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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Fortysomething acting like twentysomething

234 replies

Gettingboredofthisnow · 10/04/2018 10:40

A friend in her mid forties separated from her husband in January 2017. She went a bit off the rails straight away - going out a lot, drinking a lot, one night stands, several men on the go at once. She's still attractive and enjoys nights out and male attention. There's nothing wrong with that, but when she's out she always ends up outrageously flirting, kissing on the dance floor, slow dancing and generally acting like a bit of a teenager. Is this normal? I haven't been on the dating scene for a long time but even when I was I don't remember it being like that. Perhaps when I was at school.

She does this when she's out with a group, or even if she's out with just one person. I know because I have been that person and I think SIBU to do that because it's rude. I know I can just not go out if I don't like it, but I don't know whether to be worried about her state of mind and alcohol consumption or just mind my own business. I would expect it for a few months after the trauma of splitting with her husband, but it's been well over a year. I try to be there for her so she can talk through her problems but she doesn't seem to think this behaviour is a problem.

She has 3 DC but they spend a lot of time with their dad and I can't tell if she likes that as it means she can go out, or goes out because she misses them. There's been a lot of times she's chosen to go out when she could have spent time with them. She's goes out on Friday and Saturday almost every weekend and often midweek too.

I am trying not to judge as I haven't been through this, but part of me does think she should grow up. The other part feels like she's being self destructive and needs help.

Prepared to be told to MMOB.

OP posts:
CupofFrothyCoffee · 10/04/2018 12:12

What is a choosy male?are you hosting misogyny for dummies tutorial

Oh come off it. Who in their right minds would chose a woman who's running about drunk, snogging several men and flirting with anyone who has a pulse? If a man like that approached me when I was single, I'd have run several miles away. It's desperate behaviour.

Laiste · 10/04/2018 12:13

It doesn't sound as if she's the least bit interested in finding a 'choosy' male Grin

All we need now is for someone to say something along the lines of 'oh well at least she's showing who the 'bad' men are for us nice women to avoid'.

So much cats bum face on here.

RepealMay25th · 10/04/2018 12:13

Who in their right minds would chose a woman who's running about drunk, snogging several men and flirting with anyone who has a pulse?

The kind of man she's looking for, I would imagine.

The question is though, why do you care?

SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 10/04/2018 12:13

And that includes choosy males

I have to ask as well...what on earth is a 'choosy male'?

pictish · 10/04/2018 12:13

“Dancing and flirting on a dance floor is the above? Are you on glue?”

If thinking that being abandoned in a club by my friend to sit on my own while she face shlurps a succession of random men equates to me being ‘on glue’ then yeah, I’m glued up to the tits.
Meanwhile, in the real world of adults and manners and all that boring stuff...it’s a selfish and disrespectful way to treat a friend.

SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 10/04/2018 12:17

Who in their right minds would chose a woman

Who in their right minds hangs around waiting to be 'chosen'?

Flirting, kissing, dancing. Not 'waiting to be chosen.'

The misogyny running through this thread is quite something.

Tartyflette · 10/04/2018 12:17

Of course your friend can do what she likes; I hope she takes reasonable precautions and stays safe. I can see you might have concerns in that area.

But you don't have to be with her when she's out on the pull. just decline her evening out invitations because they are not at all fun for you.
How she behaves with men is one thing, and entirely up to her, but how she treats you as her friend on these occasions is definitely not on.

rightknockered · 10/04/2018 12:17

Am literally PMSL at "choosey males"...

Laiste · 10/04/2018 12:18

I agree with you pictish ( i usually do ) but to be fair the thrust of the OPs thread isn't about this one night she went she out with this mate. OP is mostly put out ''concerned'' about the friend's age for doing what she's doing.

LipstickHandbagCoffee · 10/04/2018 12:18

Choosy male. A social imposition were women are expected to behave in certain way for right man, a choosy man
Because maybe the choosy male is good husband and if she’s really weally lucky he’ll chose her
Here’s the thing women don’t need to wait or hope to be chosen,chosen like produce
If she wants to dance,kiss,be flirty she can do so,without waiting on a choosy male

Battleax · 10/04/2018 12:20

Can someone summarise the problem for me?

I’m lost.

TinkyWinky40 · 10/04/2018 12:21

As usual this thread (like so many others on MN) has turned into a bun fight. Reminds me of the old chat rooms where everyone just slated each other and left... just answer the OP without getting personal.

Everyone has their own set of ‘judgey pants’and what they perceive to be right or wrong in any given situation. Some people would see this behaviour as acceptable, OP you don’t and that’s also fine, and I agree I wouldn’t be happy either but that’s just me. I would leave her to it because she’s old enough to do what she wants, it’s her life but I would stop going out with her in evenings and maybe meet up for coffee during day instead?

