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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to not give these women any more opportunities to exclude me?

324 replies

MomoandTeddington · 08/02/2012 10:04

I have namechanged.

At my 8 year old DD's school there is a group of mums, 9 of them. I have known most of them for several years since DD was at nursery with their DC. A couple of them live in the same road as me. The ones that I haven't known since nursery have been added to their group along the way, one knows one of the mums from tennis club and another lives next door to another one. I have always liked them all and got on well with them all, but I always feel they have excluded me a bit.

For example, they will arrange nights out and not invite me, yet invite me to others. Last time I went on a night out with them they were all talking about their previous night out to X restaurant and it suddenly dawned on me that I hadn't been invited on that one. I said "Oh, you didn't invite me on that one, girls" and one of them said "oooops probably shouldn't have mentioned that night out". They will invite me if they are having, say, a bodyshop party and want as many attendees as possible, but then other things they exclude me from.

I am probably the closest to one of them who lives a few doors down from me, we text each other occasionally and sometimes meet up for coffee, however for the past few months she has continually said about meeting up and then when I've suggested a day and time she has either been busy or forgotten or cancelled at very short notice. So I have now stopped suggesting meeting up with her, and am leaving the ball in her court.

The other thing they do is if one or two of them talk to me outside the school, they will be very vague with me and keep looking over my shoulder or behind them for other members of their group, and if they see one of them they will start smiling and waving at them and I feel they never listen to what I say, and sometimes are just waiting for me to go so that they can continue their conversation. One morning recently 3 were talking to me, they then all said they had to go, so I went off in my direction and they in theirs. A while later I went out in the car and saw them still talking in a group but they had moved round the corner to the other side of the school where they thought I wouldn't see when I'd gone. this morning two started talking to me and asking me about something that has happened to me recently, and I started talking too and next thing they were both looking over my head waving at someone wildly, totally ignoring what I said so I just said "Oh, bye then" and walked off.

I have decided I am not going to give them any more opportunities to exclude me. I am going to decline all invites out, and will say hello and be polite if I see them but it will be more of a "say hello and carry on walking with the buggy" than a hello and a chat. I am also not going to suggest any meet ups with any of them again. Another one of them and I went to an exercise class together once a week for a while but it dawned on me recently it was me making all the effort and so I stopped contacting her to see what would happen and she hasn't contacted me since. She always says she is busy yet has plenty of time for meet ups with the rest of them, but if I suggested meeting up in the day she would suggest a date in 2 or 3 months time because she's so busy, presumably hoping I would forget.

AIBU to think "stuff the lot of them"? I have other friends at the school, and other friend away from school btw. I don't think its me or anything I do/don't do, I think it's more that I'm not quite good enough for their clique.

OP posts:
MomoandTeddington · 08/02/2012 21:03

I agree, historyrepeats. I have a group of friends, mainly people I went to school with, and I wouldn't consider us a clique as we often invite other friends and acquaintances to meet ups and meals. We are all going out on Friday, I am taking along a neighbour of mine, and another friend is bringing her colleague, Im sure some of my other schoolfriends will bring other friends with them too that haven't been out with us all before. the more the merrier really.

I agree, cliques are often like a witches coven

OP posts:
MomoandTeddington · 08/02/2012 21:03

Thanks for your insightful opinion, Reduce

OP posts:
ReduceRecycleRegift · 08/02/2012 21:04

I really don't do clinginess, it pushes me right in the other direction

historyrepeats · 08/02/2012 21:05

You know hat momo they just aren't worth it. People get into cliques because it gives them security and makes them feel good. I would feel shit making others feel crap and would rather have my friends and like you 'more the merrier'.

MomoandTeddington · 08/02/2012 21:06

Good for you, Reduce.

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historyrepeats · 08/02/2012 21:06

Whats clingy about what OP has said. Confused

Whatmeworry · 08/02/2012 21:06

I am astounded at the number of people who wouldn't be bothered if a large group out of a relatively small group made it clear that they were excluding them. They are certainly more resilient than I!

