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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Turning up unannounced at bedtime

116 replies

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 01/06/2014 15:13

Right...trying to get my head round this
I have a 4 month old DD and a 17 month old DS. I'm exclusively expressing for DD so got my hands quite full

DS is a reliably brilliant sleeper (we know we are very lucky) from 7 - 7. Basically, we just had to do his routine, pop him in his cot and he went off to sleep.

However, in the lady two weeks, he has started nursery for two afternoons a week plus us majorly teething and had a bad cold and sore throat. This means that he had started getting up at 6 or 5, worse. Plus needs help at night to get to sleep. One or either of us has to lie in our bed with him til he starts to fall asleep or he screams blue murder in his cot. Thankfully in the last two days, he seems to be going back to normal but we've found it a bit hard as we don't really have any coping strategies as he's akwYs slept very well

Last night, DH was going out to watch the boxing. He agreed that one of his friends would come and pick him up. The house was a mess with dirty washing wtc to be carried down to the utility room, toys all over the place and the dinner things to be cleared up

I was also a bit worried that DS would have trouble going to sleep as I would be in my own plus I had DD and needed to fit in the expressing

So, anyway, DH sees his friend appear from the window. I'm lying on our bed with DS and DD is in her cot. Suddenly, I hear the door slamming really loudly and some crashing and banging downstairs. DS has been dozing but bounces up and starts shouting: "what dat? What dat?"

I have three day unwashed hair and am in my pyjamas so not relishing going downstairs to see wtf is going on. I then hear DH's voice and, I think, the voice of his friend. So, not wanting to cause any embarrassment, I call and ask DH if he can come upstairs and help me

DH comes upstairs and tells me that his friend, his wife and their two children have just turned up unannounced to have a drink with us.

Obviously, I'm trying to get DS to sleep, the house is a shit tip and I'm in pyjamas. I tell DH that this is really not convenient, the noise (the crashing was one of the children crashing DS' wooden truck with bricks into a door then chucking the bricks out) is keeping DS up and could they please find somewhere else it have a drink as I actually want to be able to come downstairs once DS has gone to sleep to have something to eat and get my expressing stuff etc

DH pops back upstairs 5 minutes later to say they are all heading out. Fine

Once they leave, much later I eventually locate my phone that has been out of battery for the last 12 hours at least, charge it and find a text from the friend's wife asking if they can come over. I've obviously not read it til then (which she would see as we both have iPhones) and obviously not replied

Then, today, DH tells me that he hopes them having to leave has t caused any "awkwardness". I was Shock and Confused because I think any "awkwardness" was caused by then turning up totally unannounced at a time when most people would be putting children if our age to bed. I really wouldn't dream of it.

AIBU?

OP posts:
WeeClype · 01/06/2014 15:20

YANBU I hate people turning up whenever they feel like it as my house is always lying like a tip most of the time

CoffeeTea103 · 01/06/2014 15:20

I think yabu, not everyone lives their lives around children's bedtimes. I do think you were a bit rude to not even go and say hello.

Allinson2014 · 01/06/2014 15:26

YANBU I think people forgot how hard it is with young DC and getting them into a routine or just to bed!

I'm about to have a baby and DH will be fending off visitors unless they have arranged to come round at a sensible time.

ShineSmile · 01/06/2014 15:29

YANBU, people forget how tough it is. Though don't be surprised if they expect an apology.

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 01/06/2014 15:31

There's no way I would have gone down stairs. I looked awful - really shockingly awful - I would have been embarrassed to see anyone looking like that and I really feel why should I be put in that position? Of having to embarrass myself with my spots and leaky boobs and greasy scarecrow hair by going downstairs and saying hello to peie who have just turned up unannounced

I honestly feel it was a total invasion of privacy. Mud if if gine downstairs, DS would have screamed bloody murder in his cot and I'd have been back to square one

OP posts:
StillStayingClassySanDiego · 01/06/2014 15:33

You're not being unreasonable at all.

I'd be miffed at an unexpected family turning up at the dc's bedtime expecting you to be happy and ready to act the host.

Bollocks to that, you did what I'd have done.

ColdCottage · 01/06/2014 15:34

YANBU even before I had a baby I know not to call or pop in to my friends with children at what I call 'witching hour' between 5.30pm & 7.30pm and this is dinner, bath and bed time. Children need routine and parents need peace to deal with what can be a stressful time, even if all the little ones are well let alone if one is under the weather.

