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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Lockdown fallout

15 replies

Cloudfrost · 21/02/2021 19:05

Backstory:
I ma a single mum of 3 kids, no family living near me, kids dad has inconsistent contact, his family don't bother with the kids at all. During lockdown 2 I made a support bubble with a friend who has 2 kids. She is DD2 godmother and she was actually my birth partner with DD2 as situation with exwas bad at the time.

Anyway, DD2 had her bday just before New year's eve, so friend came over for cake and kids to play as she was my support bubble. Next day a family member of hers whom she saw on Christmas day was ill, they had covid, she started feeling ill as well, got tested and also had covid. As a result I had to self isolate for 10 days but thankfully we were OK.

She was quite ill with covid but she is OK now. As a result of the experience she said she d rather only meet outdoors for the foreseeable, as she does suffer from anxiety. Very understandable, so we agreed on that. We then didn't since last time I saw her as she had another period of self isolation after seeing her mum who then tested positive for covid, as well as freezing temperatures prohibiting outdoor meetings.

So here comes the issue.
Group chat with her me and friend C, she send s a msg about being able to see mutual C's house from the sofa of D's house (D being a friend of hers).

I am obviously surprised she is at D's house so query it and she says she is in a support bubble with D... And I am like I thought u were my support bubble???
Her reply.. "Oh I thought I told u, I couldn't be,. Its because my partner says its too risky as your kids still go to nursery and they might give us covid"
And no, she did not tell me about this, if she had I would had taken kids out from nursery in order to see her, as the support bubble was very important to me.

She did not apologise or say anything other than repeating I thought I told you. Like who the fuck is unsure if they had such a conversation, is not a n easy to forget topic. Not to mention, she did just have covid which I could have caught from her, but she is worried we might give it to her? And also she literally just had it, the chance of catching it again is ridiculously small, studies suggest you should be safe from catching it again for at least a few months.

I had an extremely emotional response, so instead of saying any of those things, I felt utterly betrayed, removed her from group chat and blocked her.
I just felt like she should have talked to me, and its so disrespectful and uncaring to just drop me like that and not say a word. Was she planning to avoid seeing me and not tell me that she had a new bubble?

So MN tell me please, have I been unreasonable in my response? Should I try to talk this out or should I let this friendship go for good?

Not sure if relevant info but
1.friend is very confrontation avoidant, in restaurants I had to return her food when we found hair in it cause she was too anxious to do it, so dunno if she manufactured this whole thought I told u as a way to avoid the confrontation
2.if she had spoken to me about it I would have offered to stop nursery in order to keep the bubble

  1. If she still didn't want to be in a bubble with me I would have been sad but would have understood if she had spoken to me, my feelings of betrayal stem from not even speaking to me
  2. Friend C told her privately that she hadn't spoken to me about change of bubble, to which she changed the topic of conversation
5.friend has not made any attempt to talk to me, she is blocked on fb but she has my number and knows where I live so she could have spoken if she had wanted to. 6.support bubble was for both our benefits as she has a partner who works long ours and she has various health issues, I have often been her should to cry on when her anxiety is really bad or helped her with errands cause she was too anxious to go alone

Omg so sorry for the length of this!

OP posts:
Shoxfordian · 21/02/2021 19:09

She doesn’t sound like much of a friend to not even talk to you about it, you should leave her on block

Cloudfrost · 25/02/2021 22:04

bump?

OP posts:
lonelySam · 25/02/2021 22:27

Agree with the above, leave her on block.

OldWomanSaysThis · 26/02/2021 01:15

It seems a little unreasonable to me. Was she supposed to say, "Hey, I can only bubble with you if you take your children out of nursery?" That seems like a huge ask. I would not want to be the reason someone stops using a nursery. It would feel like too much pressure to be friends. Like, I took my children out of nursery, so you must get together with me.

Or maybe the nursery was just an excuse and the friendship is fizzling.

This is just such a hard time for everyone.

bombastical · 26/02/2021 03:55

She’s shown her true colours. You’ve had to isolate because of her family Covid and yet she treats you like this? She sounds utterly selfish. This is almost all over. You’ll be able to see other people soon. Start building up new friendships. Don’t bother with her again.

Cloudfrost · 27/02/2021 01:27

@OldWomanSaysThis it's more the fact that she said nothing at all until I asked about her being in someone's else's home. And even then all she said was I thought I told you, no apology or anything.

Makes me feel really shit that I meant so little to her. A couple of years ago she was having trouble TTC and I told her i would help her out anyway I could, whether being there for her, or even egg donation/surrogacy. I now feel like a real idiot I was gonna do that for someone who cared so little about me

OP posts:
Holirem2 · 27/02/2021 01:49

I think you have over reacted OP. You didn’t need to block her.

Friendships are funny things sometimes and they aren’t perfect but only you know if she is usually a good friend?

