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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Party bag gate part 2 - enter DH stage left

1000 replies

JandamiHash · 16/01/2025 17:51

Original thread https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5252894-child-didnt-get-a-party-bag?page=40&reply=141398805

To all the baked potato loving legends out there who followed my original thread, I couldn’t resist sharing what I think is a rather funny update.

So I’ve been away for a work conference today and didn’t check my phone til 2pm. Amanda had called me again! And messaged to say “Jandami can you call me please when you get the chance so I can find out what to ask this magician?”

I assume she means she wants to find out if I’ll pay for a party bag. So I messaged DH (who is fully invested in the drama) laughing about it. I didn’t reply to her as had to go back in the conference (and still haven’t replied only just got home).

Anyway at pick up, DH was standing in the playground waiting for DS and Amanda sidled up to him and said “Excuse me Neil? Is your wife’s phone broken?” (emphasis on the ‘is’ apparently). He just looked at her, said “No” and walked off to wait at the other side of the playground 😂 the best bit is - his name is not Neil!

I can only assume she’s either micro dosing with hallucinogenics or is genuinely mad. Nobody normal behaves this way.

PS jacket potato with pancetta, cheese, soured cream and chives tonight 🤤

Page 40 | Child didn’t get a party bag | Mumsnet

Hosted my son’s 8th birthday on Sunday. I sent out invitations in December and made it clear when people had to get back to me (7th Jan). We hired a m...

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5252894-child-didnt-get-a-party-bag?page=40&reply=141398805

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
SharpOpalNewt · 17/01/2025 11:09

Two threads for this?

99% agreed YANBU in the first one, OP.

Tandora · 17/01/2025 11:10

ForZanyAquaViewer · 17/01/2025 11:05

I think @Tandora needs to read this. Slowly.

I gave it a go and got as far as this and laughed my arse off:

you replied….and gently say, it's ok we all make mistakes or forget things at times but here's how you can resolve it for your son

Gentle ? 🤣 pull the other one. OP’s text was goady and aggressive in the extreme. It was designed to be such by posters on mumsnet and even OP wrote herself that she intended it to be “passive aggressive” , and hoped it was received as such. Personally I don’t think it was subtle enough to even be put in the “passive ag” category.

Bimblesalong · 17/01/2025 11:11

JandamiHash · 17/01/2025 08:03

I think you’re spot on. I was raised to “treat people as I’d like to be treated” with no exceptions and honestly it made me the world’s biggest walkover for sooooo long. I used to do my flatmates’ washing at Uni FFS because they asked me to in a “and I’ll cut the grass” way and even though I knew it was ridiculous and not equal chores I said yes 🙄 it culminated in me doing all dishes, cleaning, liaison with landlord etc while they had lie ins and partied. I definitely gave off an air “I’ll do anything for anyone” and CFs sniff you out like a bloodhound.

It wasn’t actually until DS was a baby that I turned it round - he wasn’t settling into nursery at all, he’d cry his eyes out (I think he was maybe 10 or 11 months) and I’d end up leaving drop off holding tears back and figuring out what to say to my horrible boss who, despite it being a flexi time organisation whose core hours were 10-4, would get very pissy if I turned up at 9.05 - “I’ve been here since at 8am!” (You also leave at 4.30) and thought it very annoying that I had kids and that came with problems sometimes. Anyone one day it was a really bad day of DS being dropped off, he was screaming the place down, I’d had no sleep and walked out really quite upset. the then-Amanda of the nursery was putting her older child in her car in the car park and said “Oh Jandami seeing as you don’t have a child about your person could you pop back into nursery and tell them I’ll be picking Alice up 30 minutes early”. I normally would’ve done that but I was so upset and tired I laughed and said no do it yourself. Her face was a picture! I then went in and when my boss moaned I told her that flexi time means the start times can be as late as 10am and I always stay til 5.30pm anyway so I’ll be exercising the freedom it’s supposed to give me. Then when I handed my notice in a week later I told her her anti-work life balance attitude was the reason. It was like an epiphany that I don’t have to take ridiculous orders from anyone and people should be called out.

Mind you I still get the heart thumping when I tell people no or refuse to bow to CFs but it gets easier with time!

I am loving and unloving this in reactions so that I can love it again! Spot on.

BluebellsareBlue · 17/01/2025 11:13

@Tandora I'm
Not really sure anyone gives a rats hairy arse whether you think OP was PA or not. I would have handed Amanda her arse in her hand if I got any of this pish from her.