Or less truthful :)

ReduceRecycleRegift · 08/02/2012 21:07

" and would rather have my friends and like you 'more the merrier"

really? EVERY time? its lovely sometimes, even a lot of the time, but don't you sometimes need to just be with friends?

historyrepeats · 08/02/2012 21:07

I'd use your name as a three step plan reduce if you were my pal. Grin

ReduceRecycleRegift · 08/02/2012 21:08

"Last time I went on a night out with them they were all talking about their previous night out to X restaurant and it suddenly dawned on me that I hadn't been invited on that one. I said "Oh, you didn't invite me on that one, girls" "

That
she was at a night she WAS invited to making people feel awkward that the sometimes dare to do things without her
that is clingey
that would put me off

MomoandTeddington · 08/02/2012 21:09

LOL at historyrepeats

OP posts:
historyrepeats · 08/02/2012 21:09

So all the group went apart from OP and thats not just plain nasty. Shock

ReduceRecycleRegift · 08/02/2012 21:09

my reaction would have been either "oh I love that one, what did you order, have you tried their__" or "what is it like there"

historyrepeats · 08/02/2012 21:11

You are just, well what can I say reduce, fabulous, amazing, super dooper. Smile

MomoandTeddington · 08/02/2012 21:11

Reduce, no matter what you say on here, if a group of friends sometimes invited you and sometimes excluded you - and only you - I am certain you would be upset or would wonder why.

I cannot see the issue with me bringing up that I was upset not to have been invited on a night out - again I repeat the only one excluded from the group - when I had been invited on others. I think it was unfair of them. If they had excluded others, and gone out in a group of 4 or 5 then of course I wouldn't have been upset, but to be the only one excluded isn't nice.

OP posts:
ReduceRecycleRegift · 08/02/2012 21:12

I wouldn't jump to that conclusion. I see my friends when I see my friends. If I'm friends in a group I don't always expect an invited just because of the group, I'ld rather be seen when people want to see me

ReduceRecycleRegift · 08/02/2012 21:13

OF COURSE I'ld be upset if it appeared that I wasn't as close to someone or people as I thought I was but just because people don't consider you a close friend doesn't make them bitches from hell either and doesn't mean they should never have times when they just want to be around friends

JKSLtd · 08/02/2012 21:14

Momo - I agree, sod the lot of them. (Haven't read the whole thread sorry).

I am trying to get to the same place with DS1's sch mums (also the PTA queens). I had a thread on here about it at the time, but it's still upsetting me (so maybe I'm the hysterical weeping one) - when DD was born (now 9months old) they didn't do a collection/gift for her. This may sound petty except that is totally the done thing at this school. And made very clear that it is the norm - esp as one of the other mums in the class had her DD just a few months before & we all contributed to a lovely basket of baby goodies (incl me).

Once it became obvious that they hadn't been arsed to organise anything for me/DD I was so upset. Then they had the gall to ask me to contribute to one of their wedding collection. I did as I'm a numpty and didn't have the backbone to say no effing way at the time.

One mum gave me a gift separately and she is the only one I have any real time for now - she is also not part of the clique. I refuse to join any group collection thing now - even if it makes me look weird, eg Christmas, I said no to the group collection for the teachers & gave them wine from us/DS separately.

Every sch run it comes back to me, how upset i got. No-one ever really got it i don't think, not even DH.

ReduceRecycleRegift · 08/02/2012 21:15

I don't think YABU to be a bit upset or to back away
but I just don't think that the other women are necessarily bad just because you're not as close to them as they are to each other!

HurricaneBawbag · 08/02/2012 21:16

I get it now! The clique actually play as 2 teams of 5-a-side football and sometimes need her to make up numbers. Because there is no way that ALL NINE people can always meet up regularly and sometimes exclude her. No way! I struggle to get together with 3 or 4 mums without work/kids/other commitments getting in the way!

MomoandTeddington · 08/02/2012 21:16

Oh JKS that is awful, no wonder you are upset. I would be really upset about it too. And for them to have then asked you to donate to another collection afterwards is awful. They are actually being bullies by doing what they did. I would definitely refuse to donate to anything in future and if necessary tell them exactly why you won't x

OP posts:
MomoandTeddington · 08/02/2012 21:17

Reduce, I didn't say they were bitches from hell. I said I was going to back off, which is exactly what YOU have just said you would do

OP posts:
JKSLtd · 08/02/2012 21:18

Thanks Momo :)

The thing is so much time has gone by that I feel I can't mention it anymore; 'i don't want to be friends with you cos you didn't buy my baby a present' sounds pretty, um, pathetic!
But I feel I'll never really get past it even if some of them end up being people I see more of in the future - if DS makes good friends for eg.

MomoandTeddington · 08/02/2012 21:21

At least you know who is your real friend amongst them. They really aren't worth even thinking about, JKS. If your DS becomes good friends with their children, just be polite but distant from them, even if they try to become better friends with you in future

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historyrepeats · 08/02/2012 21:24

JKS thats just horrible. Sad