Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Excluded from family event

30 replies

Sally1988 · 02/02/2025 10:30

Am I over reacting? I’ve been with my husband for 15 years, and we have three kids together. He has a very small family—just him, his brother and sister-in-law, and his parents. My brother-in-law and I have never had any falling out, and I try really hard to make things work when we see him. I’ve also been friends with his partner for over 20 years. My husband and his brother are very close, and family is everything to me.
Anyway, my brother-in-law recently turned 40, and I was completely excluded from the celebration. It wasn’t a small event with just a few friends; there were at least 20 people, many of whom are mutual friends. I’m hurt that it didn’t even cross my husband’s mind that I would feel upset, confused, and excluded. He didn’t help organise the event but knew ahead of time who had been invited and what the plans were. Still, he didn’t question why I wasn’t included and seemed completely indifferent to how I felt about being left out. It felt like he went along with it without a care, as if it wasn’t even our family gathering with me being the only one left out. I’m pretty upset that he didn’t try include me in it before I found out to at least save my feelings.
It all felt very immature, more like something you’d expect from a 16-year-old than a 40-year-old. I’m not sure how to move forward from here. I don’t want to cause any big family drama centered around myself, but I don’t feel like I’m seen as part of the family if no one even thought to include me

OP posts:
TiramisuThief · 02/02/2025 10:33

Were you excluded so you would be doing the childcare?

Yanbu. I would be extremely upset at all of them.

Moonnstars · 02/02/2025 10:38

What did you say at the time?
Was it adults only, therefore the assumption being you would be with the children?

Sounds a bit odd and it would be my husband I would be annoyed with.

toomuchfaff · 02/02/2025 10:50

We're you actually excluded or just not expressly included?

Usually, when hubby gets an invite to a family event it's just accepted both of us.

If you were excluded, only thing to do is approach BIL and ask what's happened?

AndSoFinally · 02/02/2025 11:06

Yes I don't understand why you didn't just assume the invite was for both of you and just go? Unless someone specifically said "not you"?

Fencehedge · 02/02/2025 11:09

That's weird. What reason would your BIL & SIL give for your not being there?

StrawberryWater · 02/02/2025 11:17

I think I'd be taking a step back from the lot of them to be honest. Stop putting in so much effort with them.

Shame on your bil and you husband. Also some friend his wife is if she hasn't given you a reason.

Bellyblueboy · 02/02/2025 11:18

Are you sure it was BIL who excluded you and not your husband?

was you husband specifically told not to bring you? I assume there wasn’t written invitations, and they would have had to be very explicit to your husband that only he was invited.

Floralnomad · 02/02/2025 11:20

How did the invites actually work and who told you you weren’t invited ?

Bellyblueboy · 02/02/2025 11:21

I say this because my sister went through something similar. Turns out her husband was playing mind games with her - excluding her from family stuff, playing power games over whether she was ‘good enough’ for his family. Spoiler - he wasn’t good enough for her! And his family was bat shit.

DeepFatFried · 02/02/2025 11:22

Do you mean they had an event to which you were not invited?
What was it?

Runningoutofthyme · 02/02/2025 11:23

I find it so weird your dh wouldn’t say anything when he was told? If you’re all this close and friendly.

assuming there will be a dripfeed 🍿

purpleme12 · 02/02/2025 11:23

DeepFatFried · 02/02/2025 11:22

Do you mean they had an event to which you were not invited?
What was it?

The 40th birthday celebration

PizzaPunk · 02/02/2025 11:24

What sort of celebration was it OP?

Pub? Restaurant? House party?

Pugdogmom · 02/02/2025 11:24

This seems weird to me. Is there something we are missing in a backstory?

PinkyFlamingo · 02/02/2025 11:29

How do you know you weren't invited?

HelloNorthernStar · 02/02/2025 11:31

if my BIL was having a 40th bday party he would send the invite to my DH and both of us would turn up. Was it a named invite type of event as in your names not on list you are not coming in type of party?

DaringLion · 02/02/2025 11:43

So did your husband not want you there,I’m confused

Aliceglass · 02/02/2025 18:55

Your Dh’s family are completely out of line here. But if I was you, my main grievance would be with your DH excluding you. I would be seriously peeved at him for going without you and thinking that’s ok. Is he inconsiderate towards you with other things?

Chuchoter · 02/02/2025 18:58

So your husband attended?

Bodybutterblusher · 02/02/2025 19:03

In what way were you not included? Was there an invitation? Where did you think your DH was going when he went to it?

Very rude of them all .

Redcandlescandal · 02/02/2025 19:06

I think more details are needed.

Completelyjo · 02/02/2025 19:06

I don’t think 20 people is really a huge event. Was it the entire family and you were the only one left out or was it a birthday party with his friends and his brother was also invited? Because those are two very different scenarios imo.

TheChosenTwo · 02/02/2025 19:08

Well I agree with the last part of your op, it doesn’t seem as though they consider you part of the family.
But how was the invite issued? How do you know you definitely weren’t invited?
20 people isn’t a large party, 20 people would be less than my ‘immediate family’ but theirs is small so perhaps it’s relatively large.

Completelyjo · 02/02/2025 19:08

as if it wasn’t even our family gathering with me being the only one left out.
This phrasing just seems really ott. His birthday isn’t your family gathering. Just because they are brothers doesn’t by default make it a family gathering.

StormingNorman · 02/02/2025 19:09

How far in advance of the party did you find out you weren’t invited?

Did you ask your DH to say something to BIL?

What conversation did DG and BIL have when DH realised you weren’t on the list?

Did the kids go the party with DH?

Swipe left for the next trending thread