to cancel weekend plans with friends etc so we can go away and enjoy the sunshine...?

[wonderingwondering]

That's it really. Got a couple of birthday parties for children (we know the parents) and had invited some work colleagues over for dinner. But I'd really rather give my tent an airing while the sun is out!

Is it really bad to cancel and (as I'm going to cancel, just want to know how guilty I should feel) should I lie about the reason why (sick child? work commitments...?)? Or just be honest?

LadyBiscuit - am going of the point her but, having let yourself say "fuck" what was the word you disguised with "m***s"?

Their name larks

'camping in a heatwave' ? I'd rather pull my own toe nails out

Is that why my 5*s turned into 3? I'm a bit blooming confused tbh, bedtime methinks.
Have a great weekend OP, family hols, whether planned or not, come first! Enjoy

Sounds more like you've had a slagging and you're now playing down your op. 'i was only joking ha ha!'

Shitty behaviour and you know it. Your conscience though but nice example to set the kids eh?

While I appreciate all the responses, I don't take them too seriously or personally. So no, I'm not trying to backtrack, but I did feel the thread was getting a bit out of hand with lots of people expressing a lot of quite 'firm' views. So rather than allow it to run all night, I thought I'd point out I'd been, to an extent, deliberately provocative. Which is partly the point of AIBU, I thought.

YANBU

But I have long given up worrying what people think of me, and do what I like!!

Gor for it and happy camping!

Glad you're not MY friend! Whether you take that personally or not.

Ah yes.

Someone who uses this lying thing comes back in to say:

"So no, I'm not trying to backtrack"
"I'd been, to an extent, deliberately provocative"
"I appreciate all the responses, I don't take them too seriously or personally"

Do you think you might have a credibility problem in RL as well?

I think that you meant what you said in your OP, and are making light of it now in the hope we'll say it's OK. It's not. You can't let down three sets of people to go camping.

Well, no need to answer now OP as you have had your responses, but I have to say that for me this is kinda weird - it would never occur to me to cancel a social plan (especially if I had invited the people to my house) just because I had something better to do. But it seems (some) people do. I must be v buttoned-up.

Height of bad manners! I can stand this. i have had people cancel on me in the past, and i'm sure it's because they got a better offer, or made up some excuse because they couldn't be arsed!
Rude, rude rude..

God I hate camping.

HTH

I wouldn't mind a late cancellation either and I do think that people get unnecessarily worked up about these things. Put your family first for goodness sake!! I also think that there are all kinds of reasons why kids miss parties, illness, bad temper etc... No one will die and the sky will not fall down. do it.

BTW I dont't think it should be a habitual thing to let people down, so I'm assuming you don't/won't, but as a one off, why not... If they are your friends, they will understand that you need time together as a family...

People often pay around £10 per head for parties payable in advance so this is bad behaviour.

As for the work colleagues it's even worse. You should be clear when making and issuing I citations at tge weekend that you will always be liable to cancel last minute, and be prepared to be excluded from the social events of friends in the future.

Basically, this is no way to treat friends.

Really selfish!
But don't worry, you won't have to worry about letting down friends in future, becauise you won't have any!

Go camping tomorrow.

Its going to piss it down anyway.