Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To say no to outings/ treats for DS(9) until DD(4) gets one too?

110 replies

DrSeuss · 12/08/2015 20:20

DH aunt has no children and has always shown a strong interest in DS. We are very grateful for this as my parents are dead and DH's are three hundred miles away. Since he was a toddler, she has taken him out for day trips, as he has grown up she has had him to stay for a couple of nights three or four times a year. He adores her, she adores him. She always plans something special, be it at home, (she lives an hour away) or an activity. As I said, we are very grateful for her care for our son and try never to abuse it.
However, DD scarcely gets a look in. In the last two years, she has had two three hour trips to the local park, both of which she has had to share with her brother.
Auntie said she would take her out more when she was four and fully potty trained ( potty training was delayed for various reasons but she is now fully dry day and night.). She turned four in May. Auntie knows all of this. I imagine that some people will think I am being entitled but it isn't that I think Auntie should look after my children. She has always volunteered to take DS out or have him to stay, we have never asked.
Auntie now wants DS to visit for a few days next week. No invite for DD to go anywhere. AIBU to say that this time, DD goes for a special day out before DS goes anywhere? As yet, DD has not noticed the discrepancy but it can only be a matter of time till she begins to wonder.
As the un-favourite child of my mother, I spent thirty years coming a poor second to my amazing brother. Maybe I am reading too much into this? I just don't want DD to ever ask why she can't have trips and treats with Auntie when her brother can.

OP posts:
CrapBag · 14/08/2015 22:03

That isn't on. That is absolutely singling him out and ignoring your DD.

You need to say something. If she isn't willing to treat your DD the same, I'd end the close relationship she has with your DS. I'd hate for my children to be treated this way.

CrapBag · 14/08/2015 22:05

madam did you NOT read the OPs update right above your post? That has nothing to do with taking them out. That is blatant favouritism.

PLUtoPlanet · 14/08/2015 22:16

It sounds as though there are several steps before any definitive rupture can occur, as the OP is asking for opinions on how to approach this: ie. Great-aunt apparently hasn't yet got any idea that favouritism has been noticed (or that it is unacceptable).

DrSeuss, you can certainly start showing her what she's potentially doing... why not? She might well take it on board. DS might start being busier with playdates. Until you make your first comment, you won't know. Smile

Minicaters · 14/08/2015 22:31

Did aunt just say nothing about whose sweets they were or did she say they were just for DS?

Assuming the former I would "assume" they are for sharing. Model including everyone at every opportunity.

Minicaters · 14/08/2015 22:35

Actually big bags of sweets are for sharing by default, aren't they? When DC come home from granny's I never notice whose bag they are in or take it to mean no one else is allowed them.

MadamArcatiAgain · 15/08/2015 08:50

have you any idea how graspy you will sound?

MadamArcatiAgain · 15/08/2015 08:51

.....to say nothing of rude and ungrateful

Icimoi · 15/08/2015 08:57

I don't think she does, MadamArcati. She's not saying she wants more from her aunt, just that she wants the aunt to treat both children equally. I suspect OP would have been perfectly happy for the aunt not to give out sweets at all, for instance.

zen1 · 15/08/2015 09:09

While there is a big difference between a parent and a great aunt openly favouring and treating one child, as a child who experienced this 30 years ago, I would still say that it does have an impact and your daughter will notice and wonder why she is treated differently by this relative. My dad had an aunt (also with no children of her own) who adored my brother, was always complimenting him etc. I remember she came to visit us once and brought him a swatch watch (all the rage in the 80s and expensive) and me a bar of own brand chocolate from the local supermarket. I think if this was happening to my DC, I would address the issue.

DeeWe · 15/08/2015 09:18

I think you're slightly grasping at straws with the sweets.
Many times when my dc have friends over they've gone back wth something, maybe sweets, maybe some cakes they've made, maybe an item of clothes my dc have grown out of, or a toy they don't use.
I don't say "that is for sharing with your siblings" but nor do I say "that is for you and only you".

I assume that the parents will decide and make the choice and sort it out.

If I did put a big bag of sweets in, I would be assuming that they would be sharing it, but I wouldn't make a big thing of it.

Aeroflotgirl · 15/08/2015 09:23

Thing is, her dd will start to notice, if brother is being treated regularly by Aunt and she is not, I am sorry but it will affect her I me it has other posters on here, remember it yeArs later. If he is bought things by Aunt and she is not, it will be downright hurtful for her. Op can help the relationship, by inviting her on days out with them, or wherever so she Dan get to know op. It is only right that Aunt as an adult tries to forge a relationship with ds sister, ok it might be in a different level but she should at least put in some effort, she is Aunt to both of them.

