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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Paying for own birthday meal

426 replies

butterfly172 · 07/04/2025 10:21

So it’s my fiancé’s birthday tomorrow. His 3 adult children don’t pay anything towards birthday dinner, instead he pays for it…I’m paying for it tomorrow as I refuse to let him pay for his own birthday meal, he does it every year. It gives me the hump that he pays for everyone to eat on his birthday (his youngest child is 22), am I being silly or is my thought process valid?

OP posts:
Maurepas · 07/04/2025 12:03

Parents pay for their children because they can and wish to do so. OP what do you want your DP to do with his money? It is his money and he can spend or give it all to his children. Many parents want to treat and spoil their children and life is short.

butterfly172 · 07/04/2025 12:03

Pipsquiggle · 07/04/2025 12:02

Blimey so much to unpick.

@butterfly172 don't let this be your hill to die on.

Your DP probably enjoys taking the people he loves the most in the world and buying dinner for them.

My parents did this a lot for me and my siblings in our 20s - which is when we were most skint and we really appreciated it.

Pay and do it in good grace or let him pay.

Sounds like you have a longer term plan. It must have been hard to move into an already established household of 4 men, unfortunately, this probably won't change until you live in a different property

It’s really hard. I’m still trying to work out where I fit. Although I’m not sure I do now.

OP posts:
100percenthagitude · 07/04/2025 12:03

butterfly172 · 07/04/2025 11:51

I’m 13 years older than his eldest.

That is not a wide age gap.

Your posting history says that there's three adult step children, one of whom has just had a baby. As you said all step kids live at home, does it mean you have three generations in the same house?

SallyD00lally · 07/04/2025 12:03

butterfly172 · 07/04/2025 11:51

I’m 13 years older than his eldest.

Then you simply can't expect them to see you as their step-mother!

'Dad's wife' would be more appropriate going forward.

Sofiewoo · 07/04/2025 12:04

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

butterfly172 · 07/04/2025 12:06

100percenthagitude · 07/04/2025 12:03

That is not a wide age gap.

Your posting history says that there's three adult step children, one of whom has just had a baby. As you said all step kids live at home, does it mean you have three generations in the same house?

No, just the 2 now. My fiancé’s DD is between homes.

OP posts:
Dollshousedolly · 07/04/2025 12:06

butterfly172 · 07/04/2025 10:34

He’s got 3 children who all earn good money, unreasonable for them to all chip in??

I’m 50+ and my parents still pay for dinner, etc. when we go out. It’s not unusual at all. They can afford to pay as can I but they insist.

Rorymyers · 07/04/2025 12:06

Sofiewoo · 07/04/2025 12:01

Well she isn’t married so by definition she isn’t a step parent.

Duh !... Of course she can't be their step parent if she's not married to him

I was replying to the person who said marriage doesn't mean step parent 'or something like that' and I went ahead with the marriage scenario. She did say the wedding is next month though .

butterfly172 · 07/04/2025 12:06

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Wow 😔

OP posts:
nomas · 07/04/2025 12:07

This reply has been deleted

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For all you know it’s her fiancé pressuring Op into buying a house with him 🤷🏻‍♀️

butterfly172 · 07/04/2025 12:07

nomas · 07/04/2025 12:07

For all you know it’s her fiancé pressuring Op into buying a house with him 🤷🏻‍♀️

No, he’s not in fairness. It’s what we both want.

OP posts:
BlondiePortz · 07/04/2025 12:07

butterfly172 · 07/04/2025 12:03

It’s really hard. I’m still trying to work out where I fit. Although I’m not sure I do now.

Why? Because you are making something that is nothing to do with you about you? Is it control thing?

It won't work if you treat like a competition about who 'wins'

nomas · 07/04/2025 12:08

butterfly172 · 07/04/2025 12:06

Wow 😔

Please don’t take it to heart. There’s a lot of hatred for step-mums on MN. I’m not even a step-mum but I see it daily.

alwaysdeleteyourcookies · 07/04/2025 12:08

Bumblebeestiltskin · 07/04/2025 12:00

Are you happy in your relationship? Because you really don't seem it. All of your replies are practically dripping with misery.

I'm getting the same impression. Good luck to everyone, I guess.

butterfly172 · 07/04/2025 12:08

SallyD00lally · 07/04/2025 12:03

Then you simply can't expect them to see you as their step-mother!

'Dad's wife' would be more appropriate going forward.

I don’t expect them to see me as that at all.

OP posts:
butterfly172 · 07/04/2025 12:08

BlondiePortz · 07/04/2025 12:07

Why? Because you are making something that is nothing to do with you about you? Is it control thing?