All of this, ALL of this was caused by Amanda.

Snazzysausage · 17/01/2025 11:14

thepariscrimefiles · 17/01/2025 10:56

'Brutish' definitely has 'Bill Sykes' vibes for me. That is absolutely not how I am imagining OP's DH.

No me neither. A slightly over the top description for a man who answered a question then simply walked away thus indicating he didn't want to be drawn into any more discussion. A knuckle dragging brute indeed 🙄

DearDeadrie · 17/01/2025 11:16

How many times has a parent posted on here saying that no one has rspv'd and they have had to cancel the party, do they still send the cake and party bags to the venue incase no one got the memo?
Say you invite a whole class of 30 children and only 5 said they are coming so do you make 25 extra bags up? ok some will make 2 or 3 extra but then what if 6 other children attend (this has happened to us before party bags were a thing and we sent out paper invitations)
Op's sons party was a niche thing with personalised bags why should she have to accommodate someone who was too lazy to reply to an rsvp but cheeky enough to put it in her calendar.

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 17/01/2025 11:17

It appears the lesson we learn from this, is not to accept children whose parents haven't bothered / forgotten to RSVP and to inform the parent of this.

The parent can then apologise / explain to their sobbing / hysterical / disappointed child that Mummy ( or Daddy ) forgot / couldn't be bothered to let the party parent know that little Jimmy was coming.

RunningJo · 17/01/2025 11:17

Christ on an actual bike, some of the replies to both this and the first post are just utterly mind blowing 😂😂😂

I honestly can't believe there are people who can't see anything but the absolute entitlement of this parent. She should have been grateful the food option was accommodated at such short notice, that the child could join in (what if it was down to numbers and the Op had invited someone else in place of the child who couldn't go!?) . And IF her child was upset there was no party bag, then SHE should have explained to him what had happened and cheered him up with an ice-cream, sweets or maybe some more of the pizza she had snaffled away!

OP, I think you did exactly the right thing, as did 'Neil'. 😉😂

JandamiHash · 17/01/2025 11:17

MyNameIsX · 17/01/2025 09:48

Sooooooo many deleted posts.

Can someone please précis them (without getting banned….)

😀

“OP you’re poor”
”Your husband is a scally”
Sometbing about an allotment

OP posts:
BluebellsareBlue · 17/01/2025 11:18

@Tandora just for the avoidance of doubt, I would have replied to Amanda's text with "I'm sorry James is upset, perhaps next time you'll realise how important and respectful it is to reply to an rsvp for a catered party. Hope you manage to cheer him up soon!"

FootstepAway · 17/01/2025 11:20

I would just like to add that I've held numerous parties for my kids over the past decade and NOT ONCE has someone just turned up without letting me know beforehand - either the usual RSVP, or 'sorry, we'll have sibling with us but they won't expect food or a party bag' 'no problem, there'll be enough for them!'.

Unless it was genuine crossed wires/comms issues then everyone I know would think it a bit odd to bring your child to a party expecting them to join when they hadn't RSVP'd (excluding 'whole class, anyone can come' parties) - without so much as a text! It's just a tiny bit unhinged - if you KNOW you haven't replied then just... find something else for your child to do?

Maybe it's because I live in a fairly close-knit place where most parents know each other to some extent and are happy to message to check arrangements.

Is it really that common? And yes, I have always had the odd spare party bag / contents knocking about for big parties but not when I've invited a smaller number because often I've bought something specific for that child.

DaringLion · 17/01/2025 11:20

You and Neil are absolute ledgends 👍

YouLookNiceJackie · 17/01/2025 11:21

I just find it hard to believe that she thought she'd replied! She must have looked at the invite on the day or the day before to know the details plus with her son being vegan she would have to have pointed this out in her rsvp.

You are getting a lot of very unfair replies on this thread and I'm glad you're taking them with a pinch of salt! If it was the other way round and Amanda the Panda (to me) wrote a post saying "I didn't rsvp but I am annoyed that the Mum didn't get my son a personalised party bag and vegan pizza just in case he showed up anyway" she'd have been absolutely roasted about entitlement!

MyNameIsX · 17/01/2025 11:21

JandamiHash · 17/01/2025 11:17

“OP you’re poor”
”Your husband is a scally”
Sometbing about an allotment

Thanks.

