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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Raging at crazy-rude party guest! Talk me down ladies.

282 replies

WoolyMammoth55 · 24/05/2021 20:15

Ok it's long, forgive me - need to unburden!

My DS's 5th birthday was this past weekend. We'd been hoping for a gathering in the garden in nice weather but the forecast was right and it was tipping down so we did a very small indoors thing instead. Shame because his last birthday was in full lockdown so had hoped for a nicer party but hey ho. We knew it was weather dependent so only invited the indoors-scenario people, but were hoping to add on others if it was sunny, and couldn't.

We have smaller kids including a very young baby, so the morning of the party was hectic. Trying to make the place look nice and get presentable while unwrapping presents and wrangling the kids - we could of used help from several nannies and cleaners! Kept on top of the downstairs but upstairs was a disaster zone. But DS had a nice morning, which was obviously the main thing.

DS's best bud has separated parents who are amicable. I am friends with the mum and have had playdates at her house, but only know the dad in passing. He's been to our house a few times but just to collect his son - we've never been invited to his. He didn't make it onto the tiny indoors guest list, but he called me in the morning - I was worried it was to say his DS couldn't come, which would have ruined it for mine! - but instead he was wrangling an invite. In the moment under pressure I said yes, that he could swing by towards the end - sort of thought he wanted to see the kids enjoying themselves or whatever.

So here's the thing: having been a CF and invited himself, does he behave well? HELL NO. Came earlier than I expected and totally empty-handed, not even a card for my son. Then get this - disappeared upstairs with the boys (who I'd told 'no going upstairs', but before he came) and stayed up there for ages, until eventually his ex went upstairs to get them down. No way he didn't get an eye-full of my dirty laundry (literally).

I am so furious and mortified. My unmade bed, my discarded towel, my nightie! I realise in a perfect world it would have been tidy but honestly at one point I didn't think I'd have time to shower...

We have had the situation at other play dates when the kids run off upstairs and I would NEVER follow without asking - what was he thinking?

Since then he's distinguished himself again by being the only guest not to say thanks for a lovely party. Nada from this guy. Unless he was raised by wolves then there's no mitigating circs that I can see and I think I might have to say something if I'm going to have to keep being civil to him.

Am I missing something? Is it not really that bad? And is it pointless saying anything? Urgh just want to throw up thinking about him poking around my bedroom!

OP posts:
SmidgenofaPigeon · 24/05/2021 21:03

I’m a nanny and I always always get the children to say thank you, and I say thank you, when leaving someone’s party or house, am I supposed to follow that up with a formal thank you myself after the event?!Confused

And if I was at a party and my charge went upstairs (which they are wont to do if they know their friend’s toys are up there) I’d go after them to either get them down or make sure they didn’t go where they weren’t supposed to!

HintofVintagePink · 24/05/2021 21:05

@NeverDropYourMoonCup

Have you checked your jewellery box or other valuables up there since?
Yeah OP better change the locks sharpish.

Fuck me. This places is nuts sometimes.

It was a Dad, with his son, at a child’s party. He broke the hallowed upstairs rule, but I doubt he was rifling through OP’s knicker drawer for her stashed Rolexes.

WorraLiberty · 24/05/2021 21:06

To be honest, it sounds like someone needed to supervise them up there.

Not sure where you got 'poking around in your bedroom' from, unless you forgot to add a bit more to the story?

KraySlag · 24/05/2021 21:10

Wtf was he doing upstairs???

Queenoftheashes · 24/05/2021 21:10

This doesn’t sound that bad. I’ve had a guest enter my bedroom and drip fag ash on my bed, burning a hole in my duvet while doing really awful farts.

KarmaStar · 24/05/2021 21:12

Hope you feel better for getting it out of your system op😀💐
He probably didn't even see,or if he did,it didn't register,your towel on the floor.
Think in a day of two you will feel a lot calmer.put it behind you as best you can.I hope next year you can hold a lovely big party for your dc and it's less fraught.

katy1213 · 24/05/2021 21:12

I'd have been annoyed - and I'd have gone up straight away to send him downstairs.
And what kind of man even wants to go to a kids' party? But again, why did you say yes when you meant no?

Hellodarknessmyoldpal · 24/05/2021 21:15

Seems mildly irritating but i don't see why you wouldn't just shout 'right everyone downstairs' or something to that effect. Surely he was with the kids rather than in your room?

I don't know why you would expect 2 cards/gifts from the same child, i am assuming mum already brought one.

It's kinda weird that he eneded up there in the first place. You say you don't really know him but he called you? (Or maybe i got this part wrong). But either way you did reluctantly invite him so he was invited 🤔

chesirecat99 · 24/05/2021 21:19

He was a CF to invite himself and it is very rude to go upstairs without being invited.

Why would he bring a card and a gift though? You wouldn't expect 2 gifts and 2 cards if a child came to the party with both parents who weren't separated, would you? I wouldn't expect a written thank you note after a kids party either. It's enough to thank the host in person when you leave.