It won't work if you treat like a competition about who 'wins'

Yeah maybe I am 😔

OP posts:
ANDisayWhatsGoingon · 07/04/2025 12:09

FoxRedPuppy · 07/04/2025 10:40

I’m 43 and my mum still refuses to let me pay 😂

Jesus. I have always paid my way, and bought my parents birthday gifts. I have a sibling who doesn't buy a gift, so buys a meal instead. I would expect 3 grown dcs to at the very least offer to chip in. I took one of my parents for a birthday meal years ago, and paid in my 20s, it was a buffet, and not expensive though. It was to go with the small gift I had bought. My parent would have been happy with just a card, but I wanted to do it.

YANBU IMO Op, however they're not your kids. It is up to your dp what he does with his money. He wouldn't pay for the meal if he didn't want to do so.
I think it is very sad for parents of well earning grown adults to pay for them as a gift, for simply spending time with them. It should go both ways, nothing wrong with parents treating their children, but grown adults should be able to make some effort back as well.
Disclaimer: I have dcs!

Thebloodynine · 07/04/2025 12:09

butterfly172 · 07/04/2025 12:03

It’s really hard. I’m still trying to work out where I fit. Although I’m not sure I do now.

Just stop trying to dictate how he behaves with his children.

Look, if you came into a situation and he was being abused or taken seriously advantage of by awful, terrible children then that’s different. That would be the time for an outside to sit down for a chat and support their partner with some changes. Is that what this is though? It doesn’t sound like it. It sounds like a normal family with a dad who loves his kids and is happy to take everyone out for dinner, doesn’t matter what the occasion. His adult kids also live at home which is very normal in this economy. But they pay something towards their keep as their dad decided? And they all get on and everyone is good living together?

Your place is to fit into that then, and not try to change things when they work for the family and everyone is happy. Let him pay for his kid’s dinner.

Are you trying to find a way to have some kind of control @butterfly172? You want to put your stamp on the house and lifestyle? There are other ways to do that, with things that actually affect you. Him paying for dinner really doesn’t.

SillySeal · 07/04/2025 12:10

Personally, If it were going out for a birthday meal and invited my children, I would pay. Doesn't matter their age as to me they are still my children. Them making an effort to attend when as adults they will likely have their own busy lives would be enough for me.

LuluDelulu · 07/04/2025 12:10

You’re being an unappealing tight arse. HTH.

Icedlatteplease · 07/04/2025 12:11

Oh holy Crap. You really need to take a bit of a step back and overview.

Step families is a bizarre thing. You have this person who you love. But you also have to build entirely separate relationship with these other human beings you may not have natural sympathy with, you may not even like. The same is true whatever age the children are.

What's more these people are and should be more important to the person you love despite the fact that really we all want to be number one to a partner.

A good man won't let you alter the dynamic between him and his kids. But that also means a good man won't ever put you first and actually, if you want him to be a good man, you shouldn't want him too either.

Not everyone can, or should have, to be that self sacrificing

At a year and a half living together your really still only learning to be with each other. You've only really gave one whole years cycle to work out how family dynamics work. Your at the stage where you are wanting to stamp your own customs and practices on the relationship. In an already established family that really isn't how it's ever going to work.

I dont think many people explicitly make these things clear when you enter into a relationship with a preexisting family.

Use this time before the wedding to take stock. Delay if necessary. You are still the baby in terms of your relationship with this family

Have you discussed things like wills and divorce?

MarkWithaC · 07/04/2025 12:11

My parents and I tend to loosely alternate, so if I go out with my dad for lunch or whatever I'll pay, then if we go for breakfast/tea and cake next time, he'll pay.

If I go out with one of them for a birthday/Mother's/Father's Day kind of celebratory meal, I pay. If it's a birthday and a bigger group of family we all split the bill except the birthday person; if it's Mother's/Father's Day and just me, I pay.

This is all patently obvious in my book. I'm an adult with a mortgage and I don't need my parents to pay for me any more. I will never understand the mentality of adults with jobs and their own money whose parents pay for everything for them.

nomas · 07/04/2025 12:11

LuluDelulu · 07/04/2025 12:10

You’re being an unappealing tight arse. HTH.

How is she a tight arse for wanting to pay for her fiancé’s birthday dinner?

Tropicalturnip · 07/04/2025 12:12

butterfly172 · 07/04/2025 12:06

Wow 😔

God, Mumsnet is awful today! OP your thought process is reasonable and fair. Ignore all these ridiculous comments on a simple thought that your partner should be treated on his birthday!

100percenthagitude · 07/04/2025 12:12

butterfly172 · 07/04/2025 12:08

Yeah maybe I am 😔

Sorry to harp on about previous posting; but I think it helps cut corners and understand the real problem. This is not about takeaways.

You've indicated that you get on with the kids and arrival of step grand child has made you question your life as childless by choice. You feel in a rut.

All that plus the pressure of a forthcoming marriage and what I assume is your first wedding. You are really feeling it.

Might some counselling help you untangle your feeling and thoughts? But do it fast, eh? x

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