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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Aibu to be angry about this - dd left out group/party

877 replies

Lago1 · 30/10/2022 01:15

So a bit of background, my daughter is a lovely, yet shy and reserved child, who has been dancing for a few years with a group of girls and has grown in confidence around them. One particular girl, she sees as a good friend and they share another hobby which they do weekly together. This morning at dancing she hears some of the others discussing a sleepover and asked in front of the mum if she can join and the mum says of course. She comes home excited and gets her things ready, then I received a text 15 minutes before I was due to drop her off saying I'm sorry dd doesn't want her to come. Now I know maybe she shouldn't have asked but it was nice to see her confidence and she would have not even considered that her friend didn't want her there and probably thought of it as an oversight. There were no excuses made, and not even any effort to try and protect her feelings in this all. I am so sad for her. Aibu to feel really pissed off?

OP posts:
cairnsarethebest · 30/10/2022 16:24

Just because the girl has slept over at yours doesn't mean the other girl considers her the same "level" of friend as your dd does her.

Lago1 · 30/10/2022 16:29

@cairnsarethebest yes I think that is what we have learnt from this.
I think where its a little bit hurtful and maybe a little bit mean, is that once in that situation that my dd thought she was coming, I'd have thought you'd only want to let somebody down that you actively dislike or had reason to. I appreciate lots of others don't feel the same way as me though 🙂

OP posts:
ZeroFuchsGiven · 30/10/2022 16:33

she knew most of the people going

And there it is, she knew MOST not all, it was not her friendship group and You have done her no favours by not nipping it in the bud as soon as she invited herself.

cairnsarethebest · 30/10/2022 16:43

I wouldn't have made my child have someone she didn't want and who hadn't been invited @Lago1

Kanaloa · 30/10/2022 17:03

Tandora · 30/10/2022 15:44

I don’t think this isn’t a comparable situation to what you are describing though. Of course not everyone is friends with everyone.
In this case the girls are friends, and it was a case of leaving one out.
When questioned the mother didn’t say they weren’t friends, she said that preteen kids are like this and they’d probably be thick as thieves next week.
This isn’t about not allowing children what we allow ourselves as adults, it’s quite the opposite- it’s about teaching children the kind of pro-social, reciprocal behaviour that those of us who are half decent adults engage in ourselves.

But half decent adults do engage in this sort of behaviour. I’ve got lots of friends - I don’t invite them all to everything all the time. Sometimes I just want to go for lunch with a few of my work friends. Sometimes I want to just meet up with some mum friends from my autism group. Sometimes I want to see an old friend just the two of us. Alternately, I’m aware that sometimes my friends do things that I’m not included in. Not including everyone all time doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. It means you don’t want to see that person at that time. And forcing children to include others who they don’t like or don’t want to be with at that time isn’t teaching them good social behaviours.

Tandora · 30/10/2022 17:25

Kanaloa · 30/10/2022 17:03

But half decent adults do engage in this sort of behaviour. I’ve got lots of friends - I don’t invite them all to everything all the time. Sometimes I just want to go for lunch with a few of my work friends. Sometimes I want to just meet up with some mum friends from my autism group. Sometimes I want to see an old friend just the two of us. Alternately, I’m aware that sometimes my friends do things that I’m not included in. Not including everyone all time doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. It means you don’t want to see that person at that time. And forcing children to include others who they don’t like or don’t want to be with at that time isn’t teaching them good social behaviours.

Oh Come on - you are surely being disingenuous?
I also don’t invite everyone I know, all the time , to every social occasion I host - how would I?
But if I had a friend from (say) my book club who repeatedly invited me round for dinner; I wouldn’t then

  1. host a dinner party inviting all other members of the book club but her,
  2. allow open discussion of such dinner party in her presence knowing I hadn’t included her
  3. let her know I actively didn’t want her there 15 mins before said dinner, after (let’s say) my partner had already said she could come. Only a 12 year old playing mean girls behaves like this and their mothers’ (who are the adults facilitating , hosting, coordinating and paying for these events) shouldn’t tolerate it!
Stopthebusplease · 30/10/2022 17:37

I totally agree with 'XelaM', the mother made the choice to OK your daughter coming along, and in that case when she found out that her daughter didn't really want her there, should have either over ruled her, explaining how unkind she was being, or cancelled the sleepover. To do this to any child under those circumstances is just cruel and unnecessary. OK your DD made a mistake asking if she could go, but the adult also made a mistake and she should have been the one to deal with it in a kind way, particularly as you say she knows how difficult your daughter finds things

cc1997 · 30/10/2022 17:40

Stopthebusplease · 30/10/2022 17:37

I totally agree with 'XelaM', the mother made the choice to OK your daughter coming along, and in that case when she found out that her daughter didn't really want her there, should have either over ruled her, explaining how unkind she was being, or cancelled the sleepover. To do this to any child under those circumstances is just cruel and unnecessary. OK your DD made a mistake asking if she could go, but the adult also made a mistake and she should have been the one to deal with it in a kind way, particularly as you say she knows how difficult your daughter finds things

in that case when she found out that her daughter didn't really want her there, should have either over ruled her, explaining how unkind she was being, or cancelled the sleepover

I can't tell if this post is serious or not. If the mum made the error, she should have forced the girl to invite the friend and made her cancel the sleepover if not?

