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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

My son is about to be charged with a driving offence and I feel like a crap mum.

231 replies

CathyTre · 03/08/2020 19:35

AIBU to feel pretty devastated by this, even though I obviously wasn’t there when he did it. Feel like a really crap parent.

OP posts:
TheListeners · 03/08/2020 19:48

He is only 19 years old. People make all sorts of crap decisions at that age. Admittedly his is really crap but given he's injured I doubt he'll repeat it. Be glad he's alive and that his passengers are too rather than worrying about it reflecting on your parenting.

CathyTre · 03/08/2020 19:49

Oh god! Not happy face! 😢

OP posts:
Colycola · 03/08/2020 19:49

What has he been charged with? And what about the passengers in the other car?

Bitchinkitchen · 03/08/2020 19:49

@CathyTre

Well I did that too. He still did it 🙂
That makes him stupid and selfish, but it doesn't make it your fault.
xyzandabc · 03/08/2020 19:49

My brother wrote a car off drink driving when he was 18. No damage to any other person or vehicle and he was ok. Honestly, it was the best thing that could have happened to him. He was banned for 3 years and by the time the 3 years were up, he was a much more responsible person. Had it not happened, he could well have done it again with much more serious consequences.

Hopefully your son will take this as a serious wake up call and learn from it. And it might send a strong message to any of his friends who would also think of getting behind the wheel whilst drunk.

CathyTre · 03/08/2020 19:51

Thank you xyzandabc. I hope this will wake them all up.

OP posts:
formerbabe · 03/08/2020 19:52

Ok it's not great...he's a young guy, they do stupid things sometimes. Try to see it as a positive...no one died and hopefully he's learnt a valuable lesson.

Nanny0gg · 03/08/2020 19:52

Well, if he's written off his car and he gets banned and fined that might make him wake up.

There's nothing more you can do.

What's his reaction been to it all? Is he sorry?

Keeva2017 · 03/08/2020 19:53

It’s natural for you to feel how you described. I think you commented on my other thread? Look at all those people saying how shit being a parent can be and this aspect of it, your so s error in judgement and the consequences, are really shit now.

He’s young, hopefully it won’t define him and will be something he learns from. *But it most definitely does not define you as a parent.

CathyTre · 03/08/2020 19:55

He’ll get a driving ban and hefty fine. Has police interview tomorrow where he’ll be charged.

OP posts:
CathyTre · 03/08/2020 19:55

He’s pretty subdued right now.

OP posts:
viques · 03/08/2020 19:57

To be honest OP, his injuries are the least of his problems. He will mend, so fortunately will his friends who were stupid enough to get into a car with him. What will have more impact on his life for many years to come is his soon to be driving ban, criminal record and consequently poorer job prospects.

I feel very sorry for you ( though not for him) the only positive thing you can take from this is that he didn't kill anyone, or destroy any one else's life.

DartmoorChef · 03/08/2020 19:59

Hes alive, hes lucky and if hes a decent lad then he will learn from this lesson. Its realky not your fault.

My parents were caring, loving and very law abiding. It didn't stop me being an utter dick at times in my teens and early 20s but i grew up, into a fairly decent human being.

Most of us fuck up, he's done it big time and he's had a very lucky escape too.

IceCreamSummer20 · 03/08/2020 20:00

Well you can reinforce it now. Show him your massive disappointment and do not help him in any way.

CathyTre · 03/08/2020 20:00

I’m ashamed. And I still love him. And I’m sorry he’s hurt so much, even though it’s his fault. I’m more relieved he didn’t badly hurt anyone else. He deserves everything he gets in court. It still feels awful.

OP posts:
Madein1995 · 03/08/2020 20:02

Its not your fault op i promise you. Even if you think it is, NEVER voice that to your son. I work with offenders in my job and the best gift a dsmily can do is not minimising his offence and letting him face consequences for eg if he has to get places let him get the bus, and set off an hour earlier if necessary . Dont give him too much sympathy either, i dont mean be horrid,but most definitely do not agree woth any poor me speeches he gives.