If you was willing to take your own children out of nursery to form a support bubble maybe you need to step back because she is not your partner she is/was your friend.

Once a friend and I met up after months and she told me she had a party for her DS and she didn’t invite me and our other friend I was a bit confused as to why she told me... (since we didn’t get an invite) I thought it was odd and bad manners as before our kids started school I know we would of got invited it seemed clearly her priories were different from mine since the kids started schools (all kids go to various schools).
Not to mention she had been invited to 2 of my Sons parties and attended.
I never said a word to her as she’s a sensitive person and I suspect she knew it was wrong and felt guilty.. I just brushed it off. Other than that she’s a good friend especially in the pandemic she always txts to check in...

Moral to the story sometimes you don’t need to fall out OP just as long as you know where you stand with someone OP.

AgentJohnson · 27/02/2021 06:08

I think you have over invested in this friendship, taking your kids out of nursery and contemplating surrogacy is pretty full on.

I can understand your hurt and annoyance but if you value the friendship as much as you say you do, talking to her may yield a better result that the ‘cutting off your nose to spite your face’ act you chose to employ,

Cloudfrost · 27/02/2021 09:53

@AgentJohnson my kids go to nursery 2 times a week, between the school holidays, our self isolation for 10 days and the closure at one point due to a covid case in a parent picking up... Well they have been maybe 4 times since January. So it wouldnt have been a big deal to stop nursery for a while. Don't see how is that full on? With regards to the offering of help when she was having a hard time TTC, at the time she had been my birth partner and was there for DD2 all the time, insisting on holding her all the time and wanting to babysit her etc. I could see how much she was yearning for another baby and how much it was hurting her that she couldn't have done so I wanted to help someone who was there for me when I needed help,. Things changed a lot after she got pregnant tho and after her baby was born she stopped seeing us as much.

@Holirem2 that does not compare. Would you feel the same about the friendship if your friend told you she had a party for her bday and invited all her friends, but she didn't invite you? I have had friends who always invited us to their kids bday parties when they were all toddlers, but stopped doing that when the kids started attending school which I never found weird. I still was invited to their bdays for a drink at the pub or a nice meal.

OP posts:
Holirem2 · 27/02/2021 17:41

OP. I’m not going to argue with you. I’ve shared my experience with you it’s not the exact same... However I think it is a big deal why would you go out of your way to tell someone you have had a party but you didn’t invite them? Kids or adults it makes no difference. The kids had only just started school so my friend didn’t know the parents on that level to invite them over me and my other friend... are you saying it’s not rude? (Because it fits your own narrative).

I’m not the only person who has suggested you have been full on... taking your kids out of nursery is too much.

Anyway if you don’t want a different opinion to your own don't post OP.

netstaller · 27/02/2021 17:45

YABU, she should have told you but your response is over the top. Maybe she too felt nervous about your kids being at nursery but was worried if she did tell you you'd pull them out ect forcing her to stay in a bubble with you. Perhaphs she feared you losing your temper and or/over reacting- which you have done

Mintypylonsfryingsurplus · 27/02/2021 18:56

People generally dont value you if you 'over give' they actually treat you worse.
You come across as very desperate to do very dramatic gestures to keep her close. Is it possible she felt smothered or a bit obligated?. To then withdraw your friendship so suddenly and reactively (even though hurt) does make it seem that yiur friendship is conditional?
Try to chill out its a way of control to treat others so hot and cold and it can also make others feel uncomfortable.
In future dont give too much in friendships, know your value. Dont feel like you have to be so dramatic to get others to like you. I am sure you have amazing qualities without resorting to be so over the top.

Cloudfrost · 27/02/2021 22:42

@Holirem2 I don't know the details but your situation depends on the context, if it was said in a my child had a bday party but he only wanted his school friends, sorry we didn't invite you hope you understand..., then that wouldn't be rude for me. In any other context, yes it would be rude.

I posted because I wanted opinions about the situation, so I appreciate all responses. I do get easily upset but I also forgive people when I shouldn't, so I struggle to recognise when I am right to be upset and when I overreact.

OP posts:
Holirem2 · 28/02/2021 07:48

Sorry if I’ve sounded mean OP.

The point is some people have a giving personality, I’m the sort of person to go out of my way for someone first and it is not always appreciated people take advantage even friends...

Don’t take it to heart. I know it’s a difficult time to try and meet new people but engage with other mums at the nursery, school or try & join a mums and tots.

I hope you make up with your friend! Flowers

random9876 · 28/02/2021 08:03

I think my honest thought Is this has been a really awful year, and your friend should certainly have told you, but we’re none of us at our best and we’re all feeling pretty fragile. I’m personally talk to your friend and explain that you just felt hurt she didn’t tell you. And balance things out by investing in other friendships too. Out of lockdown, I just think things could seem less of a huge deal so I wouldn’t end a friendship over this

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