Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Do you just accept or decline invitations from family or do you ask if you can bring someone or have a conversation about occasion?

129 replies

demesneDame · 30/08/2026 12:25

I am genuinely interested in how families roll with this.

If your child/sibling invited you to their house, not necessarily for an occasion but a Bank Holiday or around Christmas or Easter do you just simply accept or decline?

Or would you say for example Granny will be with us.
Or can I bring my partner?
Or can my partner bring their child?
Or simply ring asking if they can help with something/bring something?

Remember this is your child/sibling so someone you are close to.

OP posts:
PurpleMarshmallowSky · 30/08/2026 12:28

Very close family I would feel comfortable asking for an informal event. But I wouldn’t assume the answer would be yes and wouldn’t hold it against them if they said no.

Dokushozanmai · 30/08/2026 12:37

I’m not sure how the voting works but I would invite someone and expect them to say if they need to bring their dog or a new partner or something rather than just decline the invitation.

Softcream · 30/08/2026 12:42

I think it would be normal to ask if your partner is invited but possibly a little cheeky to ask if their child can come (depending on how well they know your sibling, whether there are other kids coming etc).

Completely normal to text and ask if you can bring anything.

I haven't voted as it's not clear what the voting options mean.

PopcornKitten · 30/08/2026 12:43

I’m assuming if they’re catering for you, they’d need to know how many is coming? I tend to clarify.
I know some people who say they assume the invite is for all of the people/family that live together.

demesneDame · 30/08/2026 12:47

Sorry I don’t understand the voting either.

Another apology I should have thought more and added a couple of things before posting.

People doing the inviting are child/sibling and their partner, they would have word processed an invitation with specific names on it.

OP posts:
Catza · 30/08/2026 12:49

What's the occasion? If it's someone's birthday then I would ask if invitation extends to other people in my family (which, honestly, I won't need to because the invitation would be for the whole family anyway). If it's "hey, do you want to pop round for a coffee on Tuesday" then it would be "I am meeting with Granny on Tuesday, we can come to you or join us in town for lunch".. Not really something I ever though about. Nobody is sending me RSVP that I can accept or decline.

AsTheAutumnCrowFlies · 30/08/2026 12:51

I suppose a ‘normal’ response would be along the lines of:

‘Hi Joanne, thanks so much for your invitation. I’ve already promised to spend the day with DP and his daughter/granny, so I’ll need to regretfully decline - unless you’d like us all to come? Let me know what works for you, I won’t be offended at all if you can’t manage three of us! Happy to bring contributions, and speak/see you soon my darling either way xxx’

CheeseAndSaladCreamSandwich · 30/08/2026 12:54

Are you able to give your actual scenario rather than some cryptic question?

Who is sending word processed invites for a casual get together?

LejlaKapovic · 30/08/2026 12:58

demesneDame · 30/08/2026 12:25

I am genuinely interested in how families roll with this.

If your child/sibling invited you to their house, not necessarily for an occasion but a Bank Holiday or around Christmas or Easter do you just simply accept or decline?

Or would you say for example Granny will be with us.
Or can I bring my partner?
Or can my partner bring their child?
Or simply ring asking if they can help with something/bring something?

Remember this is your child/sibling so someone you are close to.

I'd just accept or decline.

Franxi · 30/08/2026 13:01

I’m impressed they still have a word processor! My parents had one in the 90s, didn’t think they were still going. Is the menu retro too?

BeanNaGealai · 30/08/2026 13:06

Franxi · 30/08/2026 13:01

I’m impressed they still have a word processor! My parents had one in the 90s, didn’t think they were still going. Is the menu retro too?

I don’t know anyone without access to a word processor. MS Word or Google Docs are the ones most frequently used by people I know.

PopcornKitten · 30/08/2026 13:08

I guess the issue is. Who has been omitted from the written invitation? Is it someone living with the others who are invited?

Randomchat · 30/08/2026 13:10

I'm organising a family party for ds's 21st.

So far my brother has said that his wife's brother is visiting from overseas and that's the weekend they've planned to spend with him so can they bring him? They said up front they would pay for his meal. If not bro will come to the party and his wife will stay with her brother. I said yes they could bring an extra.

My cousin has asked if her 14 yr old can bring her boyfriend, again offered to pay for him. I said yes to that but with less enthusiasm. But at the end of the day she's the sort of kid who will be awkward by herself so she'll have a better day with him. I imagine they'll eat then go out for a walk or something.

Another cousin has asked if he can bring a newish partner and her 2 kids under 4. No-one has met them yet, the youngest kid invited will be 13. I've said no it's not a huge space, there are no other young kids and there's nowhere for them to run around. It's a sit down meal in a fancy place ds wants to go to. Then drinks at our house but our house is already quite small so 2 little kids running around doesn't seem fun.

Still waiting for other requests. I'm sure they'll come.

Do any of those scenarios fit yours?

demesneDame · 30/08/2026 13:14

Right so child/ sibling and their partner would host occasionally. They would word process invitations with specific names on the invitations.

