Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be upset that my best friend won't go out in the evenings or at weekends

139 replies

Pavonia · 02/10/2017 09:06

I have been divorced for nearly three years now. My kids spend alternate weekends with their dad and some holidays. There have been some tough and lonely times since the separation.

My friend says she is too tired to go out in the evenings and she is busy with her family at weekends. I am hurt that she isn't willing to spend the occasional evening with me. I do have other friends and I do go out alone but there have been many lonely evenings/weekends/holidays and it would be really nice if she would make the effort for my sake.

I am self-employed which means my work is flexible, but I need to work as much as possible Monday to Friday to build my business. I usually meet up with my friend on a weekday but much less than we used to as I can't spare the time when I need to work. The pattern was established when my kids were younger and we were both SAHMs, although our friendship is older than that. I have come to resent the fact that I have to make time on a weekday as it stresses me out. It ends up being a large chunk of the day as there is travel involved. I wonder what would happen if I had a job with standard hours, would she make the effort then or would I just never see her?

Am I being unreasonable to think that she should be willing to meet up occasionally in the evening (never once in all this time). It isn't a childcare issue as she has a perfectly competent and available husband.

OP posts:
coddiwomple · 02/10/2017 12:25

so many older lonely people - over emphasis on family at the expense of everything else

What a strange way to see the world. When people are working, the only time they can see each other is at weekends. Not meeting a friend on your own then doesn't mean you don't meet friends as a couple. You can prioritise your family and not end up lonely. By the time they are teens, kids are no longer interested in spending that much family time. Some of us just want to enjoy the time we have with young children. It doesn't take long for them to be independent and no longer need you in the evening.

pringlecat · 02/10/2017 12:32

YANBU for wanting to see her at weekends. She is not being unreasonable for wanting to see you on weekdays. Your current lifestyles simply are no longer compatible for meet ups.

Could you carve out some time for a girly catch-up on the phone? Maybe one regular evening after the kids have gone to bed and you just have a natter with no need for anyone to travel?

gorygloria · 02/10/2017 12:41

I have friendships that I keep going for old times sake but make little investment in. If I don’t really look forward to meeting up with any friend then I avoid it and just keep in contact via texts or let the friendship tail off. Other friends I’d bend over backwards for.

5rivers7hills · 02/10/2017 12:49

im glad none of my friends expect me to go out in the evenings or meet up at weekends. I just cant be doing with all that. Im knackered in the evenings, and weekends are family time

@Branleuse when do you see your friends then? Or are oyu and ALL your friends SAHM who can meet up during the day? If so, how terribly pedestrian.

LadyGagarden · 02/10/2017 12:55

Did you see her at weekends/evenings before you got divorced?

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 02/10/2017 12:58

I often meet friends in the evening . At least once a month , twice would be ideal!

I want to have non kid catch ups and I do have single mates that would like to see me

So OP mate is BU , but there is fuck all OP can do about it to be honest

Wait till her Marriage gets a bit rocky Grin she will be all over You like rash OP

KERALA1 · 02/10/2017 13:05

I get it in the first few years but to not see friends for the years and years your DC are young (say 0-10) is quite odd surely? Surely its healthy for kids to see parents socialising and having their own lives away from the family cocoon. You don't want to end up like my in laws - totally isolated.

Pavonia · 02/10/2017 13:08

When the kids were younger we used to meet up with husbands and kids at the weekend. Now the kids are older the family thing doesn't work so well.

SaucyJack she knows I'm not expecting her to go out with me to meet men in bars because she has known me for many years and we never did that.

Thanks everyone, it has done me good to air this.

OP posts:
Pavonia · 02/10/2017 13:14

Kerala I think a lot of people do end up with quite insular lives whether as singles or couples. It is quite easy to get swept up with the family thing and head down that road. I did that to some extent.

Now that I am single and I can see a time in the not too distant future when both my kids will have left home, it is something I am very conscious of. I love my children and they are always my top priority but I need to rebuild my own life now too.

OP posts:
TalkinBoutWhat · 02/10/2017 13:26

Op, you hit the nail on the head. You see friendships as something worth investing time and effort into. Your 'friend' doesn't. It really is as simple as that, and there is nothing YOU can do to change it.

I'd relegate her to friendly acquaintance, to see occasionally when you can squeeze her in or feel like you need a break during the day on weekdays. Having lots of friendly acquaintances is not a bad thing!

Work out which friendships are worth investing in, and put more of an effort into those.

Damnthatonestaken · 02/10/2017 13:32

Does your friend work? How old are her kids? I honestly don't like going out on weekends much as it would mean not spending much time with my kids. I would do it occasionally but i think you can't expect her to do it a lot and not see her kids as much

Mittens1969 · 02/10/2017 13:32

I think it’s generally a good idea not to rely on one person to be your ‘best friend’; it kind of does put all your eggs in one basket and if the best friend lets you down it makes it even more hurtful than it would be otherwise.

