Mother Left ‘Seething’ After Overhearing 10-Year-Old Daughter and Her Friend Complaining About Sleepover Activities

A mother recently shared her frustration online after the sleepover she planned for her 10-year-old daughter didn’t turn out as expected.

Posting on Mumsnet, she explained it was her daughter’s first time hosting a friend overnight, and she had gone all out to make it special. But despite her efforts — including pumpkin carving, a board game, and a movie night featuring The Twits with popcorn — the two girls weren’t interested. They complained the film was “babyish” and refused to join in the planned activities.

While the mom made hot chocolate and marshmallows, she overheard the girls whispering about wanting to go upstairs by themselves. The next morning didn’t go any better. When she offered to make pancakes, she heard the friend whisper, “Is this another thing where we all have to sit around together?” The girls then declined breakfast and asked to go for a walk alone, leaving the mom feeling excluded.

“I was seething,” she admitted, explaining that all the effort she put into creating a fun night went unappreciated. “It felt like they wished I didn’t exist.” She added that her husband told her she was “out of touch” and should have just let them be.

Responses on the forum were mixed. Some commenters called the girls’ behavior “rude,” while others said the mom was being overly involved. “It’s lovely that you put so much effort into activities,” one user wrote, “but kids that age usually just want to hang out with their friends.”

Another added, “They were rude and you were over-invested. It’s nice to plan, but too much structure can feel like forced fun.” Others echoed the sentiment that 10-year-olds are old enough to entertain themselves, suggesting the mom should have given them space to do their own thing.