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 01/06/2014 15:34

shine - that's what DH said!

They can whistle for it. I've said I'm happy just to let it go - ie I font expect an apology - but I'm not saying sorry.

Bizarrely , when I've said should i expect an apology if I did the same thing to friends of ours with an 18 month old, he thinks absolutely not Hmm

OP posts:
sunshinecity17 · 01/06/2014 15:41

well to be fair they didn't turn up unnanounced did they? Uninvited maybe but not unannounced.

EvaBeaversProtege · 01/06/2014 15:44

YABU.

And a bit precious.

And a bit rude.

I get it wasn't ideal, but it's not as if they make a habit out of it? A one off I would have called down my hellos & explained you were in the middle of bedtime but will see them next time.

AgentProvocateur · 01/06/2014 15:44

I don't imagine your friends would care what you looked like, but they might think you were a bit rude for not coming downstairs, and for asking your DH to get them to leave.

Allinson2014 · 01/06/2014 15:45

sunshine maybe not but in my opinion when you have DC that young and you don't get a reply it's a bit rude to still turn up at bedtime.

I'm sure they just didn't think, it's easy to forget what bedtimes I like when DC are young, however I definitely do not think that you owe them an apology.

CoffeeTea103 · 01/06/2014 15:49

I still think you were rude, they knew you were at home. You call for your DH, ask him to get them to leave, that's bloody rude. What's wrong with going in to say a quick hello and explaining it's not a good time. Confused

Writerwannabe83 · 01/06/2014 15:50

I had this when DS was 4 days old.

A friend of DH's turned up with his wife and their 2 children at about 8.30pm.

I was obviously still in a state due to having a new baby and couldn't believe they turned up uninvited.

Their kids were out of control, running up and down the stairs screaming their heads off whilst the parents sat in the living room with us as I was struggling to breastfeed.

When they left me and DH were just Gobsmacked. Who turns up at that time of night when there's a 4 day old baby? We'd only come home from the hospital the previous evening.

YADNBU!!!

pleaseaffixstamps · 01/06/2014 15:51

YANBU. I know that feeling when you are in PJs, unwashed, and someone comes to the door.

I understand they did ask, but you didn't say yes

Laquitar · 01/06/2014 15:55

I wouldnt have been over the moon either but it is not a huge drama like you make it.

They didnt put you in the position to be seen unwashed. They didnt know that you havent been washed for 3 days. The mess - if they have small dcs too they should expect it.

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 01/06/2014 16:00

To me, they were unannounced as I'd clearly not read the text let alone responded. So we had no idea all of them were coming and particularly for a drink. The plan was the friend came and picked up DH

I didn't get the text til about four hours once they had gone and I had charged my phone

My question isn't so much about whether I was rude -although I accept that some people think I was - but whether they were rude/inconsiderate to turn up

I just would never think of doing that soon the circumstances so I'm finding it quite hard to get my head round their logic

OP posts:
sunshinecity17 · 01/06/2014 16:01

' in my opinion when you have DC that young and you don't get a reply it's a bit rude to still turn up at bedtime'

..but they were giving her DH a lift to the boxing, weren't they? Confused

DuckandCat · 01/06/2014 16:02

YANBU!
I would have done the same!

Can I just also just throw in that if I was to 'call down hellos' while in the middle of getting a nearly asleep DD into her cot, she'd wake up and I'd be back to square one!

They took a chance and came over, it wasn't convenient so DH and them went else where. Can't see where the OP was rude tbh.

Watercolourfootballs · 01/06/2014 16:02

YANBU.

4 Month old baby folks.

Turning up with out an invite at any time of day seriously uncool.

At bedtime - seriously out of order.

No way I'm be apologising.

Watercolourfootballs · 01/06/2014 16:03

^^ I'd be obviously

Igggi · 01/06/2014 16:05

If they texted and didn't get a reply, that's kind of a "no" isn't it? They were very determined to come!

NatashaBee · 01/06/2014 16:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Sparklingbrook · 01/06/2014 16:07

You weren't rude at all. I wouldn't worry about it any more.

Singsongmama · 01/06/2014 16:10

YANBU - you should be able to grub about in you house without an audience!! Asking the friend who was driving in for a cuppa, fine....bringing whole family round for a last minute visit....no.

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