Elsamit · 30/10/2022 17:43

@Tandora

This girl is 12, she is still learning how to be a social and empathic human, it is up to the mother to guide her. I’m very sorry I am the only parent who feels this

I totally agree with you on this. No one except the OP knows how the scenario unfolded but if it was a case of the girls deliberately giggling and chatting about plans in front of DD who was the only one not included, then I think that behaviour was awful. It is sad that so many people seem to think that being empathetic and considerate towards others is either wrong or old fashioned. I would definitely not have gone back on my agreement that DD could attend. I wonder if that parent would have been OK with this happening to her own DD? I would honestly feel ashamed and embarrassed if my DD had accepted lifts and invitations etc. then acted in this way. Guess we are in the minority on this one Tandora.

Tandora · 30/10/2022 17:46

Elsamit · 30/10/2022 17:43

@Tandora

This girl is 12, she is still learning how to be a social and empathic human, it is up to the mother to guide her. I’m very sorry I am the only parent who feels this

I totally agree with you on this. No one except the OP knows how the scenario unfolded but if it was a case of the girls deliberately giggling and chatting about plans in front of DD who was the only one not included, then I think that behaviour was awful. It is sad that so many people seem to think that being empathetic and considerate towards others is either wrong or old fashioned. I would definitely not have gone back on my agreement that DD could attend. I wonder if that parent would have been OK with this happening to her own DD? I would honestly feel ashamed and embarrassed if my DD had accepted lifts and invitations etc. then acted in this way. Guess we are in the minority on this one Tandora.

❤️❤️❤️ I’ve got a feeling (hope!) that in the real world we wouldn’t be so much in the minority.

Kanaloa · 30/10/2022 17:52

Tandora · 30/10/2022 17:25

Oh Come on - you are surely being disingenuous?
I also don’t invite everyone I know, all the time , to every social occasion I host - how would I?
But if I had a friend from (say) my book club who repeatedly invited me round for dinner; I wouldn’t then

  1. host a dinner party inviting all other members of the book club but her,
  2. allow open discussion of such dinner party in her presence knowing I hadn’t included her
  3. let her know I actively didn’t want her there 15 mins before said dinner, after (let’s say) my partner had already said she could come. Only a 12 year old playing mean girls behaves like this and their mothers’ (who are the adults facilitating , hosting, coordinating and paying for these events) shouldn’t tolerate it!

You’re being equally disingenuous. OP’s daughter doesn’t even know all the girls invited to the sleepover/they don’t all know her - a likely reason why she wasn’t invited. Not all friends fit at ever event. She wasn’t invited to this one. If it is a regular occurrence whereby she isn’t given any invites despite inviting the girl to things, then obviously they’re not really good friends and it’s time to step away from that. What isn’t a good solution is strong arming the girl into inviting op’s daughter whether she wants to or not.

Fancylike · 30/10/2022 17:59

user29 · 30/10/2022 13:29

But your dd knew she had not received an invitation and went ahead and basically invited herself. She doesn't sound shy or reserved and certainly not well-mannered. I think sadly she got her just desserts!

If anything, DD sounds manipulative. Perhaps that’s why she was one of the girls from dance not invited to this sleepover. Some personalities can be difficult in group settings.

PurpleWisteria1 · 30/10/2022 18:05

Elsamit · 30/10/2022 17:43

@Tandora

This girl is 12, she is still learning how to be a social and empathic human, it is up to the mother to guide her. I’m very sorry I am the only parent who feels this

I totally agree with you on this. No one except the OP knows how the scenario unfolded but if it was a case of the girls deliberately giggling and chatting about plans in front of DD who was the only one not included, then I think that behaviour was awful. It is sad that so many people seem to think that being empathetic and considerate towards others is either wrong or old fashioned. I would definitely not have gone back on my agreement that DD could attend. I wonder if that parent would have been OK with this happening to her own DD? I would honestly feel ashamed and embarrassed if my DD had accepted lifts and invitations etc. then acted in this way. Guess we are in the minority on this one Tandora.

