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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be pissed off DS broke my trust and I need to tell the girls mum?

192 replies

Lavender317 · 24/07/2026 22:33

My ds is 13 and he's different to a lot of teen boys and teens in general as he doesn't care about social media and only has a phone because I feel comfortable with it on the way to school, the phone is his brothers old iPhone 7 (he did have a phone of his own - a Samsung but he lost it). He doesn't care about social media either but does have an iPad and Nintendo Switch and plays on his dads Xbox or brothers PlayStation. His search history on the iPad is normal and he's very into buses so his youtube history is bus routes and the sidemen and whatever he watches with older brother (travel challenges mainly)

He's kind and very thoughtful and he's bright . Hs does have ASD but it doesn’t affect him in many ways now he’s older, he was diagnosed at 3 due to being nonverbal but he really has caught up and it doesn’t really stand out. He goes to an all boys school but outside of school attends cadets and a tennis club which is mixed with both boys and girls. He's quite close to a girl from cadets, I don't think they're dating. Here's where people may flame me though but he asked for her to sleepover and I said yes. I know I know but let me explain.

I had my eldest at 16 - my mum didn't approve of the relationship I had with his dad, he never slept over but I still got pregnant and I didn't feel comfortable telling her about how he was treating me either so my goals for the boys are for us to have an open relationship and where they're respectful men. My eldest had a gf from 13-15 and I allowed sleepovers at 13/14, he also had a best friend who was a girl who'd sleep over from about 8/9 and it never stopped until they fell out (and nothing due to the sleepovers).

Anyway back to it, the girls mum has met ds2 (he went over to the girls house once) and they had a sleepover monday night as the girl has now finished school for the summer too so she came over and they played swingball in the garden and watched a film, had kfc then they spent time in ds’s room on the switch, it was pretty much what ds does when he’s on his own except with a friend. She slept on the air mattress in ds’s room. Fast forward to today when i was hovering ds’s room (im sure some will say he can do it himself but i was already hoovering so it didn’t hurt) and i found a condom wrapper and i admittedly did panic and over react, he only turned 13 in april.

He didn’t seem bothered at all when i showed it him and he said after some questioning that he was showing it her (she showed him a tampon she had in her bag apparently) and she thought it was funny, he said he took it from his brothers drawer and he knew he they were there as he had helped him sort his room once and he went off topic and was talking about how he was confused about why his brother had them if he’s gay but he explained to him about stds, i suspect this was because he felt awkward so tried to change the subject. He said he didn’t know where the condom had gone but kept saying he didn’t have sex with her and got quite frustrated but asked me not to tell DP (i haven’t yet as he’s away). i am inclined to believe him but also he’s a teenage boy and very deep into puberty much more than ds1 was in this age

AIBU to be annoyed with him and feel like he broke my trust? I also have to tell the girls mum don’t I?

OP posts:
Zeborah · Yesterday 11:58

Back in the 70s everyone was having underage sex & you didn't need a sleepover at "night" to do it

OctopusHands · Yesterday 12:01

Zeborah · Yesterday 11:58

Back in the 70s everyone was having underage sex & you didn't need a sleepover at "night" to do it

Yes but many things happened fifty years ago that wouldn’t be acceptable today, especially when it comes to women and sex. Or children in this case.

Just because someone was fucking a thirteen year old child fifty years ago, doesn’t mean it’s OK today.

Zeborah · Yesterday 12:05

I didn't say it was acceptable, just pointed out it's been going on for ever & where there's a will there's a way!

Itiswhysofew · Yesterday 12:11

If it was my daughter, I'd want to know that a 13 year old boy had shown her a condom whilst supposedly being protected by a parent in someone else's home. I wouldn't want my young daughter to be expose to that.

As PPs have said, she shouldn't have been at a sleepover at a boy's to begin with.

NullaEffugium · Yesterday 12:19

First, you don’t have to tell the girl’s mother anything unless you made some ridiculous promise like you’d ensure 100% no sex. The mother agreed to a sleepover so she should know the risk.

