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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to be cross that they forgot/ignored my birthday?

39 replies

youngestsprout · 23/02/2015 20:41

Not sure if my db and sil are trying to wind me up - maybe someone can help.
I'm not a big birthday sort of person but I have made an effort with my sil. On her birthday I bring take out coffee, cakes and a present(she has a toddler)and generally be warm and friendly. I meet up with her at a toddler group so have regular contact.
They didn't even remember my birthday. Then my db calls my 2 days after and wishes me a happy birthday. I said it's not my birthday, he said oh sorry got the days mixed up. Confused The year before they were busy. My db used to be polite on birthdays what's changed - is sil behind it?

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youngestsprout · 24/02/2015 09:14

Okay fair enough. I guess I'll pull back a bit not make anything of their birthdays and not invite them for dinner and days out and let them invite me to do things if they want to. I suppose I may be giving them too much importance. Thanks I will focus on other things and leave them alone.

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Stinkersmum · 24/02/2015 09:17

My db never remembers my birthday and SIL is just as useless. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. I always send them both cards because I remember, but I don't think forgetfulness is something to be offended by.

Floggingmolly · 24/02/2015 09:18

You think your brother is trying to put you down to "elevate his wife's position"??? How would that even work, within your wider family, even if that thought was in his head? Confused
Some people just don't consider adult birthdays worthy of a huge fanfare I'm one of them

youngestsprout · 24/02/2015 09:29

Except they do make a big deal about their birthdays.

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youngestsprout · 24/02/2015 09:34

Well she is very shy and as I say a lot younger (& no I'm not jealous of her she isn't a pert young thing Smile before anybody mentions it).So my brother could be trying to build her up a bit, I can understand why he would do it but it is annoying nethertheless.

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weeblueberry · 24/02/2015 09:37

Is this the first year they've got the date right/given you a card?

Just because your posts suggest you regularly give them gifts/cake etc. if this is the only year it's not happened it sounds as though there's something happening that you don't know about that's distracting them.

weeblueberry · 24/02/2015 09:38

Sorry got the date *wrong

youngestsprout · 24/02/2015 09:49

No but my db said he would come for a meal on birthday last year and ducked out about an hour before. Then on my dd 1st birthday Dsil turned up at the end. It is just a lot of things that are adding up I suppose and the fact I have gone out of my way to be welcoming to dsil. I think I have to withdraw from them as they just make me feel like crap. As pp said I'm obviously of no real interest to them. I now know have mother's with grown-up sons feel Grin.

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AliceLidl · 24/02/2015 09:53

I think really your issue should be with your brother.

You say he used to be thoughtful about birthdays, and now he's not.

I wouldn't necessarily blame your SIL for that.

DH did this to me when we first married, all of a sudden I was responsible for every card, gift and telephone call to his side of the family.

He is in a job that means he's often away, but it went from "I'm not going to be here, would you mind doing this…" to "why haven't you sent my sister a card?"

We had a big row in the end and now he's responsible for his own side of the family, which means mostly they get nothing from us because he can't be bothered to remember them, and all of them blame me.

Which is ironic because none of them ever remember my birthday.

Blame your brother. Yes she is his wife, and she's your friend, but he's the one who is related to you and who has changed his behaviour and perhaps she thought he had sent you something on time.

It was a bit slack of him to ring two days late, but when he did, and you told him it's not your birthday, perhaps that's why SIL hasn't mentioned it.

He might have put the phone down after speaking to you and said "I forgot youngest's birthday and now she's pissed off" and put SIL off saying anything about your birthday in case she annoyed you by mentioning it.

BauerTime · 24/02/2015 09:56

gamer you speak so much truth! I used to refuse to do the birthday stuff for DH's family, but now I do his DM and DNephew as I just feel too awful if he forgets those ones.

youngestsprout · 24/02/2015 09:57

Yes that makes sense Alice. I think that's what happened and with her being shy she would have felt uncomfortabke mentioning it knowing I was pissed off. Bloody minefield to work out.

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YourMaNoBraBackOfMyCar · 24/02/2015 10:31

We were at dinner at my in laws when my sil had a go at my dh for not bothering with her dh's birthday. She looked at me and said haughtily "so when is your birthday YourMa?" "Today." I reply nonchalantly. I swear the atmosphere turned to ice. :o I really don't care about my birthday but the look on her face after her little rant made a fab present for me.

Thankyoumrspatterson · 24/02/2015 11:40

I'm extremely close to my sisters and parents, they are lucky if I even remember their birthdays.

I wouldn't take it personally! My mil is like you and expects gifts, cards, wishes etc but it just won't happen with us and she's stopped getting stroppy because it's just the way we are.

I don't even bother with my birthday, I have to sometimes think hard if I'm 28 or 29 if someone asks on the spot.

Birthdays are for kids, just like Christmas. Stop being a madam.

YABU

youngestsprout · 24/02/2015 11:43

Ok IABU Grin thanks. I think I have fallen out with them, may need to apologise...

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