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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

what ever I buy for her birthday she wont like it.

82 replies

lordsteatime · 28/07/2016 13:46

My mum has a big birthday coming up. We wanted to arrange a party, which she suggested as fun, but when we started suggesting were to have it, who to invite, she said no to all of it.
For instance i asked if i could invite her brothers and their partners/wives and she said, no because she didnt like on of the wives. She didnt want her party ruined by having to be polite to 'that woman'.
A suggestion to have the party at her house was 'too much work and not much of a treat for me' and my suggestion to have party in my home/garden was met with 'you live too far away and my friends wont come' BTW my home is about 20/30 mins by car away from hers.
We made a suggestion of hiring local hall, but again, negative comments made about it.

Recently she has been telling me about all the gifts she has had over the years that were crap esp those from my dad.

i suggested in the end that i take her out for a cream tea as she loves cakes, but she said she makes her own perfectly good scones and cream at home and doesnt need to go out for that.

I have a list in my head of things she hates,
clothes, very fussy about clothes, not see through, not too low a neckline, not wool as it makes her itch, and not too long /short a top length, and not yellow as it makes her look sallow.
no ri rings, watches or necklaces as she has a nickal allergy and only wears a necklace that has a very long chain as she hates tight things around her neck, that can hang outside her clothes.
no ornaments,

Before she mentioned the ornament thing, I already ordered something, a real rose dipped in gold. It looked good on amazon but in reality looks a bit shit.
Have also brought a hamper of tea and biscuits as she meets friends and her brothers at her house once a week.
I think ehe will not be impressed about that either.
so am at a loss.
Should I accept I cant make her happy and concentrate on providing her with something to complain about?

OP posts:
ByGaslight · 28/07/2016 18:39

My Ma has always been like this and it's hard for me as a daughter. But she does it at least partly because somewhere at the back of her mind she doesn't agree she deserves things (her childhood was not warm and she didn't get nice things). I don't think she understands how much it feels like a rejection to others, it's an instinctive reaction to her.

Last year I decided to chuck years of unused, cheap Accessorise jewellery away and gave it to my Ma first to see if she wanted any of it. She literally couldn't cope, sat there looking at it in fear saying 'I feel overwhelmed' over and over. It's something I accept and try not to take personally, I buy her small, nice things I like and don't worry about her reaction too much.

lordsteatime · 28/07/2016 22:58

have had a chat with my mum, and we asked what she would really like to do. so, on her birthday we are going out for lunch. (perhaps a harvester as she likes plain food) and on sunday morning doing something she has always wanted to do!

My mum wants to go to a car boot sale. Apparently she has wanted to go to one for YEARS. < have only heard her mention this twice recently, but heigh ho, off to buy tatt we go!>

OP posts:
Gruach · 28/07/2016 23:07

Hooray! You got there in the end.Halo

Here's a little homemadeCakefor your DM.

callmeadoctor · 28/07/2016 23:22

Or take her out for a day at zoo with her grandkids who she loves!

EnriqueTheRingBearingLizard · 29/07/2016 09:40

I feel your pain OP Flowers

King Joffrey really made me laugh with
My grandmother was like this

We bought her a budgie Grin

T0ddlerSlave · 29/07/2016 09:58

Could you do a calendar or photo book of family photos?

Tallulahoola · 29/07/2016 10:29

This is my mum. Are you the sister I never knew I had? Grin

Occasionally I will hit on something I think she likes and she will smile and say thank you, only for her to say a year later "Don't get me those chocolates you got last Christmas, I really didn't like them." She claims to love food but dislikes every restaurant I have ever taken her to.

How about two tickets to the Good Food Show if she likes baking, and a night in a hotel afterwards if it's far from you? They have them in various places. She has the choice to take whoever she wants. I defy anyone not to be happy about seeing Mary Berry.

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