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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU re: lift giving: will she turn up on Friday or not?

999 replies

Whiskeychaser · 23/01/2020 12:51

Second thread.

Thanks for all the support.

Dreading them coming out od school because I can see my dd getting it in the ear from them, and I'm really feeling for her.

Link to first thread to follow in a minute (when I figure it out).

OP posts:
AryaStarkWolf · 24/01/2020 10:25

@EarringsandLipstick what would all us hysterical messes do without you?

EarringsandLipstick · 24/01/2020 10:45

@AryaStarkWolf what do you mean? Confused

I'm allowed to have an opinion on the (many) lengthy posts telling the OP in long, extreme detail what she should say in majorly inflammatory language. Why should she do this?

I'm never sure if people would IRL really tell people to 'FUCK OFF YOU TWAT' and many versions of the same or 'you must not care about your daughter if you don't want to spend time with her' or other such nonsense but I wouldn't, it just seems massively time-wasting and drama-fuelling.

But sure, that's just my opinion, and everyone's allowed to have one, right?

WipeYourFeet · 24/01/2020 10:50

Hi OP
you've done so well sticking to your guns. And I love that you don't want to punish CF's DD. So yes, if she turns up @ 6 - you stay the lovely person you are, and bring CFDD to the club.
I would imagine if the CF intends to come too, as she appears to like to occasionally, it will be a v frosty car ride!
I would also withdraw the dog sitting favour- just leave it a week or so from now & text her that your DH has arranged a surprise that weekend.

I see it this way - the lift to the club is not putting you out (once she walks to yours), you're bringing your DD too. It's not extra effort (ok bar the effort of not belting the CF)
BUT the dog would put you out. It's a huge effort & imposition on you and your family. It's getting you to do stuff you will not be ordinarily doing. And for a person who is not a friend really, who is not appreciative of your help.

Currently I'm relying on a lovely mum to bring my DD to a dance class after school. My childcare arrangements changed suddenly, so she has stepped in to bring my DD with her DD. I'm very appreciative and plan on giving her a small gift at the end of term. and if she ever said it didn't suit, that'd be fine - and I'm actively offering to do favours back for her. That's what you do when you're a working mum - a lot of the SAHMs (who are working too, just unpaid!!) are helping us keep things afloat for the kiddies. So working mums should always try to repay those favours and show our gratitude.

Good luck OP with the evening. Stay strong. And remember you're in the right Thanks

PuppyMonkey · 24/01/2020 10:56

I sort of lost interest in your last thread OP as it descended into inane posts about sweets while everyone waited to hear back from you on Friday night.Confused

Perhaps this week, you could tell us an exact time when you will be updating in order to avoid similar issues this time? Grin

TheMaddHugger · 24/01/2020 10:57

@EarringsandLipstick I'm with you at this point.

AryaStarkWolf · 24/01/2020 11:00

But sure, that's just my opinion, and everyone's allowed to have one, right?

Where in my post did I say you weren't allowed to have an opinion? I just found that opinion to be a bit condescending and superior. That's my opinion.

EarringsandLipstick · 24/01/2020 11:13

@AryaStarkWolf

Where in my post did I say you weren't allowed to have an opinion?

It was kind of implied in what you wrote: what would all us hysterical messes do without you?

I just found that opinion to be a bit condescending and superior. That's my opinion.

Sure - no problem with you thinking that at all; but wasn't in any way my intention, honestly. I don't myself think it's condescending or superior to point out that all the livid lengthy posts saying WHAT THEY WOULD SAY TO THAT CF and so on, were hardly going to help the situation. (IMO Wink)

HerculesJohn · 24/01/2020 11:15

EarringsandLipstick +1

Serendipity79 · 24/01/2020 11:15

I was very invested in last weeks thread and I honestly cant believe how this woman has behaved. Surely she recognises that people don't have to do favours, and with her total lack of appreciation, people wont want to do favours for her in future!

OP I think you're a fab example to your daughter - kind hearted, helpful to others but not a pushover. Your time is just as valuable as anyone else's and I sincerely hope she just stays away from you now as I don't think your friendship will recover from her appalling behaviour.

With my "mum" friends at school we're always helping each other out - if there's a weekday party then the mums who don't work will always offer to take the kids whose mums work during the week (I've realised this sounds quite sexist actually but its genuinely the mums who organise everything even if they have partners/husbands!)

If there are weekend parties, the working mums will offer to return the favours, but often all of us end up together having a group coffee and catching up while the kids party hard :)

We have a group chat, and if a post appears saying that a mum is poorly or has another child that's poorly then you can guarantee there are multiple offers to collect and drop kids at school. Its a really lovely group of ladies and kids.

The unspoken agreement is that favours should be valued and returned where possible and we should make it as easy as possible for the person doing the favour for us! Perhaps your friend needs to read these threads and see how its supposed to work! :)

PerkyPomPoms · 24/01/2020 11:17

I hope she has apologised

AryaStarkWolf · 24/01/2020 11:19

@EarringsandLipstick I don't think people were seriously suggesting she send those ones though, I picked that up as ranting out loud, it is a most bizarre situation. The OP doesn't seem like that kind of a person anyway

NeckPainChairSearch · 24/01/2020 11:20

I sort of lost interest in your last thread OP as it descended into inane posts about sweets while everyone waited to hear back from you on Friday night. Perhaps this week, you could tell us an exact time when you will be updating in order to avoid similar issues this time?

