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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think this woman is rude when she visits my home

104 replies

walkinginshadows · 03/07/2019 23:26

DH has a hobby where he meets weekly with 4-5 others for about 30 years (since teens) at the house of one of them.

Since we had DC 4.5 years ago these people come to our house, which I’m not overly happy with more due to to the frequency than the people themselves (all nice bar one). We got married 3 years ago and in the past couple of years the wife of one of DH’s friends, who also participates in this hobby, is intermittently quite off with me or ignores me completely when she visits our house. Some weeks she is very friendly and others she blanks me as though I don’t exist.

One of the friend’s told DH that she is apparently miffed that she didn’t get invited to my hen do (only dinner, nothing else), hence the behaviour. She asked to go to DH’s stag do and was told no so she expected to go to mine. At the time we got married I barely knew her other than a ‘hi, how are you’ on a weekly basis and a brief chat before she would join the others to do the hobby. No socialising whatsoever.

I’ve just had an argument with DH when I told him I am starting to feel really offended that this woman visits my house weekly for an evening and depending how she feels on the day, she either blanks me or will be friendly. I said this makes me feel disrespected in my own home and it’s not a very nice atmosphere for me, however he just says ignore her and refuses to talk to her about it. He’s just thrown a strop and said he’ll tell everyone that they will start meeting at their house instead and how inconvenient it will be for him to drive 30 mins on the motorway and it’s now his turn that people come to his house as we have a young DC after 20 years + of him always having to travel to them when their DC we’re young.

He thinks I’m being ridiculous but AIBU to expect a weekly guest to at least display a basic level of respect in my home?

OP posts:
MulticolourMophead · 04/07/2019 08:34

OP, suspect you need to ask your DH what exactly was said about the stag and hen nights. Might help you (and possibly him) to understand the situation better.

ChuckleBuckles · 04/07/2019 08:35

The OP had DC 4.5 years ago, I am guessing that chillout time is rarer than a hen's tooth in those circumstances.

Alsohuman · 04/07/2019 08:44

Exactly @ChuckleBuckles, all the more reason to grab it while you can.

Feelingwalkedover · 04/07/2019 09:05

Fuck that
No one disrespects me in my home
Get your dh told
I wouldn’t be having them in my home

IdblowJonSnow · 04/07/2019 09:08

I've had that type of behaviour from DH's female 'friend' before. Took him ages to see it - or more like he didn't want to see it but in the end he stopped being friends with her.
I think he should have your back. It shouldn't be in your home every time, rotation is fair.
Yanbu!

Boysey45 · 04/07/2019 09:11

I think its time this hobby got moved to someone elses house. I'd tell my husband enough was enough, you've got children now and once a week is too invasive. It needs to be on a rotation like some else said.

Butterflyone1 · 04/07/2019 09:12

Is this some kind of cult? Seems very vague to me but like what others have suggested you either ask her directly what her issues are or you are overly polite to her (which may in turn make her nice to you and she'll see right through it and cause more of an issue).

Boysey45 · 04/07/2019 09:17

I wouldn't be asking her anything, I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of seeing I was bothered. The group could also look into hiring a church hall or room in a community centre etc.

Marmozet · 04/07/2019 09:23

What is this hobby?

Can they not do it at another house?

sonjadog · 04/07/2019 09:31

I think I would take him up on the suggestion of rotating the meet ups so that it isn't at your place every week.

thedevondumpling · 04/07/2019 09:46

I think I'd tell him either she behaves herself, the venue is changed or you will be going out that night so he will be hosting the event and looking after the kids. He needs to sort it.

trackingmedown · 04/07/2019 09:54

I wouldn’t stop your DH having meetings in the house. It’s his home just as much as yours and he is entitled to enjoy it as he chooses. i would love it if a hobby group came to me every week as I like my own space best and my travelling time would be zero.

As for the stroppy mare friend, ignore her behaviour. Take her power away. If you see her at the door or passing through the room, be polite, nod and smile or say hi and then just leave her. If she tries to engage you in conversation, excuse yourself “I’m sorry, I’m busy/have to check on something/need to watch paint dry’ and move off. She isn’t your friend and you don’t want her to be your friend so you don’t have to be subject to her moods.

TheCatThatDanced · 04/07/2019 10:04

as Frouby says I would call her out on it. So what if she's atypical etc - she still can make an effort to be polite to you.

Not nice if your DH didn't invite her on his stag do but if it was men only I can see why.

TheCatThatDanced · 04/07/2019 10:04

oh and suggest a rotation, why should it be at your house every week?!

YumyumAndyum · 04/07/2019 10:12

The OP had DC 4.5 years ago, I am guessing that chillout time is rarer than a hen's tooth in those circumstances.

