‘Don’t you dare let the other children win Freddie!’

[Pinotgrigio87]

My childhood friend and I have taken different paths but we are in the same career.

She was brought up in a perfect household - Mum and Dad both high flying professionals, she was sent to the school an hour away as they did not want her mixing with us town folk. For some reason I made the cut. I am from a single parent family and we were on income support - we were ‘rough’ by anyones standards. We both studied the same degree at University.

She married her child hood sweetheart from School in a beautiful ceremony when we were mid 20’s; I struggled on with a failed engagement and abusive relationship. We are now mid thirties - I am childfree and never married. She is married and three children. I cannot shake the feeling that she feels I am a complete and utter joke as I live alone with my cat. We went on a weekend away with 10 other woman and the humble bragging and competitiveness about the children was insufferable.

At one point my frIend said she attended the local sports day of her little boy. She actually said

‘He kept winning everything it was just so stressful to watch and he (aged 5) was able to have the empathy to realise this was upsetting the other children. He came to me and asked mummy should I let the other kids win? I told him under no circumstances should he let the other children win and to continue doing as he was doing’. I was like - he is 5, let him do what he wants at sports day. Who cares?

she snapped back ‘you wouldnt know what it was like to be a mother’. I said nothing more and left her to it.

Mothers of Mumsnet - AIBU to feel she should not have snapped at me like that? Or do I really have no voice in these situations as a childless woman?

Come on OP. You're making this up.

Nobody would say "remember your roots" to another woman (or man). As if.

I’m constantly amazed about the shit people tolerate from their “friends”.

She sounds absolutely horrendous. Does the friendship actually add anything positive to your life?

If not, may be one to let wither on the vine.

All I'm imagining is the blonde mum from Motherland!!

i highly about she said those things. I think you might have made leaps and assumptions and are projecting based on insecurities.

she literally said ‘remember your roots’?!

This is all a bit too 'on the nose' OP. Even the blonde woman in Motherland was more believable.

Mini convertible black xx

She did! No projection whatsoever
my ex even mentioned it to me - he was like why does her Dad always say those weird comments to you?

Some of the replies on here are vile towards the op & they’re probably people who are like the ‘friend’.
Your friend sounds horrible and isn’t worth a second thought. You may not have children, but you can see right from wrong.

1. this is really messed up!
2. honestly op why are you hanging onto this friendship?

I SWEAR on my cats life!

My dc’s school have 3 races-two running and an egg and spoon. All very competitive, even from reception.

Take a good, long look in the mirror, @blahblahlalawawa.

OP, she's really horrible & I'm sorry you experienced this.
You sound lovely & confident in yourself, so I think putting space between you & this jealous 'friend' is the thing to do.

OP, your friend and her family sound awful, stay far away.

For those wondering about winning everything at sports day- In my DC primary school, the kids were split into houses and then into small groups (1 child per year group per house), they went around the field to each ‘station’ and competed in that activity eg egg and spoon, skipping etc.
So if there was a sporty child in the year group (only 4 competing per year group at each station), then it was fairly easy for them to win most of the races or activities. So it is possible. (Luckily there was a mix of activities- running, jumping, throwing, skipping etc). They didn’t get to all the stations and they did the sprint races separately.

This friend is without a doubt jealous of your child free lifestyle. I thought it after reading your original post, but I think her remarks stem from jealousnly of what you have achieved, and of your freedom.

*jealousy

5 year-olds sports day = herding cats.

Next time they remind you of your roots, just say "Oh yes, I've done jolly well for myself haven't I, all things considered" followed by a beaming smile.

Hogwarts!?

Yes my replies are not far off that - thought they would have gotten bored by now but cannot let it go it seems. Anyway Next time she brings the kids up I will not give my opinion. Imagine if I end up meeting love of life and having my own children too now. 😂😂

Your friends a massive twat!

I'm a parent and my best friend isn't and I'd never say that to my BF and if anyone else did they'd get a bloody earful from me.

It's lovely that her little boy has such empathy it's just a shame that his mother will probably stamp it out of him!

Her parents are raging snobs who are dreadfully put out at the appalling prospect of you beginning to consider yourself as... middle class.

And that would never do, dear, not with your background.
😂

Its so fucking boring isnt it. 😂
yet here I am making a mumsnet post about it.

She’ll be unbearable as little Peter Perfect grows older! All the schools will be fighting each other for the privilege of having him. He’ll be doing 10 A levels and predicted A* for all of them. Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard will all be begging him to choose them. He’ll struggle to choose between the £5 million a year jobs he’s been offered. And it will all be SO stressful for her! 😏
And she’ll still be full of shit and jealous, and you’ll still be earning 4 times what she does 😁

I knew it would be a class thing. Know your place, peasant.

OP your “friend” really is awful! Grey rock her completely (including her family). Just walk away when they are talking.
And if necessary a ‘Oh yes I would never forget how well I’ve done especially (pause) compared to others (look directly in the eye and smile)’