Angry with my mum about yesterday (long)

[BluePenguin]

Yesterday my son (9) had a karate tournament. My mum said she wanted to come and watch and she knew where it was and how long it would take us to get there etc (an hour and a half away). She also knew from the offset that I would be taking two other children from the club who didn't have transport.

It was arranged that the club would all meet a 7:30am yesterday morning to begin the drive to Sheffield. So she knew it would be a long day.

Anyway this tournament was a big one, a big deal in the karate world so the centre was packed out, there was no parking anywhere which meant chucking the kids out of the car at the centre so they could go and get ready and then us driving around sheffield looking for somewhere to park.

This is where my mum started moaning. "What time is it? this is stupid, we're going to miss it, why arnt there more parking spaces? where is everyone else parked? we're going to miss it, all this way for nothing...etc etc" all the time I'm stressing enough driving around a strange place knowing that I'm likely to miss my son's first fight.

As it happened we did get parked eventually and made it to the centre it time. The rest of the day started going smoothly...I was enjoying it...until someone made a joke saying "the ammount of people here, we'll be lucky if we're finished by 10pm tonight".

My mum immediately picked up on this comment = "10pm?? we can't stay till that time can we? are you staying that long? oh it'll be midnight by time we get home...the kids have school tomorow...I need to get home before that time...I need to get home for (husband who is perfectly capable of shoving something in the oven himself ) did you know it would be on this long? it's going to be a bloody long day...". I told her over and over again that the comment was a joke and it would probably be finished by 6pm but she kept going on and on, every 5 minutes "when are we going? what time are you setting off?". . At the same time I was trying to watch the club fights and support them, cope with DS constantly nagging for food, keep an eye on the other two kids I was responsible for...one of whom happened to be karate instructors son...

In the end I snapped "I can't do anything about it, One of the kids hasn't even fought yet and I can't take the other one home when his dad is still here!" so she said "well why can't he go home with his dad? just tell (instructor) that we're leaving...tell him you have to be home for (DS2)..." I told her over and over again that I was not allowed on the mats where instructor was but still she nagged and nagged and nagged about when we were leaving so in the end I told her I'd be leaving at 5.30pm and she could phone her husband and she had to understand I couldn't just walk out on the club, half of whom where still competing...I have to face them 3 times a week after the comp and didn't want them all thinking I was ignorent and selfish. So she went in a mood over it.

It really ruined the day, she then moaned all the way home that it was going to be a faff dropping the other two kids off, did I have to stop and talk to their mum (who was telling me one of her kids died a few years ago etc etc...

By the end of it I was really pissed off. I was tired anyway from all the driving, sad for DS who got knocked out in the 2nd round, cheesed off at all the expense (£30 in petrol, £15 for his entrance, £8 for spectator fee...all for 10 minutes on the mat) and after I dropped 2 kids off at 2 seperate places I then had to drive to the other end of the city to drop her off and then drive all the way back to pick DS2 up... all this was at 8:30pm at night.

So yes I was annoyed. I know it was a tiring day but she could have behaved better than that surely? Or am I being unreasonable?

[Carmenere]

YANBU I would never take her anywhere again and I would cite her behaviour yesterday as the reason why.

[windygalestoday]

you had a long day you are tired and a bit disappointed your mum was being a pita but im sure she has good points too- put it down to experience and next tournament be prepared for it all if that means not taking your mum then so be it.

well done master blue penguin x

[coppertop]

YANBU. I'd have been tempted to point her in the direction of the railway station and offer to buy her a ticket home.