Second, your DS has not broken your trust, you have failed to parent, just like your parents failed you. You are encouraging underage sex which is emotionally damaging and could have life long consequences on them both.

Derbee · Yesterday 12:19

Lavender317 · 24/07/2026 22:38

I’ve explained my reasoning for allowing sleepovers and my AIBU wasn’t about whether I should have allowed sleepovers

Edited

Yes, tell the mum. That way she’ll know to keep a close eye on her child, as you can’t parent yours

NullaEffugium · Yesterday 12:22

I think the girl’s mum (and dad) are probably just as bad as OP.
What parent that actually cares about their child being too young to consent to sex with risk of SA, pregnancy, STIs sends their 13yo girl to a sleepover with a same age boy when the sleeping arrangements are in his room!!!

whatwouldlilacerullodo · Yesterday 12:23

Well, he used a condom. That's great. But giving the air mattress to the girl and keeping the bed is unforgivable of your DS.

SleepingStandingUp · Yesterday 12:32

RedToothBrush · Yesterday 09:00

Except it IS about whether you should allow sleep overs!

Pretend all you like but that's ultimately your problem and if you tell the girls parents, you are going to have to explain yourself on this.

You think this is normal and ok. THAT'S the problem.

why would she have to explain herself to the mom of the 13 yo girl who also allowed her daughter to have a sleepover with her boyfriend? she's as responsible in this as op.

Bakeittillyoumakeit · Yesterday 12:32

OP your mum was one extreme and you seem to have gone to the complete other extreme - neither is right.

The question really though is - was the condom actually used? Surely you could tell! To me it doesn't sound like it was and it's quite possible he was just showing her - autistic kids don't tend to be very good at making up stories on the spot as that takes the sort of imagination they generally don't have.

I'd believe him in this instance and I wouldn't tell the girls parents - but I definitely wouldn't be having any more sleepovers. Definitely not appropriate at this age.

SleepingStandingUp · Yesterday 12:33

Derbee · Yesterday 12:19

Yes, tell the mum. That way she’ll know to keep a close eye on her child, as you can’t parent yours

SHE LET HER DAUGHTER HAVE A SLEEPOVER!

Derbee · Yesterday 12:37

SleepingStandingUp · Yesterday 12:33

SHE LET HER DAUGHTER HAVE A SLEEPOVER!

You have no idea what the girls parents agreed to. Teenagers can be extremely sneaky. They could have agreed to a sleepover at a girls house.

Older than 13, but when me and my friends were teenagers and wanted to spend the night somewhere you’d get permission from your parents and your friends parents. Then “change your mind” and go “home” assuming the sleepover parents didn’t call your parents to confirm that you were no longer sleeping over.

Not rocket science

TheignT · Yesterday 12:38

Sorry if you've answered this and I've missed it but was it used? If not his story makes sense and I can't see a problem. If it was used he's lying which would be an issue

Quitelikeit · Yesterday 12:39

sometimes we try to do our best and we make mistakes

there isn’t a manual

I’m surprised the girl was allowed to sleep but I can only assume the mother believed it was all innocent and he was a friend

on a side note even if you didn’t allow a sleepover then they could have just as easily done this through the day during a general visit

so don’t be hard on yourself - if they want to do it they will find a way regardless of sleepover or not

TheignT · Yesterday 12:40

Quitelikeit · Yesterday 12:39

sometimes we try to do our best and we make mistakes

there isn’t a manual

I’m surprised the girl was allowed to sleep but I can only assume the mother believed it was all innocent and he was a friend

on a side note even if you didn’t allow a sleepover then they could have just as easily done this through the day during a general visit

so don’t be hard on yourself - if they want to do it they will find a way regardless of sleepover or not

Yes it's not the sleeping that's the issue.

notatinydancer · Yesterday 12:48

Lavender317 · 24/07/2026 22:38

I’ve explained my reasoning for allowing sleepovers and my AIBU wasn’t about whether I should have allowed sleepovers