I am totally with you.
Ive been arguing this all along the thread. Been told that being assertive and saying no and suiting yourself is the way forward in this situation and life generally.
Whilst saying putting yourself first in some situations is a good thing, it’s not in this case because it means you are mis treating a child and hurting someone to put your sends first.
It days gone past they would have said poor show.
Like I said, take me back to a time of honesty and integrity when people actually thought of others before themselves.

PurpleWisteria1 · 30/10/2022 18:07

Kanaloa · 30/10/2022 17:52

You’re being equally disingenuous. OP’s daughter doesn’t even know all the girls invited to the sleepover/they don’t all know her - a likely reason why she wasn’t invited. Not all friends fit at ever event. She wasn’t invited to this one. If it is a regular occurrence whereby she isn’t given any invites despite inviting the girl to things, then obviously they’re not really good friends and it’s time to step away from that. What isn’t a good solution is strong arming the girl into inviting op’s daughter whether she wants to or not.

The mum saying ‘of course you can come’ over rides all this.
You don’t play with a child’s feelings like this. It’s cruel.
Dont want her to come. Don’t bloody say she can of course come then!!

Thisisawfuliknow · 30/10/2022 18:13

I was once the evil parent. My dc and a friend's DC did the same activity and due to circumstances, it had become the default for me to give her DC a lift. Unfortunately, her DC's behaviour was not good and my dc was very embarrassed as they were 'associated' with friend's DC. It reached the point where my dc refused to attend the activity if I continued to give a lift to the other child. I had no option other than to stop the lifts and I know my friend was very upset. She didn't understand that if my child didn't go, I had no reason to go, so her DC would have not been able to attend anyway. No doubt I was the evil, mean person for not being willing to force my dc to do something they found very upsetting in order to accommodate her poorly behaved child.

Although I agree that sometimes we have to do things we would rather not, this does not, in my view, extend to forcing children to spend time with someone they would rather not. I do agree though, that OP should not feel any obligation to continue to offer lifts etc when it is clear that her dad and the other child are not the close friends her dad thought they were.

Hudsonriver · 30/10/2022 18:15

Dont want her to come. Don’t bloody say she can of course come then!!

They didn't invite her
For most people that a bit of a giveaway 😂

bettyfreddy · 30/10/2022 18:19

@PurpleWisteria1 maybe at that time the mum didn't think it would be a problem? It could of been only when she spoke to her own dd that she realised it wasn't going to work for whatever reason.

The op said it was a good few hours between asking to go to the sleepover and actually going to the sleepover. I'd take this as the mum probably trying to reason with her daughter in this time and it was just a firm 'no' from the daughter. And who knows why it's a no. Granted I haven't read the full thread but it could actually be the other friends that are the issue.

My daughter is the same age and I can't keep up with who she is and isn't friends with. Her friendship group changed constantly and they all seem to fall out with each other and then best friends again for next.

It was her birthday last week and it was difficult to decide who was and wasn't coming to her party. A couldn't come because B & C don't like her even though my daughter likes A. D couldn't coke because she doesn't get on with C and E. This all goes on at school when I'm not around. I have to trust my daughter and do whatever she thinks is best at that time.

Like I said, it was her birthday last week and i guarantee that if she was having another party this week at least 3 of the girls from last week would not be invited and they would be replaced with other friends.

Kanaloa · 30/10/2022 18:19

PurpleWisteria1 · 30/10/2022 18:07

The mum saying ‘of course you can come’ over rides all this.
You don’t play with a child’s feelings like this. It’s cruel.
Dont want her to come. Don’t bloody say she can of course come then!!

Yes, it’s a shame that the mother said she could come. However, this all came to be because the girl asked to be invited to a party she wasn’t invited to, putting the mother in an awkward position. Don’t want to be told you can’t come to something? Don’t ask when you know you haven’t been invited to go!

I’m not saying it isn’t upsetting to realise you’ve not been invited to something you would have liked to attended. It can be upsetting. But it doesn’t mean the host has done something wrong. They haven’t.

MapleLeafForever · 30/10/2022 18:20

People can still think of others before themselves - but that could include the OP and her DD, too.

