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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To cancel daughters party??

233 replies

Imustbemad00 · 25/09/2018 18:37

Please go easy on me, I don’t want to hear people putting my child down or calling me a bad parent. It’s not helpful.
My daughter is turning 13 and I’m paying for her and some friends to do an activity and have some food after. Her behaviour the last school year was not great, bad attitude, coming home late, generally not giving a f**k. But so as not to drip feed, at the root of all this are some mental health issues so it’s very hard to find a balance between discipline and empathy.

New school year, great positive attitude, great start to the year. Except coming home late has started to creep in. She’s not allowed out with friends ect, technically grounded for the foreeseable as I can not trust her at the moment because of all the previous issues. I’ve said the trust needs to be built again.
She came home at 6pm twice last week. Lied about why she was late. I told her in no uncertain terms that if she was late this week her party would not go ahead. She came in 1hr45mins late today. Of course my head tells me to follow through and cancel the party. But it seems so harsh. I know it’s a lesson that she needs to learn but after initially telling her off it seems she’s really struggling again, she’s quite distressed and the reason she was late is to do with some drama that happened at school that she felt the need to try and sort out after school.l, she has confidence and trust issues and can’t cope with falling out with people. Plus she was upset and when she feels like that she just simply doesn’t care about the consequences.
I’ve explained to her that she needs to learn to cope with school drama and friendship issues and rise above it, or take time out to think. Not stand around talking about it basically adding fuel to the fire.

My Aibu is about cancelling th party. I know I should. I know it’s a consequence. She chose to disregard what I said. But she’s so looking forward to it, I think she really needs it, and I worry about her mental health and how it’ll affect her if I cancel. She’s already feeling low.

OP posts:
Luvly12 · 25/09/2018 21:01

Speak out neither have I.
Have had to have stern words at times and reiterate expectations. But I've never punished.
I don't have angels btw

ThreeFish · 25/09/2018 21:04

Re the not switching the phone on, I think that’s odd for a girl of her age and worth exploring further.
Is she embarrassed that it’s not a smart phone so it stays hidden in her school bag away from the eyes of her peers? It’s easier for her to say she’s forgotten it, than to admit it’s a crap phone.
That’ll be why it’s switched on close to home.

I feel a bit sorry for her actually. Sounds like she can’t get ahead at home or at school.

About the party, don’t cancel it.

Italiangreyhound · 25/09/2018 21:04

Imustbemad00 please “I think I may go ahead with the party as I’d worry about the ramifications of not doing so.” Good news, I was going to say please do not cancel the party. You do not need to follow through when what you threatened was unfair.

I have a thirteen year old and I totally agree with Luvly12 “... can you lay off with the threats. They never work and you're making a rod for your own back with running out of "punishments". Keep tightening that lease and you're done for”

Italiangreyhound · 25/09/2018 21:05

Ah I left he please in!

Lethaldrizzle · 25/09/2018 21:06

I'd never heard of the phrase 'being grounded' till I was a grown-up. Also never used it as a punishment.

Italiangreyhound · 25/09/2018 21:06

Carrot is better than stick in my estimation.

“I think I have been setting her up to fail a little bit though with not allowing her out at all. I’ll change that, little bit at a time, and hope for the best.”

You sound like you are really taking this on board, brilliant.
My dd is 13 and a bit of a handful! She never answers her phone. It is awful. We have allowed her out but we know where she is. It sounds like you and your dd need to re-build/build some trust and boundaries.

Can I suggest some time together doing what she wants really helps.

DD and I go out once in a while for a pudding or a Thai curry, no annoying little brother, no dad, just me and dd. Can’t afford to do it often, but when we do I see a different side to her. It is amazing. I hope things will go well. Thanks

speakout · 25/09/2018 21:06

Focus on the positive, maintain a close relationship.

My kids are not saints but the teenage years were easy.

CognitiveDissonance · 25/09/2018 21:07

There are some very idealistic posts on this thread. It's very easy to talk about punishments being too harsh and restrictions being too tight but the reality of being faced with a child that actively and wilfully puts them self at risk means that sometimes you have to make decisions that you don't want to make.
OP has said that there have been events that have taken place previously that have lead to her having to take a tough stance on curfew but hasn't actually said what those events are, nor does she have to but I think they context of what she's alluding to makes it clear that drastic measures have been necessary. Professional agencies and safeguarding leads don't get involved for no reason, things are clearly at a serious level.
OP, I don't think it was stupid to threaten to cancel the birthday party, I think that the word threaten might be the sticking point. Having the birthday party "on the condition that xyz" might make things a little easier for you next time. That way, it's less of you vs her but more about her taking ownership of her behaviour. I hope things improve for you both Thanks

CognitiveDissonance · 25/09/2018 21:09

"I never punished" posts are really unhelpful on posts like this. Please remember that everyone's experience of parenting is different.

beclev24 · 25/09/2018 21:10

Don't cancel her party. Just don't. It will irreparably damage your relationship and she will never, ever forget it. I would never have forgiven my mum for doing that to me at age 13, when I was feeling vulnerable. Especially for something as minor as coming home from school at 6pm . Yes you were wrong to threaten something you wouldn't see through but this would be infinitely worse.

SnipSnipMisterBurgess · 25/09/2018 21:10

Could it be that her phone is on but she is blocking then unblocking the op?