Oh. I didn't know about an earlier thread. I posted yesterday that I detected distinct Barbour-Jacket--like similarities with this scenario, in terms of how the whole thing is being unfolded, but hoped I was being cynical.

Time will tell I guess. I've also posted the OP my support, so I'm definitely undecided at this point. Grin

CakeandCustard28 · 24/01/2020 11:35

Good luck today OP. Hope she sends her DD to yours and stops being a total bitch.

simplekindoflife · 24/01/2020 11:39

Been following both threads! I honestly couldn't guess what this CF will do tonight... it could go either way, couldn't it?!

I bet she'll turn up at 6pm with a right face on.

Supertrooper98 · 24/01/2020 11:46

@NeckPainChairSearch no I don't think it's like the Barbour jacket thread. This OP hasn't done a runner and is regularly updating. It's just the interest from everyone else that's making it like the Barbour thread but this OP seems real

LAMPS1 · 24/01/2020 11:49

As with an unreasonable child, aim to only ever explain, with perfect clarity, your own reasonable decisions just the once. Twice is the absolute maximum as she already knows and is thereafter, simply playing you to get her own way, to show you in a poor light (defence mechanism) and to guilt trip you.
You know that you have been as kind and as reasonable as you can be, given your circumstances which have now changed. Stop doubting yourself on that, you owe her nothing more now.
Of course you will continue to be polite, kindly towards them and reasonable. But you won’t ever be coerced against your will. The line has been drawn by you now, as was your right.
And you must not argue or explain again or apologise or, as you have done, ask for her consideration. She can counter your asking her for consideration by acting as if she has a right to be expecting it back from this day on...conveniently forgetting 2 years of having it all her own way as if you were her SAHM husband!
Quite understandably you will have a desire to only be seen as perfectly reasonable and kind by others she may moan to, for your two years dedicated service to this selfish woman. But she will portray herself as your victim in her gossip about it all to other mums. You can do nothing about that for now. So you just stop trying to pre-empt it. It’s futile. Your own good character will stand up against her reputation with those mums who, like you, take no part in gossip.
I suggest you change your mind set if you can, (hard because you are quite rightly outraged by her conduct) to let this go now and stop investing any more emotion in it. It is already too highly charged and has tipped over into unnecessary drama.

If the little friend turns up before six tonight, then carry on happily and normally under the new arrangement. You know better now, who you are dealing with (a bonus) and of course, you are better off by not having to pick her up. So a job well done.
If she doesn’t turn up then don’t panic.....just assume all is well. Again, you are better off by not having to pick up and it’s no longer your business as to the decisions they have made. Your new arrangement didn’t work for them for whatever reasons. Their prerogative. Not your concern. End of.

As for the dog sitting.... She will try to punish you by not allowing you to dog sit but she will deliberately not let you know that, so as to keep you guessing and fretting for a while. Don’t fall for that.
So just cut that nonsense with an immediate quick text. ‘Something important for us has come up to clash with the date in March where I previously offered to dog-sit, so I wanted to make sure you still have plenty of time to make other arrangements for Bonzo for that date. Thanks’

Finally, as for parcels, let her know when one arrives so that she can come and fetch it as you are no longer able to deliver. She will soon get the message.

NeckPainChairSearch · 24/01/2020 11:57

This reply has been deleted

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2020BetterBeBetter · 24/01/2020 12:05

There are loads of similarities here, right up to the OP's writing style, but I'm still on board. For now. I hope I'm bloody wrong! Grin

^This although quarantine due a poxy child is also dull so I need some entertainment. Grin

annielouise · 24/01/2020 12:23

You are so reasonable and it's great you've put your foot down. The mum is immature and hasn't got the intelligence to moderate her behaviour.

I think you're being too reasonable about warning her now you can't look after her dog. It's exactly what I would do - warn her in advance so it gives her time to sort out other arrangements. Why - because you're a nice person. To her though it'll just be fuel to the fire of how unreasonable and petty you are, letting her down about the dog. She has no self-awareness so she won't blame herself for this situation.

She needs you. The onus is on her to maintain this relationship so that it is a win win for both parties, not just for her. I would not mention the dog - she's the one that needs the favour. Leave that ball in her court to handle it - let's see how much brass neck she has.

I would let the lift situation pan and and then wait for the penny to drop with her that she actually needs you to look after the dog. Let her come to you to ask, leave her on the back foot. You sorting out the problem for her in advance won't help you - it just give her another stick to bash you with - i.e. "you even let us down on the dog, what kind of friend are you" etc. Let her have to suffer some humility to ask you politely if you can still do it.

fedup21 · 24/01/2020 12:24

I missed the Barbour jacket thread-why was it called that?!

toomuchtooold · 24/01/2020 12:53

I strongly suspect that each and every one of you that's posting "I'd text her and tell her not to let the door hit her on the arse when she fucks the fuck off to the other side of fuck and then fucks off some more" are exactly the people - my people - who in real life would silently fume about this and then end up picking her up at her house at 5.45 for another 3 years Grin

SchadenfreudePersonified · 24/01/2020 12:56

toomictooold

Yep!

(And I would be one of them, too . . . Blush )

OhDramaLlama · 24/01/2020 12:57

This is unbelievable, good on you for standing up for yourself op.

Do NOT text her again. Stand firm, she knows your position and what you are willing to do.

Whynosnowyet · 24/01/2020 13:01

I actually did tell my now ex friend to fuck off with her shit and not to contact me again!?
Oh my sooo therapeutic!!
And no lifts were involved!!

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