Does he understand the impaxt his actions could havr had? How he could now be sat in a prison cell having killed someone? What is his drinking like in general?
Hopefully when he goes to court theyll goce him some programmes, which is part of my job. DIDS is such an informative course, and it really hammers home the consequences and how to avoid it and improving knowledge.

Please dont blame yourself. Its a myth that people commit offences becsuse of their background. True, our background influences us. So does our friends, our colleagues , the media, previous experiences etc. And even in cases where people have had awful experiences it isnt helpful to dwell too long on it from a rehabilitation pov, unless for coundelling etc. Because we csnt change others but we can change ourselves, and the focus must be on that. If he goes on probation which im sure he will, his offender manager will likely do a lot of work around this with him

But as i say dont make life easy for him
While hes injured obviously help to an extent but no mollycoddling or spoiling him. Dont be cold towards him but let him face the consequences. Dont be one of them mums sat in probation waiting rooms, arms linked, waiting to tell stsff what they think of them! Be honest too about how toure feeling about it all. I do s lot of work with offenders and when theyre discussing the inpact on their mums and children and partners, thats where they express most regret and for some they resolve not to do it again. Dont hide your sadness about it all

theemmadilemma · 03/08/2020 20:02

It's not your fault. Nothing you did.

Teenagers and young adults often make stupid choices no matter how well raised they are.

How he recovers from this and deals with it going forward is key.

IceCreamSummer20 · 03/08/2020 20:03

You will still love him. And although you might feel sympathetic to his distress, I do think your actions now will also have a positive impact. Don’t do anything of help for him, anything at all. He really needs a very hard fall from this, where his mum is firm in her disapproval.

labyrinthloafer · 03/08/2020 20:03

Sorry this happened to you, sorry he made this wrong choice.

You would be a bad parent if you tried to minimise it, or make it easy on him. But hopefully he will now learn. You should try to get to the bottom of why he did it, to help him not do it again.

Morfin · 03/08/2020 20:04

I've put yanbu only because I'd feel exactly the same. We let our children grow up and then we use their decisions either to make us feel proud or as a stick to beat ourselves with. It's NOT your fault.

Bonkerz · 03/08/2020 20:04

My son age 19 was caught drink driving in December. His blood came back 83mg the max is 80mg. He still hasn't been to court.

mummabear1967 · 03/08/2020 20:05

Not your fault, OP. You didn’t tell him to get behind the wheel of a car drunk, he made that decision himself.

He is 20 years of age, he knows not to drink and drive. I feel for you, I really do, it’s not nice as you’re his mother but I don’t feel sorry for him as he could have killed or very seriously injured somebody, so thank god that didn’t happen.

I do hope he gets a lengthy disqualification as I feel very strongly about drink drivers, but I know that this will likely impact on you as you’ll have to drive him everywhere.

Just know that it’s not your fault, this does not make you a bad parent. Big hugs Flowers

CathyTre · 03/08/2020 20:05

He seems to understand. He’s expressed remorse. He hasn’t really got any excuses, he “just did it” and “I just didn’t think”.

We’ve talked about the “what ifs” to an extent.

He has a lawyer.

I just feel sick about it all.

OP posts:
Madein1995 · 03/08/2020 20:06

Also op it must seem as though your world has fallen in but hes not a bad lad by the sound of it. Yes hes made mistakes and yes hell pay for them and yes he was extremely lucky. But hes not a murderer, hes not evil, hes someone who didnt thibk and will hopefully learn.

Dont be too scared about his job prospects, as i know many dribk drivers from work who have fantastic jobs. If someone csn show theyre putting their past behind them, trying and similar, it neednt be a big barrier

I do feel though the driving ban and potential trickiness in getting a job is a good thing. Its consequences he will have to live with and hopefully will be unpleadant enough to mske him get his head on straight

Kasparovski · 03/08/2020 20:06

It has nothing to do with you as a parent OP. He’s an adult and will have to take responsibility for his bad choices. Keep supporting him and encourage him to learn from this dark episode.