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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU - Still buying stuff for daughter at University

424 replies

Virgo28 · 10/03/2020 13:21

I'll try to give all details to save questions so please bear with me. DD and her BF both 1st year students at uni one on south coast and one up north so the only time they see each other is when they are home but still text etc each other. Me and DP have been to see daughter twice, once in November and again end of February and both times I have taken up a bag of goodies for her, stuff like biscuits, sweets, basically stuff that I have seen when shopping that I thought she might like as a treat or maybe an essential that she has mentioned she needs. She works hard, is getting good grades and also has a part time job between her studies as her student maintenance loan only just covers her rent. The girls had been talking and DD mentioned the weekend we visited and told BF the stuff we had done (tourist stuff) and the bits I had taken up to her. BF must of told her mum and the next day BF's mum is knocking on my door basically demanding I stop enabling and spoiling my DD because apparently I should be allowing my DD to be an adult and not interfer as it's not helping her learn "life lessons" I also should not be visiting her as this doesn't help her either. Who is being unreasonable here? It honestly didn't cross my mind, it was just a few bits and a day out exploring where she is because we'd never been there before DD started there. It's about 4 hours each way so we drove up Saturday morning, spent the afternoon and early evening together, stayed at hotel that night, took her to breakfast the following morning and then left lunchtime to come home.

OP posts:
AnnaMagnani · 10/03/2020 15:20

Back in the day when I was at uni, your parents visited, took you out for lunch (there were a number of restaurants known as 'places to go with your parents') to ensure you had eaten properly at least once, and then went round the shops with you to pay for a big shop.

In return you spent a week cleaning your flat before their arrival and my DM still made sniffy comments about how it looked like we didn't clean - thanks Mum Hmm

CorianderLord · 10/03/2020 15:21

My mum used to freeze my favourite Chinese takeaway from home and bring me boxes of it 😂

CoralFish · 10/03/2020 15:21

Erm... my mum and dad are visiting me at the moment (staying with us). They turned up with wine and gin. I made sure we had their favourite biscuits and coffee in, and the spare room was clean and tidy. They treated us to a meal out the other night. Surely having people visit and accepting gifts/ treats is part of maintaining adult relationships. I'm 34.

IntergalacticSuperstar · 10/03/2020 15:22

Don't start sending things to the BF, that would be a good way to kick off a proper grudgematch with the other Mum!

JuniperSnowberry · 10/03/2020 15:22

The woman is batshit. You don't just cut your child out of your life when they leave home even if they are 18.

My Mum sent me stuff when I was at uni, nothing expensive as my parents didn't have much money but nice tea bags rather than a value range, that sort of thing. It was quite lovely to receive that.

Even as an adult on good money my Grandad (gained through my marriage) would regularly give me £20 for the children in the summer holiday for "an ice cream." It was such a kind gesture.

Don't stop what you are doing for your daughter.

AcrossthePond55 · 10/03/2020 15:22

She's ridiculous. If she either cannot or chooses not to do the same for her DD, that's her business but it is not down to her to tell you how to parent.

IMO this is where our children really learn to appreciate us as parents. When they move away and begin to notice all the little 'niceties' and treats we provide them that before they've taken a little bit for granted. Your DD is really seeing how much you think about her, how much you care about her, and how lucky she is to have you.

Carry on!! But, if you feel that there's any chance that DD's BF is being made upset because her own mum cannot or will not 'treat her', I'd gently tell my DD that perhaps she should 'tone down' conversations about the things you bring and do. Not that DD is rubbing her nose in it, I'm sure she's just happy about what you do, but that doesn't mean it doesn't make her BF feel bad.

notalwaysalondoner · 10/03/2020 15:22

I loved when my parents visited me - they would stay for one night, sometimes in my room, sometimes in a hotel. In first year it actually helped my mental health a lot knowing my parents were still there for me and a visit was coming up, as I struggled in the first term. Leaving me to “grow up” and “get on with it” would definitely have worked less well than visiting me. They’d visit maybe once a term, take me out for dinner, maybe do some sightseeing. Just because your daughter doesn’t live in your house any more doesn’t mean she isn’t a much loved family member who you enjoy visiting and treating. Bonkers!

