Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not provide sparkling water

117 replies

crumbs12 · 18/04/2016 09:56

....for my MIL when she comes round?

She chooses not to drink ordinary tap water but prefers to drink the bottled stuff. I don't have a problem with this but when she comes round to our house she brings herself a bottle of sparkling water to have with lunch. AIBU to think this is a bit rude? We drink normal tap water and I would expect guests to follow suit when they eat with us at our house. Or should I be buying bottled water especially for the dragon, sorry, MIL?

OP posts:
NotdeadyetBOING · 18/04/2016 10:14

YABU.

CaptainCrunch · 18/04/2016 10:15

Would it kill you to buy a bottle of sparkling water. You sound really petty and miserable. You're even giving her a hard time about bringing her own. Totally unreasonable OP.

hellsbellsmelons · 18/04/2016 10:16

It's 17p in Asda.
I'm sure there is probably a huge back story here.
Well I hope there is because otherwise YABVVU
So she brings a bottle of sparkling water?
I prefer sparkling water. After a night on the booze I get through a bottle the next morning, which means I always take on with me if off to a friends overnight or anything like that.
If I go to someone's house and I know I want to drink wine then I would take some with me. How is this different?
I think you might need to elaborate here because this sounds odd from your side.

LaContessaDiPlump · 18/04/2016 10:16

It's manners to provide what you know a guest prefers. We had a school parent over this weekend for the first time and discovered belatedly that she likes herbal tea; I will make sure to get some in for the next (prob very distant) visit. Therefore I think you'd be rather rude not to do the same for a more regular guest.

I suspect you think that drinking bottled water makes her a bit up-herself and snobby, and you resent that. YABU.

Inertia · 18/04/2016 10:17

It's odd that you're offended that she doesn't want to drink exactly the same thing as you! And she isn't even demanding that you buy the sparkling water, she's bringing her own. Is this a reverse?

Do you not buy sparkling water for making Yorkshire puddings with?

pinkcan · 18/04/2016 10:17

I think you said it all when you called her the dragon.

If she was your best friend or someone you loved and she wanted (let's say) Fanta, you'd get it in when she was coming.

What you should do is to buy a few bottles of sparkling water, the same brand that she likes and be a decent human being and offer them to her nicely. I'm not suggesting she's lovely and you're not - for all I know she could be a bitch from hell. But you should conduct yourself properly and get her the drink she likes. It's not like she wants champagne and caviar, sparkling water is a reasonable thing to drink, even though I personally think it tastes like shit and would prefer tap water.

TurnOffTheBrain · 18/04/2016 10:17

YABTotallyU! MIL has a jar of coffee that she likes in our cupboard. She always brings her own bottle of sparkling water, unless she's invited for a meal when I try to make sure there is one in the fridge.

You are being far ruder than she is.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 18/04/2016 10:18

YABU

And a crappy host. Buy her a bottle of sparkling water you misery, , it'll hardly break the bank.

Looly71 · 18/04/2016 10:18

I only drink redbush and my husband only drinks perfume earl grey. We bought a box of each to leave in both my dm and dd's houses although they would happily buy it themselves for us. I often carry a small plastic container with teabags in to use in other people's houses.

But as your mil is I presume a regular visitor then you shd really buy it for her.

x2boys · 18/04/2016 10:19

But your not providing sparkling water she is Hmm and you can't expect guests to follow suit if they don like something I don't drink tea or coffee I would think it was very rude of a host to insist I drank it because they were I m not fussy I will drink whatever else they have in squash etc or plain tap water.

QuimReaper · 18/04/2016 10:19

You think she is rude not to drink something she dislikes?

I don't drink milk because I prefer soya milk. I think I shall stop buying milk for guests to have in their tea, and give them soya milk whether they like it or not. And expect them to be polite about it, because how rude not to.

Confused
tinyterrors · 18/04/2016 10:21

YABU. She doesn't like tap water so brings something she does. If you can't stand coffee but go to someone's house where that's all they drink would you drink something you don't like just because it's what your host drinks?

I don't drink hot drinks and can't stand tap water, it has a horrible metallic taste to me, so I take some bottled water or pop when we go somewhere. I don't do it to be awkward I just want to be able to drink something and I wouldn't ask or expect a host to get a specific drink just for me.

AnotherUsernameBitesTheDust · 18/04/2016 10:21

YABU. I only really drink water - I don't like hot drinks. However I always have tea bags and coffee in in case guests want some. It's only polite.

If she's bringing her own water anyway, what's the problem? Has she actually said anything to you?

Frusso · 18/04/2016 10:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

DerelictMyBalls · 18/04/2016 10:22

YABU! This isn't about water, is it?

Dummykiss · 18/04/2016 10:23

I think yabu, I would get her some if that's what she likes.

I definitely don't think it's rude for her to bring her own. She just likes it.

dementedpixie · 18/04/2016 10:23

Ffs it's sparkling water and she brings her own. What is your problem??

gamerchick · 18/04/2016 10:24

You're joking right? Hmm

Seriously what's the real gripe, that she comes for lunch at all?

ArcheryAnnie · 18/04/2016 10:25

I don't think it's rude if she brings her own water at all - if anything, it's thoughtful as she is not putting you to extra effort to cater for her.

I am allergic to milk but love tea, so always carry around a small bottle of soya milk, so that if I am somewhere (a cafe, a friend's house, at work, wherever) where tea is on offer, I can say yes. I ask them if it's OK to use my own milk as I don't drink cow's milk, and have never had any problem.

wigglesrock · 18/04/2016 10:26

YABU - no one in our house drinks tea, I still keep it in the house. I can't think how it wouldn't be rude to offer people black coffee just because we drink it and they're in our house regardless of whether or not I liked them. That's beside the point anyway because she's not putting you out, she's bringing get own.

MardAsSnails · 18/04/2016 10:28

She wants it so she brings its.

She'd be being unreasonable if she sat and demanded you buy it, and whinge about it when you didn't.

As it happens, she does the right thing and brings her own if she wants something no -standard.

TheCrumpettyTree · 18/04/2016 10:29

YABU. I keep coffee and green tea in the house despite not drinking either. I also take peppermint tea with me if I stay somewhere as I don't want to drink normal tea all day. Why would that offend you?

Your issue is you don't like your mil.

sixinabed · 18/04/2016 10:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Thataintnoetchasketch · 18/04/2016 10:32

I don't think it's rude for her to bring her own sparkling water if she knows she doesn't drink what you provide. My DM keeps at box of Redbush at my house, I keep a box of Camomile tea at her house.

If my friend is coming over who I know likes Diet Coke then I'll get some in for her. If she surprises me then often she'll have a can in her bag anyway as it's not something I routinely buy. I don't get offended that she doesn't force herself to drink something she doesn't like in my house.

Pinkheart5915 · 18/04/2016 10:33

I think you are being unreasonable, I'd personally buy her a bottle of sparkling water when she comes over.
As it is she does bring her own so what is your problem.

Swipe left for the next trending thread