Aeroflotgirl · 15/08/2015 09:27

Exactly zen, that must have bloody hurt, if I were your parents I would have had a chat with Aunt, refuse all future gifts for ds unless you were treated the same. Some on here are completely missing the point.

3CheekyLittleMonkeys · 15/08/2015 09:32

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Aeroflotgirl · 15/08/2015 09:34

Any decent adult would buy 2 bag of sweets, this is for you and this one for your sister. Op ds said that they were not to be shared, Aunt must have told him that. Not right, as the parent I would have taken them off ds and distributed them equally to dd and ds, I woukd have text Aunt, oh those sweets ds had, are they for him only? If she said yes, I would have contacted her for a chat. It is favouritism, not right.

Aeroflotgirl · 15/08/2015 09:55

Oh she could have said to ds, these sweets are for you and your sister, it appears not!

Bettercallsaul1 · 15/08/2015 10:57

I think perhaps the sweets are a bit of a red herring. I agree with Minicaters that, with a big, family-sized bag, there is an assumption that it will be shared but it could only be put into one child's bag. If it hadn't been for the other issues, I wonder if this would even have been noticed.

I actually think the best strategy here would be to wait and see if things change naturally over the next couple of years. Although the OP is worried that her daughter will notice eventually, there is still some time to play with at the moment. A four-year-old will definitely not be as aware of the situation - and will be easier to distract from it with parental attention - as a six, seven or eight year old. Many things can happen in two years - the GA may become more interested in the little girl as she gets older and more communicative or the bond between the GA and boy may weaken a bit with outside activities becoming more important in his life (he is at the age where friends, sports and hobbies start to matter more) which would allow an opening for a stronger relationship with his sister.

I wouldn't be too pessimistic about this yet - I would give it a bit of time to see how it unfolds before intervening. At the moment, I would say the harm, if any, is too slight to worry about.

Aeroflotgirl · 15/08/2015 11:07

better Aunt should have said that here are sweets for you and your sister to share, she did not. When op asked her ds whether they were to share, he said no. See what happens in the next few months, if it does come apparent, and more noticeable you owe it to your dd to address this. What happens at birthdays and Christmas op, are they treated equally in terms of gifts? Is ds given gifts by Aunt during the year and dd not?

Aeroflotgirl · 15/08/2015 11:10

What if Aunt takes ds to say theme parks or outings dd, starts to ask why she sent going. Mabey next time if she is taking ds to X, tell Aunt you would like to come with dd.

Aeroflotgirl · 15/08/2015 11:11

Op was treated unfavourably compared to her brother and quite rightly wants to nip this in the bud.

Bettercallsaul1 · 15/08/2015 11:32

I really think the significance of the sweets may have been exaggerated. As Minicaters has said, a family-sized bag would be for sharing by default ie, if nothing was actually said one way or the other, it would be assumed that they would be shared. All that happened here was that nothing was said: the GA didn't say "Share these with your sister" or, equally, "These are just for you" so, by default, it could be assumed (by me, anyway!) that the GA intended both children to share them. I remember, when visiting my MIL when our children were young, she would often go into a cupboard before we left and produce a bag of sweets which she thrust at whichever child happened to be nearest. She never took the trouble to say "These are for sharing" because she - and we - automatically assumed that that was taken for granted. I don't think this one incident should be used to escalate the problem.

Aeroflotgirl · 15/08/2015 12:26

better it's not just about the sweets, that's just one thing. Op has said its only a matter of time before her dd does notice, she us probably beginning to become more aware and perceptive so this needs doing in the next 6 months not a couple of years!

MadamArcatiAgain · 16/08/2015 19:31

the GA didn't say "Share these with your sister

...according to the 9 YO !!!

Bettercallsaul1 · 16/08/2015 19:44

Yes, that occurred to me too, MadameA! Grin

Vernonon · 16/08/2015 19:50

Hilarious that everyone takes the 9-year-old's word that the sweets aren't for sharing. Both mine would say the same!

Purplepoodle · 16/08/2015 19:51

wouldn't read too much into the sweet thing yet. My mil is not even 60 yet - she happily has ds1 (nearly 7) and has had from young age, however she admits she feels a little out of her depth with ds2 (4). ds1 stays over quite often and she often gives ds2 the choice but he's a bit of mummy's boy so likes to come home. I'm hoping things will get bit easier whe. ds2 starts school as he will be that little bit older and easier to deal with