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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Petty to be annoyed at not being invited?

79 replies

ChesterDrawsDoesntExist · 31/08/2020 22:10

Backstory: Mum is a narcissist. Only thinks of herself and always has done. As teens DSis and I went hungry a lot as mum didn't buy in dinner if she wasn't hungry herself or had spent all her money on her hobby (pets). We didn't get bought any new (or suitable second hand) clothes and would have to wear grown adults hand me downs making us a laughing stock, lonely and unpopular with our peers and made non-school uniform days a living nightmare.

Now mums family is large and were always close. Over the years it's become clear that mum has been keeping me separated from them. I don't know why. I asked to go with her when she was heading back to our old home town (200miles away) for her mum's 80th to be told "no, nothing is happening. I'm just going to pop in for 5 minutes and that's it."
On FB it transpires there was a whole family party. All 4 aunts and 4 uncles, 10 cousins and their partners and all the cousins kids etc were there. Only one family member missing was me. They had food, entertainment and even a professional photographer for a huge family portrait. Mum claimed it was nothing and they just so happened to all go visit gran at the same time.

NYE party always thrown at my old house (huge guesthouse here in Scotland) that my aunt took over when I moved and when I asked if the family NYE bash was still going ahead mum told me, "No, Aunt isn't doing it this year and [stepdad] and I are having a quiet night in and early bed."
I drove past (it's nearby) and there was a party in full swing with mum's car parked up in a car park full of familiar cars. Later found out that all family from as far as Birmingham had come up as usual for the Hogmanay bash.

And tonight I just phoned mum and she was cagey. I managed to get her to admit that the voices I could hear were family members from down south that I never get to see and she was in fact, in my village, just 2 minutes walk away from my house having a family meal. Once again a family event was happening and I was specifically not told.

I don't get drunk, I pay my own way (and I tip) I'm not political (well I am but that's reserved for forums like here), I'm not racist. I don't talk too much, I don't embarrass myself or anyone else and my husband is well loved. Even my kids are a fucking dream.

And I'll just say, family members do ask where I am and are given the impression that I am busy or didn't want to go. They don't want to cause a ruckus by pulling mum up on it.

I know no one is owed an invite but I have a right to be angry here don't I?
What the hell is going on with my mum? We talk almost every day (we're 6 miles apart living 200 miles from our hometown so are our only family up here)
Why am I being given the role of black sheep?

OP posts:
GNfan · 31/08/2020 22:19

That is the saddest thing to read. I would be so upset and confused by this. I'm so sorry. I'm happy you have a lovely family. You're definitely not being petty. What does your sister think?

Dylaninthemovies1 · 31/08/2020 22:19

Hmmm.. I don’t think you’ve done anything wrong. You know that

I think she’s been telling porkies of some kind and if you see the family, then the games up

doodlejump1980 · 31/08/2020 22:23

Do you have an aunt who you’re close to who you can ask?

TheMandalorian · 31/08/2020 22:23

This is bloody crap of her. Can you phone your Aunt and ask her direct about events. Does your sister get invited? I agree your mum is hiding something.
I would contact the family direct for birthdays and Christmas and cut the middle-mum out.
Also have it out with her.

Lonoxo · 31/08/2020 22:24

Sorry, awful situation to be in. Your mum won’t change so you have to decide if you want a relationship with her. Is there anyway you could contact your family directly about events like this?

Florencex · 31/08/2020 22:26

I think you need to try and build up your relationships with the other relatives in your own right, rather than through your mother.

MoreCookiesPlease · 31/08/2020 22:27

Gosh what a maddening read! Why is she behaving like this?? Have you ever called her out on this behaviour??

SunbathingDragon · 31/08/2020 22:31

I would guess you can’t be there because it will unravel some lies she has told people.

Why don’t you make the effort to contact your relatives to have a good relationship with them, and make it clear to them that you would like to be invited to things. If your mum realises you are talking to all of your family members independent of her, then she might realise that her reasoning for keeping you away from meet ups is futile.

StormzyInaDCup · 31/08/2020 22:32

My first instinct is that she's been telling lies and does not want to be found out. Make contact with your aunt and get to the bottom of it.

SBTLove · 31/08/2020 22:32

You’re an adult, why are none of these relatives speaking to you and putting invites through your mother?
Tbh they all sound rude and thoughtless, why would you want to be in the company of people who exclude you?