Many people are assuming that the OP's version of events is the only possible and correct one, whereas others having been saying that really there are loads of interpretations of what went on, that it was not necessarily a deliberate, mean act on anyone's part, that anyone was necessarily being dishonest or selfish or not showing integrity. We only know OP's version of it. Her DD might be the sort of person that is difficult to be around, doesn't pick up social cues, changes the whole atmosphere at a party, even if they don't mind be friendly to her on other occasions. Or maybe not. We don't know. We don't know that she was the absolutely only one not invited to something and everyone else in the room discussing it was, or that everyone knew that, or that everyone even considered her a friend who might have been invited - they might well have just thought of themselves as a group of school friends, and barely considered the DD as anything to do with that group. Who knows. The girls/mum might have responded with what seemed like 'warmth' but really there were social cues to show that it was just an act, and it would have been uncomfortable for the DD to go where she wasn't wanted in the end, but neither OP or her DD picked up on those. Again, we don't really know.

It sounds like it could have been handled better from the moment the DD invited herself along, to the time that it was cancelled on her, and how it was done, for sure. But so much else is just assumption - it might be correct, it might not be, but why not just go for the best assumption, which is that the others don't specially consider her a friend, rather than deliberate meanness. But the OP's version of events is simply that, one version, and I think many people who are saying "it's not mean" are actually saying "it might not be mean because that version of events might not have been what happened from the other person's perspective".

Maybe they don't really like the DD all that much, but parents have up til now tended to organise lifts or activities. People would also get upset if the others kept rejecting any lifts or activities or parties or invitations, because they didn't want to become specially close friends with the DD - and she might end up totally isolated then. I think you have to decide whether to extend an invitation based on what you want at the time, and not on whether someone is going to reciprocate later on. Maybe they will, and it's a chance to get to know someone further so that they might decide to reciprocate. But I think I'd be more hurt if people rejected all my invitations from the off because they didn't want to become close friends. I might eventually pull back and stop inviting them so much over time ,or I might just accept that they have lots of friends and I don't, so I am in the position of having to work harder to have a social life, and if I want to do anything, then I might still invite them, reciprocated or not. I think the DD has that choice now - start to pull back from these girls as she's not part of the group in the way she thought she might have been, or choose to stay friendly but not close. Neither is the wrong decision.

user29 · 30/10/2022 18:25

Kanaloa · 30/10/2022 18:19

Yes, it’s a shame that the mother said she could come. However, this all came to be because the girl asked to be invited to a party she wasn’t invited to, putting the mother in an awkward position. Don’t want to be told you can’t come to something? Don’t ask when you know you haven’t been invited to go!

I’m not saying it isn’t upsetting to realise you’ve not been invited to something you would have liked to attended. It can be upsetting. But it doesn’t mean the host has done something wrong. They haven’t.

Maybe the mum was trying not embarass OP's DD . She said it took place in front of 'everybody'. Maybe the mum, being ambushed by this request t be invited, didn't want to publicly say 'no, Guinevere doesb't like you;

user29 · 30/10/2022 18:26

anyway your dd gas been rude and pushy, and i hope you will use this experience to teach her better manners than trying to force invites where she has not been invited

Elsamit · 30/10/2022 18:26

@PurpleWisteria1

Like I said, take me back to a time of honesty and integrity when people actually thought of others before themselves.

💖 absolutely

whumpthereitis · 30/10/2022 18:32

Like I said, take me back to a time of honesty and integrity when people actually thought of others before themselves.

when was this supposed golden age, exactly?

if anything there’s more focus, at least in regards to the west, on ‘being kind’ now than there ever has been.

Lago1 · 30/10/2022 18:34

Wow my dd is being called manipulative and rude based of 4 words she has said. (Can I come please). I don't think I've said the other girl is mean, just that the behaviour could be seen as it a little bit mean, so those of you who are judging my dd so harshly, do not have advice I wish to take.
Obviously I'm really happy to see that a few agree with me on my frustration and thanks to those who have answered constructively and politely even when disagreeing.

OP posts:
Tandora · 30/10/2022 18:44

Thisisawfuliknow · 30/10/2022 18:13

I was once the evil parent. My dc and a friend's DC did the same activity and due to circumstances, it had become the default for me to give her DC a lift. Unfortunately, her DC's behaviour was not good and my dc was very embarrassed as they were 'associated' with friend's DC. It reached the point where my dc refused to attend the activity if I continued to give a lift to the other child. I had no option other than to stop the lifts and I know my friend was very upset. She didn't understand that if my child didn't go, I had no reason to go, so her DC would have not been able to attend anyway. No doubt I was the evil, mean person for not being willing to force my dc to do something they found very upsetting in order to accommodate her poorly behaved child.

Although I agree that sometimes we have to do things we would rather not, this does not, in my view, extend to forcing children to spend time with someone they would rather not. I do agree though, that OP should not feel any obligation to continue to offer lifts etc when it is clear that her dad and the other child are not the close friends her dad thought they were.

I don’t think the situation you are describing is the same thing at all/ remotely comparable!