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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DH gave dd birthday presents while I was at work

178 replies

Upsidedownagain · 22/05/2026 07:21

Yesterday was my dd's 21st birthday. She had a birthday list. DH ordered the present from us, picked it up from the shop and bought a card. I ordered another present from a different shop for her sibling to give her. It wasn't available at the store till the day before her birthday so after work I drove there to collect it. I have been feeling unwell for a few days and was tired after 10 hours at work. Our wider family haven't exchanged cards and presents for several years (their choice, not mine), so I also went to another store to buy some extra surprise presents for dd (the ones we already had were ones she'd asked for). When I got home I spent some time wrapping everything, other than the present DH had got and the one from sibling. Neither of the latter wanted to bother to do it that evening (sibling is in a bad place atm). I went to bed early as I felt unwell.

DH works from home and dd and sibling didn't have work yesterday (dd had taken the day off). When I got home dd and her best friend were preparing to go out to celebrate. She came and thanked me for a message I'd written in her card and I realised DH had given her all her presents without me. We have ALWAYS given birthday presents as a family so I was absolutely furious and upset as I wanted to see dd open them myself. She was happy with the gifts but I just can't help feeling that DH (and dd to an extent) were totally thoughtless. They also left the wrapping paper all over the floor in the room I'd left them in.

AIBU? I do feel exhausted and unwell and I know it was all quite last minute and we didn't discuss it properly.

OP posts:
blubberyboo · 22/05/2026 21:50

Gosh you are being incredibly unreasonable

first to think it was ok for her to wait all day until you were ready for her to have her gifts

secondly she is 21! Well into adulthood. Very soon you likely won’t even see her on her birthday.

Busybeemumm · Yesterday 00:30

Offherrockingchair · 22/05/2026 12:10

Not all men are total buffoons. That’s a weak excuse for shitty behaviour.

Bit harsh to call OPs DH a buffoon!

It seems like he made a mistake as did OP by not communicating when the presents would be given as she was at work. I guess from his point of view, it wasn't really a big deal especially as she knew what she was getting as she had chosen her gifts anyway.

Busybeemumm · Yesterday 00:31

OP, you didn't spend any quality time with your DD on her 21st birthday but then got annoyed that you didn't see her open her presents.

It's your presence that counts not the presents🤗

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