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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Don't want to do any favours for school mom

271 replies

Jammiesdodger · 17/05/2025 12:54

Our mutual kids are in year 6, going off to secondary school in September. They are still pretty friendly as.part of a larger group but definitely not as friendly as they once was. Unfortunately I'm social media friends with some parents and seen that this one child recently had a day out for its birthday with several friends.from school. I was abit annoyed as there were quite afew of them so it was noticeable my child wasnt there. Last year the same kid had 3 friends do a particular activity for his birthday so I couldn't get annoyed about that as it was a smaller group but this year I did think wow how come my kid was left out. I admit it hurt. I used to spend time with this mother back in the day but I've changed jobs and gone full time so I'm not as available as I used to be. I guess there's alot of changes new school mom's.coming on the scene and I somewhat feel out of the loop a little bit. Anyways cut a long story short her kid is dipping its toes in the water of the sport my kid has been doing for afew years. This mom now expects us to ferry her kid to the sessions. I feel like telling her to piss off. And her kid is showing promise so is likely to compete with my child for game time. I am really aware this all sounds so petty. But I feel so sad for my should when they found out nearly everyone in his peer group was invited to the party and not them. Felt like a kick in the teeth and when I suggested it cost alot of money for the party event my kid said they wouldn't have minded paying for it themselves. I had no answer to that. Just feel so low and upset for my child. And not in the mood for giving favours. I know mumsnet vipers will tell me to grow up but hate seeing my kid hurting

OP posts:
YearlySubscriptionRenewal · 17/05/2025 16:13

Joyunlimited · 17/05/2025 16:08

So what? If he had had parties recently and not invited the other boy, that would be different, but he hasn’t. Do you only invite children to parties out of duty because they’ve invited yours?

of course we invite children back, most people do!

Best friends and inviting back, that's the priority. If my child is never invited by someone, they are very low on the list, if at all.

It's being a CF to go to parties and never reciprocate. Also children need to learn that friendships always go both ways.

WallaceinAnderland · 17/05/2025 16:13

Has anyone actually asked you to give the other child a lift?

Joyunlimited · 17/05/2025 16:14

LoveWine123 · 17/05/2025 16:11

But OP says they are not even as friendly as they once were and perhaps this boy wants to spend his birthday with other friends. Why would he invite him?

Edited

Fair enough, but if they’re not that friendly the other mum shouldn’t assume OP will want to give her son regular lifts.

Oddsocksanduglyshoes · 17/05/2025 16:15

Jammiesdodger · 17/05/2025 13:01

She doesn't drive. I do. Her husband is a useless sod so probably can't be arsed

Not your problem

LoveWine123 · 17/05/2025 16:15

Joyunlimited · 17/05/2025 16:14

Fair enough, but if they’re not that friendly the other mum shouldn’t assume OP will want to give her son regular lifts.

To be fair, OP hasn’t confirmed that she has been asked out right to give lifts.

RumAndDietCoke · 17/05/2025 16:15

It’s perfectly ok to say no and give no reason.

Andylion · 17/05/2025 16:16

Don’t give excuses. Just say that it doesn’t work for you. Is she asks why, just repeat, it just doesn’t work for us.

"I'm sorry, I'm not able to help you with that." If she pushes (which would only confirm that she is selfish and using you), you can then ask why she signed her child up for an activity that she isn't able to get them to. This is her problem, don't let her make it yours

I agree, it’s her problem. If she persists, put it back on her. “I‘m sure between you and your DH you can work something out”, then end the conversation.

wizzywig · 17/05/2025 16:18

Tell to ask all her other friends

GRex · 17/05/2025 16:18

LoveWine123 · 17/05/2025 16:15

To be fair, OP hasn’t confirmed that she has been asked out right to give lifts.

This would be much too weird though, if OP were to be getting annoyed about being asked for lifts she hasn't been asked to give... while stewing over parties when she hasn't ever passed out an invite herself. Crazy territory.

RawBloomers · 17/05/2025 16:22

If your DC has been hosted at parties for this boy (and presumably lots of his other friends too) for several years in the past and you've never reciprocated I can see why the mum might be miffed. You were away for DS's birthdays but you could have occasionally hosted a Halloween party or something. You surely realised you weren't pulling your weight on this front?

Nevertheless, I think leaving one child from a friendship group out is pretty mean. And even if he'd been invited to the party, signing your DC up for an activity and just expecting someone else to take them is CF behaviour.

Your attitude about the child potentially being better than your DC is petty and, I hope, just fueled by your upset over the party and annoyance at the entitlement with the lift. Your DC will have rivals all the time, ones he is friends with, learning to handle that with grace and use it to help you improve yourself is part of the character building that sport is often exalted for. you should be helping him learn this, not giving power to jealousies.

