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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Should I let mums dp come to this dinner?

18 replies

Twobigsapphires · 15/09/2021 13:25

Will try not to drip feed.
I have a pretty ambivalent/distant relationship with my mum. We are not close but never any abuse or fall outs. She is immature and entitled and pretty self absorbed.
She’s never had much to do with my dc whilst they were growing up, just visits at Xmas, birthdays as hoc family gatherings. She does however moan to all and sundry (my siblings, aunts and uncles etc) that she never sees my dc and I never make an effort with her etc.
For several reasons on both sides we have not caught up as a family this summer and now my eldest dc is off to uni and I have organised a family meal out as a bit of a send off.
Mum is kicking off as she wants to bring her new dp. I have said no.
Mum and new dp have been an item for about 4 months. I’ve never met him but I know they had a fling about a year ago and he treated her really badly. I’m massively judging here but my mums ‘type’ is bad boy and I’m not holding out much hope that this fella is in it for the long haul.

I don’t want this send of for my dc to be a meet and greet with mums new man. My brother has met him briefly but no one else in the family. I mentioned it to my dc who screwed his face up and said something about him not knowing him and probably never seeing him again so why would he come along.

Mum is now saying I am being unfair and ruining her happiness and how unwelcoming I am and stopping her seeing her grandchildren etc.

I’m trying to not bring into the mix that I feel somewhat dragged down by old baggage of her not seemingly ever making an effort with me or my dc and now recently making long distance trips each weekend to spend time with her ‘new’ family - dp’s daughter and dc.

OP posts:
JasonMomoasgirlfriend · 15/09/2021 13:31

I wouldn't be inviting him

HollowTalk · 15/09/2021 13:33

I wouldn't invite either of them. It's a night for you and your son to celebrate, not for some random bloke.

Mantlemoose · 15/09/2021 13:34

Honestly, tell her to piss off. Stop jumping through hoops for her. I did this with MIL some time ago and the freedom is amazing. I wouldn't hesitate to do it with anyone else either.

CuntyMcBollocks · 15/09/2021 13:38

You don't owe either of them anything, and it's about your dc's send off. Don't invite either of them.

AnneLovesGilbert · 15/09/2021 13:41

She sounds exhausting. Is she using this as an excuse not to come but still blame you?

Hold firm. This is about your son, not your entitled mother. I wouldn’t discuss it beyond “he’s not invited, up to you if you still want to come” (and I’d probably hope she doesn’t because she’ll have a face on her).

Notaroadrunner · 15/09/2021 13:45

Don't invite him and tell her she's welcome to give it a miss as it's for family only.

MangoBiscuit · 15/09/2021 13:46

I wouldn't invite him, and I would tell her that this meal is about your son, and is not the appropriate time for meeting her new partner for the first time. I would, however, ask her to arrange another meal for you to meet her DP. If it's that important to her, then she will. If she doesn't bother, well she had an opportunity to do so.

chocolatesaltyballs22 · 15/09/2021 13:47

On the basis that your son doesn't want him there, no I wouldn't invite him. It's his 'send-off' night and your mum's new boyfriend isn't really part of the family.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 15/09/2021 13:50

Deep breath and the one clear sentence plus a decision for her:

Mum, this meal is about DS going to university, not about you, your DP or anything else. Come alone or don't come at all. Your choice!

She will give that a dtermined spin but, frankly, who cares?

Twobigsapphires · 15/09/2021 14:16

I have and will hold firm that he’s not invited. I don’t have issues standing up to her and have told her to let me know by the weekend if she wants to come or not. Just fed up of situations where I seem to get painted as the bad guy.
Of course I’m hearing how welcoming her dps daughter has been to her!
So close to going NC but don’t want to make it difficult for my dc or siblings really.

OP posts:
Ionlydomassiveones · 15/09/2021 14:19

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn at the poster's request.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 15/09/2021 14:22

@Twobigsapphires

I have and will hold firm that he’s not invited. I don’t have issues standing up to her and have told her to let me know by the weekend if she wants to come or not. Just fed up of situations where I seem to get painted as the bad guy. Of course I’m hearing how welcoming her dps daughter has been to her! So close to going NC but don’t want to make it difficult for my dc or siblings really.
Good for you.

Now you have to work on not giving a flying fuck what she thinks, or says Grin

Good luck with that one - I say safe from years of being NC, along with DSis!

PomBearWithoutHerOFRS · 15/09/2021 14:22

Just say "look mum, the invitation is there for you. Come or don't come. Up to you" and stop engaging with her drama.

MzHz · 15/09/2021 14:26

Of course I’m hearing how welcoming her dps daughter has been to her!

The answer to that is “Good, glad to hear it. enjoy it while it lasts eh?!”

Or “honestly mum if you did a better job of pretending to be interested stopped the bs and whining about ‘how I don’t let you see the kids’ when it’s actually that you’ve got ‘better offer’, perhaps then I’d move heaven and earth… come alone or don’t come, literally, whatever”

Your ds doesn’t want him there, you’re polite about it to your mum but she needs to read the sodding room better!

Go LC, you don’t need to make a drama out of it but just stop initiating contact or facilitating it.

PascowV · 15/09/2021 14:30

@PomBearWithoutHerOFRS

Just say "look mum, the invitation is there for you. Come or don't come. Up to you" and stop engaging with her drama.

This.

I wouldn't allow some random 4 month like to come, and I doubt your DC would appreciate it.

This occasion isn't about your mum.

Driftingblue · 15/09/2021 14:35

The issue becomes much simpler when you stop calling him her partner and start using much more appropriate words like boyfriend or the man she is dating. A partner might have earned a seat at the dinner even if you hadn’t met him yet, while a guy she has been seeing for 4 months has not.

EdgeOfTheSky · 15/09/2021 14:47

“You are invited as DC’s grandma along with other members of his close family, the people he had known all his life. Happy to meet your DP on another occasion. I hope you will choose to come along and give D.C. a send-off”.

maddy68 · 15/09/2021 14:50

I definitely would invite her.
But say he's not wejcone because it's about your daughter and it's not a meet and great for him ...

Telk her if she would rather come and visit the day before with him then she would be very welcome

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