I think I’d have a sit-down with her and reset the clock to zero. The party is back on. In exchange, she gets to stay out until 6 two days out of five, she must choose the days in advance. Five minutes late, it resets to straight home every day for one week. If you are not home yourself, she needs to call you from the landline (if you have one) as soon as she gets in.

Bimgy85 · 25/09/2018 21:10

You're gonna have to cancel it op. She will take advantage of you in future if you do not follow through. I was like this as a teen. 'Oh well what's the worst can happen'

She will think she is invincible if you do not follow through. Discipline is key at this age as if she's let free too much she will go down the complete wrong path

Lethaldrizzle · 25/09/2018 21:13

Cognitive - 'I never punished' posts show there is a different way to parent. That could be helpful in the long run.

Italiangreyhound · 25/09/2018 21:14

"She will think she is invincible..." The OP's DD doesn't sound like she thinks she is invincible, she sounds very vulnerable. I think OP needs to address the issues but build the relationship up.

Good luck, OP.

HopeFaithAndSkulduggery · 25/09/2018 21:16

Read ‘get out of my life but first take me and Alice to town.’

Luvly12 · 25/09/2018 21:20

Cognitive ... I'm very well aware of safeguarding and risks ... I'm a children's Social Worker. I've worked with hundreds of parents and teenagers and can safely say that in my experience the stricter and tighter the leash the more likely it is to go downhill. The young person ends up feeling isolated both at home and in the community. They are a failure at home for their "bad" behaviour, and can't find their feet because they're always trying to claw back from a sanction or consequence.
I've always advised patents in such situations to do the opposite of what their instinct says to try and move out a stalemate when punishments aren't working ...
Ie. Young person comes in late.
Instinct and initial response might be to question why and where were they, voice displeasure, worry, ground them, take the laptop off them
The opposite response might be to make the young person a hot chocolate, cup of tea and some toast and have a breezy chat with them. At bedtime go in and say goodnight, give them a kiss and say you were very worried earlier and can they let you if they're going to be late the next time. Again all nice and breezy.
In a few days time make plans to meet the young person after school for an ice cream. Chat about what's going on in the world, something you read about a celebrity, a film that's coming out ... anything. And listen when they start to relax around you and start to chat too.

It's hard but it definately more effective than punishments and consequences.

Anyway ... that's just my opinion both in my work and at home having had 3 teenagers!
Everyone's different of course Smile

CognitiveDissonance · 25/09/2018 21:21

Cognitive - 'I never punished' posts show there is a different way to parent. That could be helpful in the long run.

There absolutely are different ways to parent but the OP doesn't read as punishment. It reads as having to put consequences in place which is very different, it is other posted that have interpret those consequences as punishment. OPs DD isn't being grounded longterm or h big her birthday part possibly cancelled simply because she misbehaved. She's having serious consequences put in place because she is choosing not to make good choices and the choices that she is making could potentially put her at risk. It really won't be as simple as saying "just build a positive relationship with her". If it were that straightforward, external agencies wouldn't necessarily be involved.

Theimpossiblegirl · 25/09/2018 21:21

I'd sit her down for a chat, say that you really don't want to cancel the party but she's leaving you with no choice. See what she comes up with, as just the chance of it being cancelled may make her realise that she is pushing the boundaries too far. It would be good for her to have the shared experience with her nicer friends if she's struggling.

I would also start picking her up, even if it's difficult with the younger children. Could someone help you get everyone to their activities/watch the younger ones for a bit? Just for a while to see if it helps.

Lethaldrizzle · 25/09/2018 21:23

Consequences - punishments - same thing surely?
Luvly12 - great post

TomHardysNextWife · 25/09/2018 21:25

My eldest had ADHD, and parenting her was a challenge to say the least. But we had to be so so concrete in her boundaries..... the slightest let up from us and she massively took advantage.

I think you need to follow this through OP for her to have any respect for you. She is repeatedly ignoring consequences to her actions, and if you let that carry on, you're going to be in big trouble. 1 hr 45 mins late is sticking 2 fingers up. Sorry.

CognitiveDissonance · 25/09/2018 21:26

No, not the same thing.
Punishments are punitive, consequences are not.

Luvly12 · 25/09/2018 21:30

Cognitive... having your birthday party cancelled for being home late tonight at 6 o clock is punitive. Its a punishment not a consequence.

Anyway ....

OP good luck whichever way you decide to go with this. I can tell you love your daughter greatly and only have her best interests at heart.
Who'd be a parent eh!!

CognitiveDissonance · 25/09/2018 21:31

I have my own experience of working/living with teenagers in various forms. Like you, it's also my job. There absolutely is scope for the approach that you're suggesting but as you will be aware in your role, context is paramount. We don't have the full context therefore we can't simply avoid consequences. Taking a relationship focussed approach does not mean that OPs daughter should be free from the consequences of her behaviour. Removing consequences completely will set her up to fail as she moved from being a teenage to being an adult.

CognitiveDissonance · 25/09/2018 21:31

Cognitive... having your birthday party cancelled for being home late tonight at 6 o clock is punitive. Its a punishment not a consequence.

In your opinion Smile

Lethaldrizzle · 25/09/2018 21:33

I am not a failed adult. I did not have consequences/punishments as a teenager.