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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Other parents & my house rules (sort of lighthearted)

389 replies

lyralalala · 07/04/2019 15:37

Don't you just love it when other parents decide your rules don't apply to their child?

We're having a sleepover in the holidays for my twin girls birthday. As there is a mix of kids coming of 15, 16 and 17 (the joys of a small village means their mates are a mix of age) I've made clear two rules. If folks don't want to play by the rules then they can either not come, or can leave when some other folks are leaving (the ones that don't want to stay or can't stay because of things on the next morning).

After midnight phones go onto the kitchen counter for charging/to be left. There's 10 of them crashing in the living room, mixed group, so I'm sticking to the sleepover rule of 'no phones' that I've always had.

Secondly although they are allowed the occasional drink I've said they can have 3/4 beers or ciders each max. Cans or bottles only (can't be mixed with anything). No spirits. No huge bottles of anything. It's the same rule I've had for parties since my DS was old enough to have a couple of drinks.

One Mum has decided "I've told her she can keep her phone as she is worried she might want picked up". Erm, no. They can access their phones by going into the kitchen, but no phones in the sleeping area after midnight.

Another has announced that her 16yo prefers vodka and coke so she'll just send her with a premixed bottle. Erm, again, nope. No spirits, and certainly no massive bottles of anything that could have sodding anything in.

It's fair enough to decide your child is not allowed to do something (there's a couple coming that are not allowed to drink and that I understand and support) at someone's house, but not that they are allowed to do something the hosting parent has said no too!

OP posts:
lyralalala · 09/04/2019 20:37

I think the Mums were probably asking rather than telling. For e.g. when they were five, Ds hates chocolate, but I've sent him a jam doughnut.

They honestly weren't lol. I should probably have been a bit more precise in my OP, but I was annoyed and trying not to be too detailed.

I've had to and fro with parents about the food, pick up times etc. Asking is fine. These two parents were telling.

I had to say, he is NOT allergic to chocolate, he just doesn't like chocolate (yes, I have an odd child). He was probably also wanting to be allergic to something as everyone in his class is and he has no allergies lol

Lol now that I totally sympathise with! One of my twins, plus DS1, wears glasses. When the girls were 7 a very bemused optician told me that the non-glasses wearing twin seemed to either have had a very rapid and worrying decline in eyesight, or wanted glasses like her siblings so much she'd deliberately tried to flunk her eye test.

DS - the next time you don't want cake, please say, no thank you. DO NOT say that you're allergic to chocolate!!! FFS

How to give the host parent heart failure worrying he'd eaten something he shouldn't!

OP posts:
Apoiads · 09/04/2019 20:43

And given that her job was a social worker, I was thinking, she's thinking, why didn't this mother tell me that her ds is allergic to chocolate!

You couldn't be up to them.
On the glasses front, we had our eyes tested about 5 maybe? I wanted glasses, so I kept saying that I was seeing d, when I was seeing b and vice versa. I'd say M, when I was seeing N.

They were obviously up to us even decades ago as I didn't get my much longed for glasses.
Surprised they didn't conclude I was dyslexic or something.

lyralalala · 09/04/2019 20:47

She probably spent half the party raging at you for endangering your child and not telling her!

The glasses thing must happen all the time! It was just bloody typical - the two that needed them spent half their time 'forgetting' or just refusing to wear the glasses and the one with perfect eyesight wanted them!

OP posts:
YemenRoadYemen · 09/04/2019 20:51

Oh my goodnesss @Bluntness100 - seriously??!

You need to re-read the thread around the phone stipulations - they're NOT confiscated. It has been clarified so many times...

Apoiads · 09/04/2019 20:55

My dd wears glasses and has really poor eyesight. Nobody in our family has so I never spotted it until school testing spotted it. That was PARENTING FAIL moment 101 right there.

I actually stupidly thought there was something wrong with her ears!!!! as she would stand right in front of the TV. It never occurred to me that it might be her eyesight. How could I have been so fucking stupid???????
I have a sister who wears glasses though, and she never noticed it either, so I'm not going to hammer myself over it.

Meh, if we get them through life relatively unscathed by our inadequacies we're doing well.

Bippityboo2 · 09/04/2019 21:40

As the mother of a 15yo I'd be happy. You've taken the time to explain to me clearly what the deal is, the kids will be supervised and can enjoy themselves without the worry of an unwanted appearance on social media. It's up to me to decide whether or not my child can have a drink and you'll support my decision and I know if I do allow it you won't allow my child to get drunk and will have no hesitation in cutting them off, win win.

You ANBU to be pissed at the parents wanting you to bend the rules.

FabulouslyFab · 09/04/2019 22:41

Thumbs up from me, OP 👍
I like your style

Enko · 10/04/2019 13:24

OP I have 15 17 19 and 21 year olds. spoken to all 4 of them about your rules and they say it's fair enough..

I have had mixed sleep overs in our garden with the core group ds then age 15 was in they had a great time however all the parents knew us. if someone there who we didn't I would have spoken to parents too.

lyralalala · 13/04/2019 07:26

Update - girls had a great party. There was no issues with the drink, only one person brought 4 cans and they didn't even drink half of them lol.

The only phone related issue was someone being dumped by text by their teen other half early on in the evening that caused upset that made me (briefly) wish I'd banned phones completely, but otherwise was fine.

I also had a lovely evening nattering by whatsapp to my friend whose new baby cluster feeds for half the night atm and she enjoyed the late night company so it was all good.

Looking forward to getting my living room back later!

OP posts:
RLABC · 13/04/2019 07:45

Great update @lyralalala and I'm glad your girls had a lovely time Smile
See, you do know what you're doing! GrinHaloStarGin(for later Wink

Acis · 13/04/2019 08:06

Did the vodka drinker and the one who couldn't do without her phone come?

lyralalala · 13/04/2019 08:16

Yeah, both of them came (and are still here) and appear to have enjoyed themselves despite the rules.

OP posts:
Notwiththeseknees · 13/04/2019 09:12

Please don't regret posting OP!! Some of the PPs have been really enlightening and explains a lot.

TheGodmother · 13/04/2019 09:31

FFS!! Why the fuck all the judgy parents!!

Reading the same thing over and over again!! OP is not asking if you agree with the setup and assume she doesn't give a fuck if you do!

Fuck sake this is typical of the "new" Mumsnet completely derail the thread about shit!!

Anyway OP rant over. I'm completely with you, your house your rules.

I have very similar sleepovers and they too know any breaking of "rules" I will take them home even if it's at 1am in the morning.

I had a sleepover for my DS in wooden teepees in the middle of the wild. It was all bonfires and outdoor stuff. DS was 11 I invited kids and said no phones. They are 11 FFS, but said they could my phone anytime hey wanted, said parents could phone me any time.

All parents were more than happy with this, they were 11 ffs, except one parent who let her son bring an iPad (it's not a phone is it)

Fucking twat.

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