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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Mum gets annoyed when dad helps me financially

231 replies

Ohsaycanusee · 16/08/2018 21:55

Aibu? I have a good job but occasionally he gives me a bit of money from their joint account to help with things. I’m mid 20s. They are very well off through sheer hard work and saving. They have always treated us and she’s not stingy per se but not careful than him :s

OP posts:
Mammalamb · 17/08/2018 12:43

There is an awful lot of people being horrible on here belittling the OP for accepting a few cash gifts from her dad. Jealousy is a terrible thing!!!

My mum will randomly give us a cash gift; she said she wants to give us money while we are young and while she can see us enjoy it, rather than us inheriting when she is dead

NorthernSpirit · 17/08/2018 12:43

Yes, i’d be annoyed if I was your mum. It’s half her money (presumably) and she isn’t being asked.

Also you are a 25 year old women, earning. You need to stand on your own 2 feet and be an adult, independent. No need for you to get handouts. Be independent.

Mitzimaybe · 17/08/2018 12:58

Aibu to think it’s mean of my mum to begdrudge the very occasional financial support?

Yes, YABU.

Your DM is NBU. Your dad should not give you money without discussing and agreeing it with her first. It makes no difference how hard you work, how long you have studied, how much you do or don't need it, blah blah blah. I'm sure she wouldn't begrudge you if you really needed it; the problem is that she is not being consulted and, as a pp said, she is being disrespected.

BackforGood · 17/08/2018 13:00

Hmm.... still no answer about if OP has siblings?

ibblebibbledibble · 17/08/2018 13:00

It always amuses me how people from priveleged backgrounds claim they got where they are all through their own hard work.

ApolloandDaphne · 17/08/2018 13:16

Gosh my DM still tries to give me money from time to time despite the fact that I am 55 and my DH is a high earner. I don't accept it any more but she still likes to try! It isn't about accepting handouts. If they are not solicited surely it is just parents being generous?

user1471426142 · 17/08/2018 13:40

I think you’ve had some weird reactions in here. I earn more than my parents but have very gratefully received cash gifts over the years ranging from £10 to thousands. It makes them happy to help out so why not. I’d struggle to find many people who would decline a gift from their parents and find some of the vehement posters a bit odd. If you can, why wouldn’t you treat your children occasionally? Some posters seem to be desperate for their kids to reach adulthood so they don’t have to spend money on them.

In turn, I’d want to do the same for my children when they were older. I’ve never expected but always appreciated cash gifts. My inlaws as a contrast hate giving cash but give us loads of help in terms of time. Both sets of parents see things quite differently. I could imagine if my MIL was married to my dad they would not see eye to eye about monetary gifts to children.

Excited0803 · 17/08/2018 13:44

Nothing wrong in helping kids out, especially contributing to courses. My parents struggle to make things equal across siblings where one has a lot of need for help, one has no needs and doesn't want it, while another is younger and "catching up" on previous help. It's not helpful for anyone else to get involved if they have different views on what to do, so if it were me I'd tell them to sort it out themselves (and offer to pay back if necessary).

butterflysugarbaby · 17/08/2018 14:38

This reply has been deleted

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CSIblonde · 17/08/2018 15:00

If your wealthy parents have different views on how they spend it, then it's their issue & I'd avoid getting involved. If your Dad would rather treat you & spend it on you now than leave it in his will, why not.
Also seriously wealthy people that I've worked for would spend £200 on dinner at a restaurant at least twice a week, so to them £200 here & there is not something that they'd argue over. What is it your Mum object's to, as most parents enjoy treating or helping their offspring, even if it's not 'needed' & they aren't super rich like those I've described. All the graduates I help settle in at work have been gifted not loaned £ for corporate work clothes, flat deposits, furniture etc.

SaintIrenie · 17/08/2018 15:07

Butterflysugarbaby you sounds pretty vile!

ForeverDreaming · 17/08/2018 15:13

@butterflysugarbaby the OP said that her parents are wealthy, much more than her, so your example of taking money from your dad - who now has a low paid job - doesn't really apply.

I agree that adult children who are better off than their parents should help and treat them if they can, this is something that we also do in my family and we all take great pleasure doing it.

MissP103 · 17/08/2018 15:19

Yanbu- you are their child?? What's the big issue here. If they can well afford it, then what's your mums gripe. Sounds like she is just being stingy.

Bahhhhhumbug · 17/08/2018 15:24

Ugh you remind me of my adult stepkids. When anyone above a certain age inherits any money e. g. their dgf a while back they were outraged that he 'only' gave them £500 each. Their attitude was 'What do they need it for at their age, they should have given us at least a couple of grand each' Makes my blood boil. Just because older people have surplus money does t mean they should feel obliged give it to the younger generations. At least have the decency to wait till lm cold as my dad used to say to a grabby Bil of mine.

Bluelady · 17/08/2018 15:25

It's her money, she has every right to be "stingy".