I have several very close friends, none of whom I would consider to be the closest.

Actually I do see one of my friends fairly regularly on an evening during the week, and during the holidays I see her with my DDs sometimes (she’s godmum to one of them).

So YANBU to be a bit hurt about it, but for your own sake try not to set too much store by this friendship.

existentialmoment · 02/10/2017 13:38

Pp saying "I did/do X so the friend is unreasonable" are annoying. Just because someone is different to you does not make them wrong.

OP has had significant life changes, and would like her friend to change to accomodate her. That's not really reasonable to expect. The friend is not wrong to not want to socialise in the way OP wants. Neither is OP wrong to not want to socialise in the way friend wants.
You just aren't compatible anymore. Why make anyone the bad guy here?

LadyGagarden · 02/10/2017 13:38

It does sound like she isn't the friend you need her to be then OP. Although you never really know what happens behind closed doors-perhaps she has depression and can't face going out, perhaps her dh isn't as reliable or supportive as you think, perhaps they have their own marriage troubles, you just never know. I'd either sit down with her and explain how you feel or just wind the friendship up and concentrate on those who are there for you in the way you want them to be.

Pavonia · 02/10/2017 13:53

Existential I guess that is the crux of the matter. We have been friends for decades. Yes, my circumstances have changed (we have both experienced changes in circumstances before, husbands, children etc.)but I don't think it is unreasonable to expect some accommodation. Do people really just cut long term friends adrift because something needs to change?

OP posts:
existentialmoment · 02/10/2017 16:08

She isn't cutting you adrift, you are the one talking about leaving her behind.
You are unreasonable to paint her as the one in the wrong here.

MistressDeeCee · 02/10/2017 16:14

She doesn't want to go out. Thats her choice. So you willl have to get up and make your own social life. Meetup.com is great for that. I used it to find friends who liked socialising at same type of events as me. I have good friends but they like different things. & thats fine. I don't do Meetup now but remained really good friends with 2 women I met. Different friends for different things. Make it an adventure. Don't sit there moping. She is still your friend, just not one that wants to go out or allocate time to going out. & unfortunately, you can't mark her time so will have to get on with your own

Loopytiles · 02/10/2017 16:31

How old are her DC? Does she WoH?

newnamechange84 · 02/10/2017 16:39

OP I have friends exactly the same as yours. One especially will not even make the effort to go out on weekdays! I have a weekend every fortnight free too and if my one single friend isn't available then all I get from the orders is 'its family time'. Now I get that but it's hurtful. So I can't offer any answers but your friend is not being a very good one.

Pavonia · 02/10/2017 16:57

I have other friends and I'm not moping, but I am upset that our friendship isn't what it was and I'm sad that she hasn't been more supportive. I've gone out of my way to support her in the past because I think that's what good friends do.

She has one DC in primary and the others are secondary. She is a SAHM.

OP posts:
Loopytiles · 02/10/2017 16:59

So unless she has health issues or the travel takes long time she's U to use "tiredness" as a reason not to meet up weekday evenings IMO.

Jux · 02/10/2017 17:16

The thing is that you chose to get a divorce, she didn't choose that for you or force you into it. So, having made your choice by yourself, you can't expect her to juggle her life around in order to accommodate your choice. Honestly, I think you're being massively U, though I am truly sorry that are lonely sometimes and want to see more of your friend.

Life does change. As time passes you will either see more of her or she will fade away, while others become more important.

Mittens1969 · 02/10/2017 17:18

I admit that’s odd, she can’t be too tired, unless she’s maybe depressed/anaemic? I have a friend I see on occasional Saturdays, and another friend regularly during the week. I’m a SAHM and I wouldn’t want to miss those times away.

It might be worth asking if there’s a reason why she’s so tired.

But you’re not U to feel put out.

Pavonia · 02/10/2017 17:33

Mittens I do think it would do her good to get out and enjoy herself more. I will try to talk to her about how she's feeling.

Jux that's a very odd comment. You don't know anything about my relationship and any choices I may or may not have made. Chances are I would be working during the day now anyway so the problem of not seeing her would be the same, it's just that I have needed her support more than I would have.

OP posts:
Branleuse · 02/10/2017 17:43

@5rivers7hills LOL at being terribly pedestrian, arent you wonderful! Tbh, I dont actually see a lot of my friends that much. I do sometimes see some of them during the day when we are both free, but otherwise we all realise that we are busy people.so dont tend to pressurise each other. I would never expect my parent-friends to meet up in evenings or weekends. I mean its nice if you can, but most of us are exhausted and busy with family. I mainly keep up with my friends via telephone and facebook, or occasionally going for coffee. Harder for the ones that work full time. Sometimes it can be a year or so before I might see those ones in person, but still no pressure to do stuff because theyre even harder to get hold of if theyve got families. I think its just what life is like with a young family

Swipe left for the next trending thread