This is going to be long…

Two weeks ago we were at a saddish/happyish occasion to remember a deceased elderly member of my dad’s family. They had had a direct cremation and this was a kind of get together in the bar of a sports club. I did notice that my mother was crying at one point but my dad and uncle and aunt were with her.

So it turns out sitting outside an open window so my mother heard everything was my sister-in-law and my cousin-in-law.

There was a general conversation about keeping in touch etc. but SiL announced that we were all bloody hard work.

They invite us and instead of accepting or declining we assume other people are also invited I assume
elderly grannies visiting in-laws for the day.

We try and negotiate the inclusion of other fuckers who have nothing to do with us, of a stepchild and a newish partner and their child.

And once one of the fuckers (my husband) gets up to go and collect a child that they said wasn’t coming then asked for food for him. My eldest was at a DofE thing so we went for lunch at 1:00 and he went to collect eldest at 4:00 and I admit I asked for a sandwich for him.

And then she said something like then on the day when you’re cooking, the phone calls start, asking if they can bring something or someone. Too fucking exhausting and she refuses to have us again.

This conversation my mother overheard and we actually want to tell brother what was said.

I think this is a normal family dynamic but SiL clearly thinks differently.

Would you say something?

Is your family like us or is SiL right?

OP posts:
Bluenotgreen · 30/08/2026 13:15

I definitely wouldn’t assume I could bring anyone else without asking.

Softcream · 30/08/2026 13:17

It's different family dynamics. I assume this seems normal to you and your family but like SIL I would find it annoying. It's a shame however that your mum overheard and got upset.

demesneDame · 30/08/2026 13:17

But it seems SiL doesn’t even want to be asked if you can bring anyone.

You either accept or decline.

OP posts:
Echobelly · 30/08/2026 13:21

I can see why some people might not like to be asked about other people coming if the wording of the invite was very specific, although I also think that's being kind of weird as a host and you ought to be open to partners or kids for example, if not necessarily grannies or others.

It sounds like you're maybe imposing a bit but they are also being on the inflexible side, so everyone is being a bit unreasonable.

drspouse · 30/08/2026 13:21

CheeseAndSaladCreamSandwich · 30/08/2026 12:54

Are you able to give your actual scenario rather than some cryptic question?

Who is sending word processed invites for a casual get together?

This!
I only have one sibling and they would make it plain if they could put us up ("it's really tight as both the kids are home from uni") but would expect any of my family to come for a meal ("I hear you're in town next weekend, please come and have lunch, is it all of you or just you and your eldest?").
This would all be via WhatsApp or if part of a conversation with my elderly dad who doesn't do WhatsApp, would be via email (e.g. first set of arrangements fell through but email chain continued or sibling wasn't clear if dad was staying with us and travelling on with us or not).

VoltaireMittyDream · 30/08/2026 13:23

Given the context I think it sounds like your family’s been a pain in the arse.

When my sibling invites us over it’s clear that the invite is for me, DH & DC, and I confirm in advance exactly who’s coming (very often just me, as DH & DC stay home with the dog).

If I have someone staying with me I decline the invite rather than asking for my houseguest to be included. I certainly don’t spring any unexpected guests on anyone at the last minute or ask anyone to make a sandwich for someone I’d originally said wasn’t coming!

BessieSurtees · 30/08/2026 13:24

SIL is right. You either accept or decline and if you accept you don’t change the goalposts. Your son gets his own sandwich. As on one off it’s probably not an issue but as a regular thing ringing and adding people on expecting catering for extra people is not on.

And I’m sociable person who likes company but it would piss me off if done repeatedly.

MIWillNeverLetYouDown · 30/08/2026 13:25

If my family are inviting me to something I automatically assume DH is invited - as does DH when his family invite us to things. My family basically have an open house policy though - the more the merrier

drspouse · 30/08/2026 13:26

demesneDame · 30/08/2026 13:17

But it seems SiL doesn’t even want to be asked if you can bring anyone.

You either accept or decline.

But surely SIL knows that your weekends for e.g. can't always be child free, and you may have to play mum/dad's taxi for some of it?
So you get an invitation and say "I'll see you at 1 but just so you know I must go and pick up DS from his walk at 4 and I'll need to take him home or if you prefer I can bring him back but he'll need feeding so let me know if that's too much of a pain, it's no problem if I just take him home".

I don't have adult DC so they wouldn't be hosting me! But my sibling will say if a suggestion doesn't work, like my example of the accommodation above.

Bluenotgreen · 30/08/2026 13:28

Now you updated I think most people would think your family are the unreasonable ones, sorry.

If you come from a family where you enjoy the chaotic “the more the merrier, everyone welcome” kind of environment, I can understand why you won’t understand your ILS point of view.

However, many people don’t live like that or enjoy it, and need things to be super orderly. It’s a difference, doesn’t mean anyone is wrong.

likeitshard · 30/08/2026 13:28

Me and my dc just ring up and arrange to meet. I haven’t had a formal invite ever. We would confirm if it’s an adults meet up or family. If my sister was visiting (dc aunt) I’d bring her but they would know she was here and expect her to come.

Swipe left for the next trending thread