WellTidy · 24/05/2021 21:21

I made a completely unintended faux pas after the 5th birthday party of one of DS1’s friends. We thanked the host profusely before we left, having had a lovely time, taken a gift etc. This was on a Sunday afternoon.

I work Mon to Wed, so didn’t do school drop off until the Thursday morning. Said hello to the mum as normal, and she took me to one side and asked whether DS1 had a nice time at the party. Yes, I said, it was lovely, thank you very much indeed. And she said ‘oh, I just wondered as I didn’t hear from you after’. I was really confused, said something along the lines of ‘it was really lovely’ and sloped off.

She was clearly expecting a follow up thank you text. Which I always do now, having been so mortified.

daisypond · 24/05/2021 21:22

Why do you think he went in your bedroom? Surely he was just supervising the boys in your DS bedroom? He didn’t need to bring a card or present either, if the mum had brought one. I don’t think he’s done too much wrong here.

arethereanyleftatall · 24/05/2021 21:24

It's news to me that the parents are all supposed to present a card from themselves to the birthday child! I always just had my dc write a card (and present), as does everyone else I know.
Also, lots of parents aren't ready to drop and go at parties at 4/5.
On those two points - yabu.

Wide · 24/05/2021 21:27

Yeah I'd be pissed off someone seeing all the crap I've frantically dumped in another room while tidying and wonder why he was up there, hate nosy people like that but I am also glad I'm not the only one to have towels out in an upstairs room etc

WoolyMammoth55 · 24/05/2021 21:30

HAHA well that's me told then ladies! :) Thanks all for taking time to give me advice.

Yes I've been fretting about this for a while - wanting to give DS a lovely day but also BFing a tiny baby on no sleep. Hormone central over here so glad for the feedback!

Just on the gift point, I didn't explain well but him and my friend live separately and have separate finances and always have, so his contribution to her gift was totally zero. That's why I'd assumed at least he'd bring a card, maybe a bottle of wine, from him as an individual.

I didn't call the boys down myself as was stuck on the sofa breastfeeding! But in his shoes I'd have said "Wooly the kids are upstairs, will you supervise or shall I?" NEVER would I barge upstairs in someone else's home uninvited. But if that's just me then fair play :)

Honestly it was just a lot of effort, yes for my son but also for the 3 close friends we could share it with. I'm out of practise like we all are and it felt nice and also emotional having people over like that for the first time in over a year. That's why we got extra thank yous from the others, and they meant a lot to me

OP posts:
myusernamewastakenbyme · 24/05/2021 21:32

Op is the cf for expecting 2 gifts from the same family.

ProbablyBeingDaft · 24/05/2021 21:32

Presumably the dad was in your son's room with the kids playing with the toys and not in your room though? No?

It sounds like a busy, stressful day and you wanted it to be perfect (understandably) so you're maybe seeing this as a bit of a bigger thing than it was. Ok he might not win Debrett's manners of the year award but it probably wasn't the crime you're imagining.

Plus on an average day most people have their towel or nightie around, washing piled up waiting to go away etc, he probably didn't notice or bat an eyelid!

Spaceash · 24/05/2021 21:33

Maybe it was wrong for him to invite himself if it was the ex's time, I guess that depends on their arrangements, but it sounds like he didn't know about the upstairs rule. I would kept the door of my room closed.

BumBurnerBum · 24/05/2021 21:33

Does your son drink a lot of wine?

RosieCockle · 24/05/2021 21:34

Fuss over nothing

ProbablyBeingDaft · 24/05/2021 21:34

I expect he was in touch with the mum to check she'd brought a gift and thought it was sorted although would have been nice to bring a bottle of wine or something for the hosts, yes.

WoolyMammoth55 · 24/05/2021 21:35

@BumBurnerBum no but the dad did! :/

OP posts:
bellie710 · 24/05/2021 21:37

I would never expect more than one card or present as the invited guest is really the child not the adults. I also would think what a fab dad that he went and played with the kids rather than grabbing a beer and ignoring them! I certainly wouldn't expect him to bring your son wine??

No one cares what your house looks like, i like my house to be tidy but upstairs is how you find it, I couldn't get upset about that and I am pretty sure the Dad didn't even notice any mess.

Wide · 24/05/2021 21:38

I wouldn't expect that 2 gifts but you are defo not being unreasonable about going upstairs, it's horrible when people see mess you would have preferred them not to! That also goes for people turning up uninvited at your house

Zzelda · 24/05/2021 21:38

He didn't know you'd told the kids they couldn't go upstairs, he possibly thought you were allowing it and that it would be helpful to supervise. Did you close your bedroom door? Do you know that he actually went in there? Why didn't you send someone to get them down sooner?

MissLucyEyelesbarrow · 24/05/2021 21:39

To be fair, if he doesn't know you that well and you were breast-feeding, maybe he was trying to be helpful by getting on with supervising the boys without bothering you?

I think going upstairs while his own son was up there (and he didn't know you'd said not to go up) is very different from just wandering up there for the hell of it.