Edited

But by allowing the sleepover you’re responsible for this situation. Did the girl’s mum know the sleeping arrangements? It so that’s 2 irresponsible mothers.

notatinydancer · Yesterday 12:50

TheignT · Yesterday 12:38

Sorry if you've answered this and I've missed it but was it used? If not his story makes sense and I can't see a problem. If it was used he's lying which would be an issue

She only found the wrapper

VickyEadie · Yesterday 12:59

Zeborah · Yesterday 11:58

Back in the 70s everyone was having underage sex & you didn't need a sleepover at "night" to do it

I'm 68. I can assure you that in the 70s "everyone" was not having underage sex.

singthing · Yesterday 13:12

Sounds like you are trying so hard to be a "cool mum" that you are not actually parenting.

Also looks like your own mum was right about your ex too. I'd take that as food for thought as to how you act now.

TheignT · Yesterday 13:14

notatinydancer · Yesterday 12:50

She only found the wrapper

Thanks, I thought she found the condom.

NotAnotherScarf · Yesterday 13:23

I'm a man in his 50s but I remember being 13/14. And the just the conversations I had with my female friends. And wow, just wow, you let a girl sleep in his room and get upset that they might have had sex?

No don't tell her mum. They could take it to the police and your son is in a world of trouble,as are you and her mum.

You need to speak firmly to your son about what potentially could have happened if they did have sex. And tell him that it's not happening again.

You also need to have a long hard look at your parenting. You're own mum wasn't brilliant but surely allowing this level of interaction is soooooo dangerous.

malloryknox123 · Yesterday 13:28

If it looks like a duck and it quacks like a duck, what do you suppose it is?

you allowed 13 year olds to sleep in the same room, and you know that they had sex. One small saving grace is they apparently used a condom.

his story is similar to one I heard after smelling weed in my son’s bedroom.

er, yea those are my friend’s he has to smoke them because of his uh, throat

Nowthatshuge · Yesterday 13:30

Lavender317 · 24/07/2026 22:53

My mum didn’t approve of the relationship, kicked me out because i wouldn’t have an abortion which pushed my closer to my ex and i felt i couldn’t tell her when he became abusive. I understand her not approving of him but we didn’t have an open relationship at all where I felt I could tell her things and I only left to protect DS. I was 16, his dad was 19. I got pregnant and we never once slept over so sex can happen anywhere is my point. It doesn’t only happen at night.

As someone who is acutely aware of sexual abuse and boundaries being overstepped on that front I have to call you out here OP I’m sorry.
You are mixing your past experience and feeling around it with reality and other things that need to be in place. The issue you had with your mum was your relationship with her in general by the sounds of and a manipulative older man influencing your choices, that would not have been fixed by her facilitating the relationship and allowing sleepovers
while, yes, if kids want to have sex they will find a way, facilitating an open environment to allow them to do so if reckless and irresponsible

Longtimelurker1980 · Yesterday 13:35

There is a world of difference between your childhood situation and you going to the other end of the spectrum and allowing g/b sleepovers at 13. When they are dating! Absolute madness verging on negligent.

my sixteen year old is not allowed boyfriends to stay yet. She has had two relationships, one for a year and one for 6 months. They had opportunities when we were out but she said recently that she was so glad we said no to sleepovers because it took the pressure off. Turns out she isn’t ready but definitely felt the pressure to perform during those relationships.

knock the mixed gender sleepovers on the head.

i have mixed feelings about telling the mum. Part of me thinks she won’t know her daughter stayed at yours in the first place. I think I would err on the side of caution and tell her whilst acknowledging that she may blow up if she finds out her 13 year old has had sex with all but the blessing of the boy’s mother.

Katemax82 · Yesterday 14:25

Not playing devil's advocate but I slept round all my male friends houses between 14 and 16 and never shagged any of them so hopefully they didn't