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 10/03/2020 15:24

We visit ds every 6 weeks,it's a good excuse to have a weekend away and I take him a care package which he loves. I often send him a little something in the post which he is always very enthusiastic about as he lives getting 'real post.'

Virgo28 · 10/03/2020 15:25

@TinklyLittleLaugh - Daughter has classes Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday only. She used to work evenings but now works weekends. our next visit will be a weekend because it was planned before her work change. Hotel not expensive at all if you book in advance and sightseeing all low cost. We have offered her money, which she declined but she knows is there if she needs it.

OP posts:
gingersausage · 10/03/2020 15:25

I don’t believe anyone goes banging on someone else’s door to tell them to stop sending their child things.

Shimy · 10/03/2020 15:29

@Virgo Oh I'm sure she let her displeasure be known to her DD. Silly woman!

Harrysmummy246 · 10/03/2020 15:30

Not her daughter not her business!

KickAssAngel · 10/03/2020 15:31

I'm 50.
My mum still buys me stuff. It's what people do when they love someone. I also buy my parents gifts.

Virgo28 · 10/03/2020 15:31

@gingersausage - I didn't believe it either until it did. Never say never! Tbf she didnt bang anything, she rung the doorbell and knocked when it didn't work.

OP posts:
londonrach · 10/03/2020 15:32

Op...my pil never did this but everyone elses mums and dads did. I was very jealous. You visiting you dd and buying a bag of food is normal behaviour to someone at uni. Your dd bf mum is the incorrect one here. I wish someone done that for me but my parents couldnt drive that far (2 hours away) so kinda did the whole uni thing alone.

londonrach · 10/03/2020 15:33

My parents not pil

EineReiseDurchDieZeit · 10/03/2020 15:33

Completely normal behaviour OP

My Mum did the same for us all

She used to send my sister Tesco vouchers to make sure she spent it on food. 😂

Uni is that halfway house were you are acquiring adult skills but still have the comfort of parental input

(For a lot of people, obviously not everyone is lucky)

Carry on as you were and if she reappears tell her to mind her own business

Shimy · 10/03/2020 15:35

Tbf she didnt bang anything, she rung the doorbell and knocked when it didn't work.

😂😂😂😂

Virgo28 · 10/03/2020 15:36

@londonrach - aww if you were in my daughters block and I knew I'd add an extra carrier bag to my load x

OP posts:
Virgo28 · 10/03/2020 15:37

@Shimy - it only works when its warm so I estimate it won't start up until at least May 😂😂

OP posts:
BlooperReel · 10/03/2020 15:40

My dad used to visit and take me to Morrisons and buy eleventy-million tins of beans and packets of noodles, to keep me stocked up on something other than cheap vodka and toast Grin

You are lovely and normal OP, tell the BF mum to piss right off.

RedRec · 10/03/2020 15:40

She is completely nuts. I do exactly the same for my son, in his first year at uni.

BumbleBeeFlower · 10/03/2020 15:40

I would tell her to mind her own bloody business.

I think it all comes down to her feeling like you are making her look bad! She needs to put more effort in with her DD if it bothers her that much, not try and stop you from being a loving and caring mother towards your own DD. I agree with your previous post, next time, take up double the amount of treats just to rub this crazy lady up the wrong way!

Virgo28 · 10/03/2020 15:40

@CoralFish - that's good that you have room. Daughter in a 8 bed apartment with shared kitchen/living room this year so no room to stay over.

OP posts:
Xenia · 10/03/2020 15:41

That doesn't sound like spoiling to me.If instead the parents were visiting every weekend that would be a different matter.
I have visited my twins once this term at university (they are at the same one but in separate house).

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