Mum won't come to the phone...

[MrsWembley]

... because Coronation Street hasn't finished - it's got three minutes to go

Is my friend being unreasonable to feel a bit put out?

(Posting this for her as she's not yet an MNer)

When I watch a programme (especially a drama), I like to get immersed in it, so putting it on pause really would ruin it for me.

MILs life seems to revolve around the soaps. Which is obviously fine if thats what she wants, but she will also whinge that others do not revolve their lives around it.

As a recent example, DH picked her up for DDs birthday party. He was also taking her home, alo9ng with a few others. At about 2pm, she started going on and on and on about having to be back home for 7 for emmerdale He said he would try but he cannot guarantee this due to having other stuff he needed to do and he had been planning on dropping people off at about 6.30 ish (a few in our family don't drive and live a fair bit away so this was the best solution all round and he was happy to pick up and drop off). We were reminded literally every ten minutes from then on about Emmerdale and how she absolutely could not miss it. When it got to about 4, he eventually got sick and said that if she was that bothered he would take her now so that she would not miss it, otherwise she would have to make her own way home, or shut up about Emmerdale and accept that she might possibly (though most likely not) be back 5 mins after it started. To which she replied that clearly he did not want her celebrating DDs birthday with us! And that she wanted to be here but also could not miss even a few minutes of Emmerdale and that if he cared about her at all he would say he could definitely get her back intime for it. It was all really weird, but its a common occurrence.

She once snapped with DSD (13) for ringing her during Corrie. And actually moaned when Dh rang her to let her know I was in labour, as the call was just after 8 when eastenders was on. Apparently he should have known she was busy and rang her when it was finished.

We used to let her watch it at ours if she was here for a bit longer than expected. But she used to shout at the kids for not being silent when it was on, so now its banned from our house completely tbh. Its sad how a gro0wn adult can be so obsessed with TV, and also expect everyone else to basically, halt their own lives due to a program.

Honestly this is pathetic - of course she didn't come to the phone to say 'I'll call you back in a minute once my programs done' because she would have missed half of the ending! And the dsdad felt too awkward to chat because his wife 'refused' to come to the phone

Are people's lives really this dramatic?

TheGoal, it really is an obsession, isn't it.

There are programmes I love but I would never even consider telling someone I couldn't talk to them because of one. I did this when I was a teenager about some tv show or other and laugh at my former self for being so daft!

My friend really didn't do it on purpose, was not aware of the time or what was on and would have been quite happy with one of my earlier suggestions.

I agree with TheAntiBoop it's pathetic that your friend got put out at being asked to call back. Ridiculous. Nor does it help when you then drip feed about there being a back story, blah blah whilst giving none of the details.

Tell your friend to get over herself.

Why is DSDad unable to make her excuses?

Of course she's just say no and turn her attention straight back, with minimal interruption.

If your friend really is hell-bent on being unable to recognise how much she is in the wrong here (almost unanimous - should tell you something) then I doubt very much that her troubles with her DMum are down to the mother.

Does your friend not really know her mother very well? Or was Corrie on at a different time to usual?

I never answer the phone from 7pm-9pm unless it was urgent but no one calls during those hours now, except sales calls.