and been told by Bob that he 'hadn't bothered to invite people with children'. I mean, WTF? DH and I have no problem leaving our children at home. Cath and Dave are equally happy to leave their DD with a grandparent and did this at Dave's party so Ann and Bob would have known this. I have no problem with them wanting a childfree party but to not invite two of his oldest, closest friends simply because they have children is just really mean and fucking rude in my book. Apparently several people mentioned our absence and X said she had told him she thought he was being very rude. I should point out that neither DH nor Dave are in the habit of rabbiting on about their kids and again Bob is aware of this. The invites also stated 'no children' so it's not like they were avoiding saying that by simply not inviting those who are parents.

I'm now in the position of having to tell DH about this. I can't not tell him and Ann and Bob must have known that it would get back to us as we have so many friends in common. DH is going to be gutted that this is how much his supposed best friend thinks of him. It appears they no longer want anything to do with us or Cath and Dave.

So anyway. I know I'm not really being unreasonable but am I wrong to think this is a deal breaker and it's time to give up on this friendship?

OP posts:
Fifis25StottieCakes · 09/08/2011 17:24

just go out with Cath and Dave

TBH it sounds like its you's they dont want there and are using no kids as an excuse

DilysPrice · 09/08/2011 17:24

I'm normally the queen of "if they're valued friends you should cut them some slack" but this is vile behaviour under the circumstances and I'd ditch them like they had Ebola.

The majority of our university friends are childfree (and likely to remain that way, given our ages) but although we can't attend every party at the other end of the country until 2am, or go on a big group holiday mid-term we still keep in touch very successfully on social media and are still good friend when we meet up IRL. None of them would ever consider anything remotely like this.

flootshoot · 09/08/2011 17:27

I suspect DH will tackle it with them, I don't feel it's my place to. I really, really doubt infertility is the cause of this knowing them as I do although of course I could be wrong.

OP posts:
LoveBeingAtHomeOnMyOwn · 09/08/2011 17:33

I think it needs to be done then you can all move on if needed.

Chandon · 09/08/2011 17:34

These friends of yours are just strongly anti children, so it's natural your paths will part. You are not allowed to bring them, you are not allowed to talk about them. They sound self-absorbed and bossy. Do you really think it is in any way normal that they don't acknowledge your children? I have plenty of friends with no kids, and they are always, at the least, basically polite about mine and aks the token question.

They somehow get to set all the rules. Why do you accept that?

Time to move on I'd say.

Oh, and in about 10 years they will have their first baby, it will be a MIRACLE, and they'll go on and on about it. they will become the most goo-goo ga-ga parents you will have ever seen.Grin

I've seen this happen before, to a friend of mine.

Curiousmama · 09/08/2011 17:35

Sorry I don't go with the childless friends wanting time with other childless friends. I have many childless friends and friends who's dcs are over 18, but we still socialise together. I also have friends with dcs who I'd rather stayed at home but hey ho Grin

What I'm getting here is , the dh is ok with his friends and that its the dw that isn't so ofay with the status quo here. She's had enough and said 'it's my birthday I'll invite who I want for a change. I think your dh and the 2 guys need to get together as really you're all only friends because of this connetion. And no one comes as a package where friendship's are concerned. Dp doesn't mix with my friends much and I don't his. Although he likes mine more than I do his tbh Blush

Anyway hope your dh can sort it in a calm manner and not upset the dh as he sounds like he's been put in an awkward position?

Cheria · 09/08/2011 17:39

I second speaking with the people directly, and calmly and finding out if you have done something to offend.

Possible reasons:
-they find people with children boring as the conversation almost always ends up being about the children (yes, it does, and I am as guilty as anyone else, though HATED it when I was TTC)

  • they are having fertility problems
  • they don't like making people arrange babysitters etc
  • they wanted to celebrate with a different group of friends.
Oblomov · 09/08/2011 18:24

agree. Just phone Ann and bloody ask her. say you heard about her party and couldn't understand why you hadn't been invited, and had you done anything to insult her.

flootshoot · 09/08/2011 18:34

Will see what DH wants to do when he gets in. I'm told it was the same small group that always get together, except our absence cut it by about a third!

Will be interested to know if we have done anything. Although it seems unlikely that both we and Cath & Dave have upset them independently. Unless of course it is a fertility issue. They've been against having children since their teens though (i.e. too early to have been TTC) so I'm very doubtful of that.

OP posts:
Sheepling · 09/08/2011 19:17

I know you say they dont want kids, but is there any possibility she may have suffered a miscarriage? They may not want to tell people but it may be too painful for her at the moment to be around anyone with children? Just a thought...

Portofino · 09/08/2011 19:38

I would think about the fertility issue. I would have sworn my friend had NO interest in having children. Her PG announcement came as a complete shock to me. And this is someone I know really, really well.

I knew that she suffered from endemitriosis, but never realised at all that she was desperate to conceive. I was most Blush Sad afterwards as I would have handled certain things very differently if I'd known. Of course, they'd played down the kid thing big time, because they really didn't think they would have any. It didn't mean they didn't want them though.

DioneTheDiabolist · 09/08/2011 19:47

You're right OP, this sounds very school playgroundy. They are your DH's friends, so let him decide how to deal with it.

superjobee · 09/08/2011 19:49

sounds awful :(

i was the first of my friends to fall pg and was a baby bore Blush we all managed nights out / meet ups for shopping coffee etc and even my most adamant she wasnt having babies friend loved being around DD then when she fell pg and had her DD 2 yrs after mine i was the first person she told

we've all grown up together and now grown apart as life, men, jobs, college and yep kids have gotten in the way we hardly ever meet up in a group maybe once a yr/2.

the only reasonable excuse for their behaviour i can think of is TTC issues or maybe they've known for a long time one/both of them cant have kids?

very sad for your DH tho :(

potoftea · 09/08/2011 19:53

I think as the 3 men share a hobby, it would be best for them only to discuss this. Your dh and Dave should let him know how hurt they were by this, and ask is there something they've done to upset them. Once they get his viewpoint they can decide then is there any future for this friendship.

ImperialBlether · 09/08/2011 20:05

I get the impression it's Ann who's leading the way with this. Her husband seems happy to share the hobby with the men, doesn't he? You said Ann doesn't like going to others but expects everyone to drop everything to go to hers at short notice. Does she think she's special in some way? You and your friend Claire have an experience that she doesn't share, so she denigrates you for having it, even if you're not talking about it. She feels out of the loop with you two. You are stopping her from feeling special.

These others that she invited to her party - are they childfree?

I think you need to take a step back. Encourage your husband to see Dave for his hobby and to go for a drink with him. Meet up with your friend Claire and her husband whenever you want to go out. Accept the fact that some women are bitches and can't maintain friendships.

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