I would try and put the upset about the party behind you, OP. Think about the expectation for the lift as a completely separate matter. Does your DS enjoy having his friend come along too? Does it disrupt you at all? e.g. get in the way of doing other things before or after, take over time that used to be good bonding, cost you a lot in petrol, etc. If the actual lift is not something you want to do for you and your DS, then let the mother know you won't be able to keep doing it. But if it's really no trouble and your DS is happy, keep it up, at least for now. Things will change in Secondary and you can reconsider then.

Helen1625 · 17/05/2025 16:23

Once you start ferrying her child back and forth, it will be expected. If you're not comfortable with doing it all the time, don't start it at all.

And yes, it hurts when your child is left out. Totally understand that.

EmeraldShamrock000 · 17/05/2025 16:26

She set the bar. Yanbu. I think if I were in this situation I would be honest with her, I would ask why DD wasn't invited, telling her, that she has mistaken kindness for weakness and you're no-ones fool.

SunshineAndFizz · 17/05/2025 16:27

Has she actually asked?

lilacmamacat · 17/05/2025 16:27

Jammiesdodger · 17/05/2025 13:01

She doesn't drive. I do. Her husband is a useless sod so probably can't be arsed

Their problem, not yours!

EmeraldShamrock000 · 17/05/2025 16:36

Joyunlimited · 17/05/2025 16:14

Fair enough, but if they’re not that friendly the other mum shouldn’t assume OP will want to give her son regular lifts.

💯 friendships naturally shift, you cannot keep the parts that are convenient to you.

Just say no, I don't drive, I have never asked anyone for a lift, if DH is not available then we take the bus.

She is a user, like her DS.

Emmz1510 · 17/05/2025 16:37

How did she come to expect this OP? Did she actually ask/suggest it? Did you already do it for her once and now it’s become an expectation? Just tell her you can’t do it.
and I actually would be tempted to mention the party if she gets shirty about it!

OneWildBee · 17/05/2025 16:40

“I’m really sorry but due to other commitments we won’t be able to do lifts for X. See you there”. Then don’t engage.

ALJT · 17/05/2025 16:45

Na I’m not going to tell you to grow up. I’m going to tell you to do what you think is right and what makes you sleep soundly at night. For me it would be NOT taking the kid… or at least asking my child what they want me to do about it.. but I don’t think you’re wrong at all.

IButtleSir · 17/05/2025 16:52

I stopped reading when you referred to a child as 'it'!

Rm2018 · 17/05/2025 16:55

Regardless of the party parents shouldn't sign kids up to clubs they themselves cannot take child to. Just say no to that it's an imposition and kids obvs not close

Whippetlovely · 17/05/2025 16:55

Just say you can't. These things happen. They will have different friends in year 7 you won't have involvement with other mums in secondary either. You can't force friendships they obviously have drifted apart. It is sad my child had two best friends in y6 the other two kept leaving her out. In the end she didn't bother with them and made new friends that weren't arseholes in her new school. I am still friends with the girls mum as we have other kids in primary. We have seperated their friendship and ours it's not been awkward. We just accepted they have moved on with thier new friends it doesn't mean we don't have to talk and we don't push them to be friends.

1981mamaof2 · 17/05/2025 16:58

My daughter is year 6 so get that the kids favour some classmates over others, but practically the whole class is a bit much, I’d be a little peeved about that but at this age they change friends so often, and move in different circles etc, my daughter doesn’t care for being invited to places with classmates only her school bestie and another girl she hangs with who attends a different primary xx

for the favour this mom wants, I’d just be honest and say it doesn’t work for you and explain why.

I don’t drive either but would never expect someone to ferry my kid places, I’d rather get somewhere on my own steam but know that some people just don’t care and are very cheeky about this sort of thing.

Hankunamatata · 17/05/2025 16:59

Well your kids isn't upset. They probably will know as it will have been talked about in school.
You can't expect party invites when your havnt actually had a party or outing for your own child since they were 4

Mrsknowitall · 17/05/2025 17:03

Jammiesdodger · 17/05/2025 13:03

Totally right about new friends in secondary school. He already knows some older kids from out local area etc. I know i sound petty but the party invite thing just so upset me

For what it’s worth I don’t think you’re being petty at all, I’d feel exactly the same and would probably throw my child a big party on his next birthday and not invite her child, I would actually be that petty. Just say that it doesn’t work for you and don’t want to commit yourself to someone else’s child, you don’t owe an explanation and if pushed then ask for an explanation on why your child wasn’t invited to the party yet all the others were.

LoveWine123 · 17/05/2025 17:03

GRex · 17/05/2025 16:18

This would be much too weird though, if OP were to be getting annoyed about being asked for lifts she hasn't been asked to give... while stewing over parties when she hasn't ever passed out an invite herself. Crazy territory.

Agree with you it’s crazy territory. But then OP also said that she doesn’t want to take the child to the activity because he would be competition for her son. All in all very strange comments/attitudes by the OP so who knows…