Battleax · 10/04/2018 12:23

Everyone has their own set of ‘judgey pants’and what they perceive to be right or wrong in any given situation. Some people would see this behaviour as acceptable, OP you don’t and that’s also fine, and I agree I wouldn’t be happy either but that’s just me

Speak for yourself.

I’ve got a really good grasp of where other people’s autonomy starts, thanks.

Laiste · 10/04/2018 12:24

The problem appears to be that this woman is failing to behave in a way which will get her 'chosen' battleax Grin

And although she says she's perfectly happy, she obviously can't be, because .... well, how can she be if she only knew what all the good folk in the bar might be thinking !!

CupofFrothyCoffee · 10/04/2018 12:24

Who in their right minds hangs around waiting to be 'chosen'?

Flirting, kissing, dancing. Not 'waiting to be chosen.'

The misogyny running through this thread is quite something

It's nothing to do with misogyny. She'll attract all the arseholes of the day. She sounds quite vulnerable, she's obvioulsy not over the split and is trying to enjoy herself...the last thing she needs is to get involved with some drunken idiot. When she calms down and just goes out to enjoy herself, without all the attention seeking, then she may meet someone 'decent'. I've seen this played out before.

Tartyflette · 10/04/2018 12:25

Battleax Well, she was speaking for herself, to be fair.

I wouldn’t be happy either but that’s just me

SchnitzelVonKrumm · 10/04/2018 12:29

Yes there is a bit of misogyny and ageism on this thread but TBH if a recently divorced male friend of mine was behaving like this I'd think he was a complete melt too.

LipstickHandbagCoffee · 10/04/2018 12:32

Ahh someone decent .no thanks. Personally I have a penchant for indecent men

DiegoMadonna · 10/04/2018 12:33

I think it's very normal post-divorce behaviour, tbh

pictish · 10/04/2018 12:35

“to be fair the thrust of the OPs thread isn't about this one night she went she out with this mate. OP is mostly (put out) ''concerned'' about the friend's age for doing what she's doing.”

Perhaps, but from my POV the fact that her friend behaves like this even when she is out with only one other person, leaving her friend on her own in a club, while she pursues her own interests, suggests an overall lack of control and perspective. In turn that paints a picture of someone behaving inappropriately, without due care or respect to other people or a sense of self-preservation for herself. As a friend I would be concerned about that. As the person left like a lemon in the club, I’d think she was an arsehole.

Springtrolls · 10/04/2018 12:38

here’s a suggestion. Rather than sit at the bar people watching, get up and dance the night away.
If that’s not ok then don’t go to bars with music. Find a quite pub somewhere and go there.

As for choosy men. Haha. I mean come on how many people go to a club looking for long term relationships? I know I don’t.

You can be 40+, knit, be a cat slave and still flirt etc.

Consideringbeingamom · 10/04/2018 12:39

OP you are not being unreasonable. Your friend isn't coping. She's attention seeking, being a little irresponsible and you are being a good friend by being concerned. Plus she is being disloyal and rude by leaving you sat alone for ages whilst she attempts to get rubbish attention! I'd drop quite a heavy hint about where and when you'll be meeting in future Flowers

SheGotBetteDavisEyes · 10/04/2018 12:45

She sounds quite vulnerable, she's obvioulsy not over the split and is trying to enjoy herself...the last thing she needs is to get involved with some drunken idiot. When she calms down and just goes out to enjoy herself, without all the attention seeking, then she may meet someone 'decent'

So she's:

Vulnerable
'Trying' to enjoy herself
Obviously not over a previous relationship (because why else would she be doing this?)
Attention seeking
Needs to calm down
Needs to meet a 'decent' man

This is what a woman gets for having a few drinks, flirting and enjoying herself. No misogyny here.

I think everyone's more or less agreed that leaving a friend in the lurch when it's just the two of you out for a drink is bad form and not on.

I'd no more snog, flirt or dance with strangers than I would walk a tightrope across the Grand Canyon, but I'd bloody defend a woman's right to do so without being judged like this.

This thread is dripping with misogyny and ageism.

CritEqual · 10/04/2018 12:49

At least the father is stepping up to look after the children. As long as they are ok I don't think there is a huge problem, although she may be risking the relationship with her own children if they seemed to have been jettisoned along with the marriage.

halfwitpicker · 10/04/2018 12:49

Your mate sounds like a right hoot, I'd love a night out with her!

Leave her be, OP, she's having fun.