Really? At 4.5 most are at school and no where near close to having a baby or toddler

BlingLoving · 04/07/2019 10:24

these answers are weird. if its at your house because of young dc, then yes, I assume that means your DH Is partly on baby duty and partly it's to help him with not having to drive etc. So you should be enjoying that and going out/ disappearing with a book whatever.

As for this woman, some people are moody and/or passive aggressive. it is not up to DH to fight this battle for you - he's not your dad. People like this like to behave in this way because it makes others uncomfortable. The trick is to simply make it clear, politely, that they are the problem. So if she tries to ignore you, say, "Hello, Mary? Did you hear me?" Or similar. with BIL I use a slightly hard, slightly sarcastic tone when he starts pulling this shit, "Hiiii BIL. How are you? It's nice to have you in my home". It usually stops the behaviour for at least a few months. Then he slides back into it and me or DH have to start being extremely pointed in our greetings again.

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 04/07/2019 10:27

Yes, she's rude, but why have you waited 4.5 years to raise this as as 'issue' to your DH?

Just talk to the woman. You know, like an adult. Stop silently seething and getting the hump. The issue is between you and her, nothing at all to do with DH.

Viviennemary · 04/07/2019 10:30

I would arrange to be out the night his visitors are due. he can make the childcare arrangements himself. Its all about tactics and everybody has their own. I would imagine the OPs DH already knows she's not happy about the situation. So no point in bringing it up again. And as for confronting this idiot woman. No why should you.

cdtaylornats · 04/07/2019 10:46

She isn't really a guest, she is there for a meeting.

GabsAlot · 04/07/2019 10:51

Its rude to go to anyones house and be rude to the host doesnt matter why youre there

Weezol · 04/07/2019 11:01

Meetings should be rotated i.e. if there's five people, you should only be hosting once every five weeks.

Just because things have always been done this way doesn't mean they shouldn't change after 30 bastard years.

I would have shoved a D12 somewhere unpleasant by now.

SwishSwishSheesh · 04/07/2019 11:28

Why do you care OP? Do you want to be friends with her or something? Do you have to hang out with them?

TruthOnTrial · 04/07/2019 11:31

As the wife in a group of friends of such long-standing its tricky. As although you invited her to your 'dinner only' part, its not you and her that are friends, and i think its a blokes stag so his choice whether he'd like that to be a celebration of male time or open it to women also.

As the wife of one of the long-standing friends that does join in, she would be naturally on the outside of any stag/hen do arrangements. As, i imagine, would be all the other OH of the male hobbiers?

I wouldnt ask to go to a stag do, nor would i feel i was entitled to join the hen do of someone i barely knew. Its a judgement call by the marrying couple.

She is part of the hobbying group by merit of the fact she is married to one of the longstanding male friends, is all.

None of this explains to me why she would be off with you OP.

If I were being hosted at anothers i would consider myself very rude to ignore any other members of family when spoken to. In their home, its very ignorant way to go on.

However, she is sometimes pleasant!

If she has been pleasant to you, then i also struggle to see that she has a problem with you? More likely shes just not really taking much notice of you as you are not really part of the evening, or shes struggling with her own issues.

Your DH is weird to be setting himself against you on this and triangulating. Especially the strength of his reaction! There is reason he is so reactive against you. Is he normally like this?

If a female associate of mine blanked my dh id want to be asking what was going on, not that dh would expect that but it is my associate? Id at least want to say, "what are you doing?"

That he doesnt want to do that is odd.

I would have thought that if there were ongoing issues of any sort with this woman he would have said at the outset that she's this way with everyone. So she isnt this way with the male group.

I certain wouldnt want to be 'keeping an eye on her' i find that a weird response.

I think hes very lucky to have you op, to have opened your house every week for 4.5 years to a group (so taken over a large area of your home one night every week, expecting to have the night off parenting duties also).

Its reasonable to share the hosting, of course it is. Once every month or six weeks (however many involved), and twice at hers.

I would ask dh, is this behaviour particular to you or is she this way with everyone.

I wonder whats going on between him and her potentially, because of both their behaviours.

ChesterDrawsDoesntExist · 04/07/2019 13:12

You don't need to get your husband to say something to her.

Do it yourself. Get her told. If it's blatant ignoring of you then I'm sure you're not the only one noticing. Say something directly to her about it. Who gives a shit if she's offended? You should never worry about upsetting someone being rude or nasty to you.

PuppyMonkey · 04/07/2019 13:27

OMG I love a “guess the hobby” thread. If it doesn’t end up being the Elvis Impersonation Society I’ll be very disappointed.Grin

And yes, immediately take your DH up on his suggestion for someone else to host. Sounds like the perfect solution.

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