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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

feeling let down ???

34 replies

amnotwingingbut · 04/10/2009 21:36

friend was organising a night in at her house - billed as get together, a few drinks, nibbles and a laugh. Date was in diaries several weeks in advance. 2 days before the event, she sent out an email saying "I have decided to de-invite you" - on the basis that she was behind with her house work and didn't have time to go and buy the drinks/snacks etc.
Not sure whether to admire her for saying she couldn't be bothered, or whether to be cross because we were taking the wine and all she had to provide was a few nibbles. As far as I know (3 weeks later) there were no mitigating circumstances.

OP posts:
thesecondcoming · 04/10/2009 22:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

amnotwingingbut · 04/10/2009 23:01

not if the kids are full time at school ....

OP posts:
TheFallenMadonna · 04/10/2009 23:15

I used to invite people round so that I did tidy up...

Asana · 04/10/2009 23:25

Ah, another AIBU by stealth. You mentioned nothing about her kids being at school full-time - what you did say was that "she offered her home so she didn't have to arrange a babysitter and it made it easier for her". From that, one could have assumed that she could have had any number of children running her ragged to the point where she could not get enough time to socialize outside of home with her friends. Or that's how I would have chosen to view it.

And I still think YWereNBU till you made it a point that she didn't work (like that should have anything to do with it). I don't work (not at the moment anyway as on maternity leave) and I can categorically say that I DO NOT have oodles of spare time on my hands. What I do have is an extraordinarily demanding 5mo DS who is feeding every 2/3 hours (whom we shall nickname Velcro-Baby), a 3 bedroom house and garden to keep tidy, never-ending housework, and a short temper (courtesy of the fact that the longest spell of sleep I've had since DS was born is 2.5 hours!). The only spare time I get to myself is on the weekend when I can dump DS on hand over DS to his father and, even then, not for that long. And before you ask, most of my mumsnetting is done via an iPhone on the bloody loo, seeing as that's the best spare time I get (sorry if TMI , but 'tis true )

You and your friend are different. What you may find easy, she may not. I definitely don't agree with the wording of her email or the way in which she conveyed the message but, frankly, if you are not happy to put yourself out for others independent of them doing the same for you, then don't - no one is making you.

Attitude = opinion = view, but frankly, your post at 22:48 shows attitude in the negative sense of the word. I'm sure you were referring particularly to your friend, but you seem to think that SAHMs must be draped over their embroidered chaise-longues with a vodka martini all day. (PS - Wherever that reality is, I definitely want in on it! )

Asana · 04/10/2009 23:27

Hmm, wonder just how many times I can use the word "frankly" in one post

amnotwingingbut · 04/10/2009 23:32

Sorry, I still can't believe that Mums whose children are in school (which is very different ot having a baby or pre-school children) don't have more spare time than parents who work who also have same housework/gardening/ironing etc to do. I don't have a cleaner/gardner/ironer so I also have to do all these things, just after work not during the day. If I didn't have time to invite people over, i wouldn;t do it in the first place. There's no attitude in there, just really, really don't understand it.

OP posts:
amnotwingingbut · 04/10/2009 23:34

your "like that should have anything to do with it" refers to the fact that she is at home with no children between 9 & 3:30 while I am in work, so kind of think it is a valid point.

OP posts:
clam · 04/10/2009 23:46

YANBU. Whilst she was perfectly entitled to cancel the evening, it was nevertheless an unnecessarily curt, brusque way of handling it. You felt hurt - and are quite within your rights to feel however you felt about it. Some people wouldn't have had an issue with it, others of us would - although it doesn't sound to me as if you're going to let it ruin your life.

And I agree, being a SAHM with school-age children is a whole different ball-game from having babies and toddlers around. Not quite relaxed enough for the vodka on the chaise longue, but sufficient to get a bit of MNing done in peace.

Asana · 04/10/2009 23:51

Like I said, what you may find easy/not so hard, she might not. Whether or not she is a SAHM has nothing to do with it. What IS relevant is her rather extreme honesty lack of social decorum. If she had worded her email slightly differently/ had not let on the true reason why she was cancelling, I'm sure, usual grumbles aside, you'd have let it pass. Tbh, given that so many people lie about why they have to cancel which others unquestioningly accept, I'm almost grudgingly jealous that your friend felt able to be so honest. There are a select number of friends with whom I could be so honest and they are invariably my closest pals (though not for very long, if your original/subsequent posts are anything to go by )

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