I must say, yours has been a most illuminating post. Evidently CFers live amongst us - some dormant - but just waiting to spring when you least expect it…even at a child’s birthday party.

Polistock · 17/01/2025 11:22

YouLookNiceJackie · 17/01/2025 11:21

I just find it hard to believe that she thought she'd replied! She must have looked at the invite on the day or the day before to know the details plus with her son being vegan she would have to have pointed this out in her rsvp.

You are getting a lot of very unfair replies on this thread and I'm glad you're taking them with a pinch of salt! If it was the other way round and Amanda the Panda (to me) wrote a post saying "I didn't rsvp but I am annoyed that the Mum didn't get my son a personalised party bag and vegan pizza just in case he showed up anyway" she'd have been absolutely roasted about entitlement!

Nailed it in the first seven words.

FootstepAway · 17/01/2025 11:22

Also, neither my husband nor I would have a clue whether or not the other person's phone 'was broken' and would probably look quite baffled if asked.

I find it hard to believe that a grown woman, given contact details for a magician that provides party bags, can't work out how to ask magician for a party bag. She's got a screw loose!

Snazzysausage · 17/01/2025 11:22

@BluebellsareBlue that would have been a perfect reply!

TakeMeToKernow · 17/01/2025 11:23

Jacket potatoes and Boursin is on for the weekend! Will report back .

FootstepAway · 17/01/2025 11:24

UrsulasHerbBag · 17/01/2025 09:50

I have also thoroughly enjoyed this thread and its predecessor. All of this could have been avoided if you had just chucked the kids in a freezing puddle and given them a jacket potato. I am flabbergasted at the posts attacking you. Lots of people are still very uncomfortable with women saying no and it is something we should do more often. I really hope your DS has a better year.

My CF party story is the dad that took a full tray of donuts (for a party game) home with him because his DD really liked them. Just picked them up and was in the car park before I picked my jaw off the ground and went and got them back.

!!! Amazing!

Tandora · 17/01/2025 11:24

BluebellsareBlue · 17/01/2025 11:18

@Tandora just for the avoidance of doubt, I would have replied to Amanda's text with "I'm sorry James is upset, perhaps next time you'll realise how important and respectful it is to reply to an rsvp for a catered party. Hope you manage to cheer him up soon!"

That would also have been rude. Although not quite as goady and insincere as what OP went for.

I think a couple of posters advised on the other thread just not to respond, and personally that would have been my course of action.

IHopeYouStepOnALegPiece · 17/01/2025 11:27

SomebodyElsesName · 17/01/2025 09:45

Ok, I'm obviously missing something here. Is sandwich filler an actual thing you can buy? Pre-prepped? Or what?

To me, cheese and onion sandwich filler is cheese and onion. In a sandwich. But I assume you mean a mix, maybe with mayonnaise, like you'd get in a garage or supermarked packet sasandwich?

Absolutely! Coleslaw/Deli meat section if your supermarket you’ll find little tubs of joy!

A great sadness is that I now live in a country that doesn’t like a convenience food inc sandwich filler!

Party bag gate part 2 - enter DH stage left
nonmedical · 17/01/2025 11:31

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

InterIgnis · 17/01/2025 11:31

MyNameIsX · 17/01/2025 11:21

Thanks.

I must say, yours has been a most illuminating post. Evidently CFers live amongst us - some dormant - but just waiting to spring when you least expect it…even at a child’s birthday party.

T’is always the way. You get posters butthurt because an OP isn’t suitably cowed, and so they invariably up the ante trying, and failing, to put them in their place.

’Why even post if you’re not going to go what I tell you to you don’t think you’re unreasonable?’ is another classic that even gets wheeled out on threads where the vast majority of people actually agree with the OP. Frustrated authoritarians.

yorktown · 17/01/2025 11:32

Tandora · 17/01/2025 11:24

That would also have been rude. Although not quite as goady and insincere as what OP went for.

I think a couple of posters advised on the other thread just not to respond, and personally that would have been my course of action.

You seem fairly happy to call the OP out on what you perceive as her rude behaviour, yet you do not think that she should call "Amanda" out on hers?

Snazzysausage · 17/01/2025 11:34

@FootstepAway
I find it hard to believe that a grown woman, given contact details for a magician that provides party bags, can't work out how to ask magician for a party bag. She's got a screw loose!
Because she was trying not so subtlely to say "then I can order one for James and put it on your invoice"

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