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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to feel upset after seeing school mums out together?

83 replies

Advice943 · 17/04/2026 20:20

Went for dinner early evening with husband and kids and when we got there the school mums were just leaving with their kids, there were 5 kids and their mums and a few fathers. These kids are who my eldest is very close with and plays with on a regular basis. I know the typical mumsnet response will be “well it was 5 of the kids not the entire class!”. But it still upset me. They are all so close and I’m never included in the plans. I have tried to get friendly with them since reception but I never seem able to. It upsets me that my child is also excluded.

in all honesty I’m very lonely, I don’t have a good relationship with DH and even at the restaurant he had laptop with him whilst I saw groups of women together laughing and chatting and other families also doing the same. I tried to talk to him about it and was met with angry stares and complete silence. I’m really lonely and watching the end of the mums and dads on the class get together were everyone was smiling and so in the moment left me feeling really down.

OP posts:
SweetnsourNZ · 20/04/2026 07:04

I don't think you have autism, just bad luck with dh, in laws and now school mum's.
You do sound quite beaten down and passive though.
Firstly, demand the key back from your mil. It's your house too. Brook no argument on the subject. Do you have a key to hers? Bet you don't.
Hire a babysitter and go out with your workmates,.
Mil does not take the children unless you say so. Sitting at home every weekend waiting for her is ridiculous. You control when she takes them and let her know when you will be home to drop them off.
Don't be too upset about the school mum situation. As your children grow and expand into their own hobbies things may change.

SweetnsourNZ · 20/04/2026 08:07

AgnesMcDoo · 19/04/2026 17:14

They are friends are you are not in their friendship group - why would they invite you in a night out?

if you are lonely then get a job, volunteer, get a hobby and make friends that way with people you have something in common with.

just because these women have children your child’s age doesn’t mean you have anything in common with you or that they owe you anything.

She has a job, and has been asked out by workmates but can't go out as husband wont commit to looking after children. Can't go out on weekends as mil takes children and drops them off whenever she wants so she has to sit at home all day waiting for her to drop them back. Ridiculous situation.

DangerousAlchemy · 20/04/2026 08:38

ThatFairy · 17/04/2026 20:27

That's a shame I'm sorry. Do you work ? Have hobbies you go to ? I never really got in with the school mum's either but to be honest I preferred it that way. I've been feeling lonely lately too. My son is 18 and has a very active social life and stays over with his partner quite a lot of the time.

I lost touch with my old friends years ago, and I'm out of work currently due to some health issues. I think we have to really get out in the world to make new friends. I'm planning on going back to work in a few months and I hope to make some new friends that way.

I think temping even just at the weekends for example is good cause everyone there is new a lot of the time. Or volunteering in group settings. I would also like to meet someone this year as Im starting to feel ready to date again. It could be your relationship has run its course ? And you would be happier and more fulfilled with someone new

Edited

My youngest DS is also 18. DD 22. It's a hard transition time isn't it for us mums? Fostering cats for a local charity has been fab for my wellbeing tbh. I used to be a vet nurse. I'm on my second litter of the year and honestly watching 6 week old kittens play upstairs in my house brings me so much joy. I've fostered & rehomed 70 cats in the 3 years since I've been fostering. Just a suggestion (if you like cats lol 😆) But I agree it can be a lonely old time as kids grow up and head off into the world.

iamfedupwiththis · 20/04/2026 09:21

Advice943 · 17/04/2026 21:10

Yes I think you are right, if DH was loving and attentive I wouldn’t care about seeing the school mums.

in the beginning he was nice to me and seemed to care but once we got married and his family came into the mix the problems started. His mother has no filter and said many nasty and strange things to me which I would be too shocked to respond to. He never once defended me or told her to mind her manners, his response was always “that’s just the way she is”. His 2 sisters are clones of his mum and again their nasty words were always ignored by him. Things got worse when I had kids and MIL didn’t leave me alone to the point of just walking into our home 3x a day with the spare key and DH refusing to take the key off her when I told him how much it was affecting me. She drove me crazy during both my maternity leaves and I went back to work early because of her,

I have felt so much anger over the years that she destroyed my precious moments with my babies. Even now he takes them to her house on weekends for the entire day and I’m left home waiting for them to return. I don’t visit her anymore as I decided I can’t

Edited

Stop being such a martyr!

Come on op, you're a grown woman, act like one!

Stop playing the victim and orchestrate the changes you want to see! Only you can make that happen!

OneShyQuail · 20/04/2026 15:14

@Advice943 you aren't ND. You have a crappy husband and married into family.
Id focus on sorting that out. Youll feel infinitely better!

Also, no DC for a whole saturday every week?! Why are you waiting around for them! Go do you!!! The world's your oyster!

DeftGoldHedgehog · 20/04/2026 15:23

I found I had more of a social group when I was on the PTA and got involved with school events. Is that something you could do, OP?

Most parents I don't think see each other regularly once their kids are off to secondary school. There is a group I see when we meet up for drinks at Christmas but that's it really. I never really counted on making friends with other parents at primary school as I already had good friends from school I still keep in touch with, but it was nice to have a local network. What I'm saying is a lot of those friendships are situational and will not remain once the kids move on.

Dramaqueen13 · 20/04/2026 15:37

Op I just had to reply to this.

So sorry you’re having a tough time.

Not to make this about me but my eldest ds went to a small one form entry primary school. Honestly the cliquishness of some of the parents was horrible and off the scale. I know people on here will say that they’re allowed to be friends, but the smugness, bitchiness, deliberately excluding of one child/parent goes on.

My youngest went to a much larger primary and you just don’t get all the little cliques in the same way, it’s been a breath of fresh air. So many more people, yes people still have their friends etc but it’s just not the same.

SerenitySeeker4 · 20/04/2026 15:43

I'm so sorry for what you're feeling. You need to work on your relationship either end it or maintain it. And try to make new friends.

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