ChesterDrawsDoesntExist · 31/08/2020 22:32

DSis sees it too but when she's still invited and she's part of it all, she doesn't really 'get' it as it doesn't affect her.
Family have noticed and on occasion do say something about "Yep, that's Karen for you" when I mention it but don't really want to get involved. I think that because gatherings happen so rarely they just go with the assumption that as mum is the main contact here and we live near each other that I will be informed. Or it's a last minute thing and she doesn't bring me up, even as an afterthought.

Even on my wedding day and mum had me running errands to the guesthouse where all our/her family were staying, they weren't the least bit surprised I was running around delivering the corsages and buttonholes, buying tights for mum that she never bothered getting beforehand, painting her nails and she hadn't even made me so much as a cup of tea or some toast that day. They also weren't surprised that she didn't want to drive me to the hairdresser and beautician so I had to go all alone and turn down the salon's offered glasses of fizz for the bridal party as I was driving myself around.

God, writing it down really hits home that I should go NC shouldn't I?! What an awful woman!

OP posts:
katy1213 · 31/08/2020 22:32

Why does your mum control all communication? If you kept in touch yourself, then presumably they'd invite you in person?

7yo7yo · 31/08/2020 22:32

Have a party and don’t invite her.
She’s a bitch.
However You need to start maintaining your relationships yourself. Not go through her.
Start a what’s app group with your cousins and ask them to keep you updated. They’ll know what’s happening.

Thehop · 31/08/2020 22:33

This is crackers! Get down there and ask in front of her why you’re left out.

Or the more sensible option of speaking to relatives.

Pipandmum · 31/08/2020 22:33

If you are an adult why are they asking through your mother? Why can't you ring one of them directly? Just bypass her and call one and say you were sorry you didn't know about X party as you would have loved to have come. Whatever the issue between you and your mother she doesn't rule the family.

Cheetahfajita · 31/08/2020 22:33

Just go round there now and say in front of all of them Mum! Why didn't you tell me people were coming up?

Thehop · 31/08/2020 22:34

I’ve been nc with my mum fur a year.

She did almost the same on my wedding day. Still can’t look at my pictures, the cow.

LadyLairdArgyll · 31/08/2020 22:36

Why are your family relationships controlled by your Mother? Do you not contact any of your aunts uncles cousins independently ? I find this odd in itself, you need to contact these people without your Mother manipulating the narrative OP. Flowers

gamerchick · 31/08/2020 22:36

God, writing it down really hits home that I should go NC shouldn't I?! What an awful woman!

Yep, do it ASAP. Long before she becomes of an age where she needs care. Do it slowly, don't answer the phone every day or ring her. Tell her you're too busy to run errands. Look at her blankly if she brings it up.

Shizzlestix · 31/08/2020 22:37

Why does your sister not tell you? Is she deliberately leaving you out too or does she always wrongly assume that you’re invited? Get her on board to tell you!

LadyLairdArgyll · 31/08/2020 22:39

this is weird

ChesterDrawsDoesntExist · 31/08/2020 22:40

I will be speaking to my closest aunt and asking her to make sure I get told what's going on and to request that she invites me every single time and doesn't tell mum. She'll know that would annoy mother and would probably do it anyway. She's lovely and we do interact independently of mum.

I guess it's the way out family have always done stuff. The cousins are told by their parents what's going on as the siblings (mum, aunts and uncles) all are very close.

As for the lies mum may have told about me? I have no idea. Family are all perfectly lovely to me (even if they don't think to go around mum and invite me themselves.) and they explain mum's behaviour by agreeing "Yep, that's Karen for you", knowing what she's like.

OP posts:
Ginseng1 · 31/08/2020 22:44

Manage the family relationship yourself. Call her out on it. And why the heck wouldn't your sister say it to you???

Thehogfatherstolemycurry · 31/08/2020 22:44

I bet She's told a lie about you and doesn't want to be found out.
I went nc with my mum after years of aggro, afterwards all my family turned their backs on me except for 1 aunt. It turned out my mum had told everyone I'd accused my step father of sexual abuse! I really hadn't but they all believed her and have not spoken to me or the 1 aunt who stood by me for over 25 years now. People like this are just not worth bothering about.

itsgettingweird · 31/08/2020 22:44

Is have a word with your sister.

Ask (or tell her nicely!) to inform you in futures of family events. Remind her you are family too and stood by and with her growing up and deserve some respect for that.

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