Laureline · 17/08/2018 15:25

If your mother has a problem, she should discuss this with your father - and certainly not involve you in this, or manifest it to you. Reciprocally, your father should discuss this with her, if their finances are common.

apriljune12 · 17/08/2018 15:28

Mmmm yes read NoSquirrels post and I think she has it. BlueLady too.

apriljune12 · 17/08/2018 15:31

Sorry meant to add mum must somehow feel dad is spoiling you op. I have no idea if that’s the case. Or if simply mum is a bit mean.

NoSquirrels · 17/08/2018 15:31

If your mother has a problem, she should discuss this with your father - and certainly not involve you in this, or manifest it to you.

OP said:

I know because I ring my parents most days and it turns out my mum wasn’t speaking to him because of it. I offered to her to decline it/repay and she got very frosty

Sounds to me like it wasn't her mother who volunteered the information that she was not speaking to her husband. Sounds as if Dad was having a moan about "Mum's not talking to me" and when OP offered to her Mum to repay it the "frosty" atmosphere was embarrassment and annoyance at her husband ...

Otherwise OP would know more about why her mother disapproves.

NoSquirrels · 17/08/2018 15:34

Not that it matters, as OP is clearly never returning to this thread!

Sophiesdog11 · 17/08/2018 15:53

Op, I dont think you are being unreasonable at all. If half the money is your dads, he can do what he wants with his half, as long as there is plenty to cover bills and general living costs. What exactly does your mum object to?

DH and I are in a similar position to your parents, have built up substantial savings/shares in individual ISAs, but then have a joint account that salaries go into and a joint instant access savings account.

We have 2 young adults, one working on a year out from uni, the other on a gap year with a retail job. We pay money into a pension for them and also give them additional cash every now and then eg we paid petrol for both of them to join us on recent holiday. I just transferred the money to them, didn't discuss or agree it with DH, he wasn't bothered but even if he had been, I would just have said that it came from my half of the account! DS said it wasn't necessary, to which I replied, I know, but I want to do it.

I have both their bank account details as we regularly repay money to them eg if they buy shopping for us, esp DD who works in a large supermarket.

They both have an inheritence which is feeding into an ISA for houses eventually, but I can see us giving them lump sums in their twenties, or maybe taking over the ISA drip feed for a year, simply to pass on our wealth now rather than when dead. I dont think DH will disagree, but again, if he does, it will happen anyway, out of my half of the savings.

Whats the point hoarding the money, just for them to then pay inheritance tax if we died. We have reached a point that if we both died tomorrow, then our savings and house will exceed IHT limits, we are not massive spenders on a day to day basis, so we may as well help them as much as we can, without spoiling them. Yes, some of what we have is intended to help retire by 60, ahead of pensions kicking in, but I cant see us ever spending everything we have, unless/until we go into a care home eventually.

NicoAndTheNiners · 17/08/2018 16:12

Well as a matter of pride I would use my own savings before accepting handouts from a parent, especially when one isn’t in agreement.

TaMamaiSaChistinAgusSanOifig · 17/08/2018 16:18

At 25 I don't think you're being unreasonable. You can say no sometimes, you can say yes sometimes. London is expensive!

I am a lot older and my parents try to give me money and like frogscotch 7 I turn it down now as although they don't realise it, it subconsciously gives them the impression that I still need them (even though I don't) that I ought to be incredibly grateful, which I am, but, I can feel other emotions and have other responses as well. So, it's all very complicated. I would say yanbu to take money for a course or for rent or other unexpected bills but if it's just extra spending money, I'd try to say no, at least some of the time.

Lizzie48 · 17/08/2018 17:06

*I do love an AIBU when it doesn't do the OPs way:

OP: AIBU to sponge off my parents
Everyone else: Yes you are
OP: Wah, wah, wah, you are all so vicious
Everyone else: Stop bleating
OP: Entitled whinging*

And I hate this type of mocking post, @QueenDoris it's a kind of bullying. And it's patently not true, there are quite a few posters that have disagreed with the majority.

I'm in two minds. When I was studying, my parents supported me financially, and they did the same with my DSis. But that was when there were no student loans and grants were means tested. The problem was that my F used it as a means of controlling us and our DM. He used to deny that he'd agreed to something at the last minute and I know how stressful it was for her. I feel a lot happier now I'm free of that.

If I were in the OP's situation, I would turn down the money in that scenario, as she doesn't need it. I couldn't do that at the time, and I hated it.

I think the OP's DF is unreasonable to give her money without discussing it with his DW.

Hoozz · 17/08/2018 17:13

There is always lots of resentment on MN at parents helping adult children.

These are very modest amounts of money and I wonder whether your mother objects to him spending money in any other way? Is he allowed to buy things for himself?
I'd hate to have to account for my spending to DH and can't imagine him objecting if I have money to our daughter.

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