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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DD mercy mission

197 replies

AuntieMeemz · 11/10/2025 09:10

Dd just got her 1st choice Uni and worked hard to get it. Her boyfriend of 3 years just broke.up with her. I cancelled lunch with freind ( who im in the process of distancing from)and am on train to the other end of the country to be with dd. Friend was annoyed and said I shouldn't just go running
I felt I had to go
Is that stupid?

OP posts:
Wingingit73 · 12/10/2025 08:23

Some folk on here seem to think young adults dont need parenting.
You're her mum. Do what you think you need to. Don't contact your non friend again.

Summertimegladness · 12/10/2025 09:29

Slobberchops1 · 11/10/2025 09:13

I mean , she’s a grown up and doesnt need mummy running for every little thing . I’m sure she has friends .

Sounds like you didn’t want to go out for dinner anyway so used this as an excuse

also “ mercy mission “? Cringe

Wow. Someone was starved of affection growing up!

Sickleg · 12/10/2025 09:32

muggart · 11/10/2025 09:14

It was rude to cancel and mess your friend around, your DD could have waited a couple of hours.

To be fair , I agree , daughter could have waited a few hours or even a few days? Don’t distance from friend because she was annoyed.

i voted YANBU to go see your daughter but would like to change to YABU for dropping friend & running - Why not wait a few hours or til next day? If there’s good reason why you had to just run - it wasn’t emergency…

staryellow · 12/10/2025 09:34

You gave yourself away by the inclusion of 'who I'm trying to distance myself from'. The person you cancelled on is better off without you in her life

latenightscrolling · 12/10/2025 09:42

All these people saying you shouldn’t have gone obviously don’t have children! I absolutely would have done the same

Biggles27 · 12/10/2025 09:45

I know I’d do the same

dd had a problem at uni in 2020 - we drove 6 hours to her uni arriving at 1am - picked her up, drove through the night and arrived home around 8am

she is a very independent (fiercely so) young lady, very successfully living 160 miles away now. We speak frequently and WhatsApp almost daily with nonsense eg had stir fry for dinner, tube was packed this morning - nonsense

but she knows we’re a phone call away if she needs us

we are not and have never been helicopter parents and certainly dished out our fair share of tough love but we have, and continue to do so, have always supported her (equally told her when she’s wrong!)

id had gone op

CheekyRaven · 12/10/2025 10:08

I would have gone to see DD too. The (mental) health of our kids is so important. I feared for my son every day while he was at uni. Dramatic? Maybe but better safe than sorry

Sennelier1 · 12/10/2025 12:22

41 years ago I was pregnant with my first baby, but miscarried. My husband did his military service, I could not reach him. So in tears I called my mother. She said : "So sorry to hear but we can't come to you right now, we're playing cards with friends. They say hi too. " Imagine how that went down. No, YANBU. You're a good mother.

MasterBeth · 12/10/2025 12:28

CheekyRaven · 12/10/2025 10:08

I would have gone to see DD too. The (mental) health of our kids is so important. I feared for my son every day while he was at uni. Dramatic? Maybe but better safe than sorry

That assumes that your intervention, based on a daily fear for your son, was good for his mental health.

Biggles27 · 12/10/2025 14:14

CheekyRaven · 12/10/2025 10:08

I would have gone to see DD too. The (mental) health of our kids is so important. I feared for my son every day while he was at uni. Dramatic? Maybe but better safe than sorry

No - I agree with you

141mum · 12/10/2025 17:43

I would have done it as well, that’s what good mums do

YourTaupeDeer · 12/10/2025 18:01

Absolutely not! Your DD’s distress will be greater than your friend’s annoyance.

Shufflebumnessie · 12/10/2025 18:31

I'd have done exactly the same!

Wildefish · 12/10/2025 18:45

AuntieMeemz · 11/10/2025 09:10

Dd just got her 1st choice Uni and worked hard to get it. Her boyfriend of 3 years just broke.up with her. I cancelled lunch with freind ( who im in the process of distancing from)and am on train to the other end of the country to be with dd. Friend was annoyed and said I shouldn't just go running
I felt I had to go
Is that stupid?

Flew to Amsterdam to be with 30 year old daughter for the same. Your family comes first

disturbia · 12/10/2025 18:48

OP ignore the unkind remarks on here. First few weeks at Uni is hard enough without being dumped. You are a kind Mum I would do the same for my daughter. Your friend is being unreasonable. Wish your daughter well.

Anyahyacinth · 12/10/2025 18:57

Wow have people on here really forgotten a first heartbreak, break up? I think going to make sure she can cope is 100% the right thing to do. The pain of heart break is an extreme shock ..a physical pain that can be unbearable so checking DD can manage is absolutely the right thing to do, when it happened to me in my first year at Uni ..I fled home to heal returning when the tears stopped. Course was fine and I graduated well. You sound like a great Mum OP…DD will soon say if she is ok

Pliudev · 12/10/2025 19:06

The first term at uni can be miserable without breakups. You did the right thing OP.

kodakpp3 · 12/10/2025 19:10

Been there, done similar.

You might not do this every time but you know your daughter better than your friend and any of us on here.

Going to, maybe, extremes (and not suggesting this is the case here) but better a tired mum + inconvenienced friend than a dead daughter.

99% of the time our children get through life and sort out their own problems but there is that 1% of times when they need help.

edit pressed send before I’d finished.

hope she is ok now.

Elle771 · 12/10/2025 19:12

Motheranddaughter · 11/10/2025 09:16

Did she ask you to come

This... I would have been horrified if my mum did this but equally know some would want them there!

AppleDumplingWithCustard · 12/10/2025 19:32

It’s obviously cool to be heartless. I was an absolute priority for both my parents. Each one of them would have, (and indeed did on several occasions) move mountains if I was in trouble or distressed even when I was considerably older than OP’s daughter. We loved each other dearly and I’m so thankful that I had such loving and caring parents. The love and security gave me a strong base on which to grow and develop and I became a confident and competent adult.

Jack80 · 12/10/2025 19:35

I would have gone to my daughter, friends should understand

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 12/10/2025 19:39

My question was also going to be “did she ask you to go?” Which to me is the deciding question.

But I see the OP hasn’t come back!

If she asked you too fine but otherwise I’d think it’s OTT - just because it’s babying her

Lollipop81 · 12/10/2025 19:40

Kids first always, I do no care how old they are. As a supportive friend I would have totally understood.

Laura95167 · 12/10/2025 19:50

AuntieMeemz · 11/10/2025 09:10

Dd just got her 1st choice Uni and worked hard to get it. Her boyfriend of 3 years just broke.up with her. I cancelled lunch with freind ( who im in the process of distancing from)and am on train to the other end of the country to be with dd. Friend was annoyed and said I shouldn't just go running
I felt I had to go
Is that stupid?

Id be devastated if my mum did anything else

Hotflushesandchilblains · 12/10/2025 20:10

She is old enough to go away from home - so is old enough to manage this. Your reaction is over dramatic.

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