AITA for telling my friends they kind of put a damper on my husbands birthday weekend by bringing their baby

AITA For Telling My Friends Their Baby Ruined My Husband’s Birthday Weekend?

When two parents insisted on bringing their baby to two adult-only events despite being warned, one woman finally snapped — but now she’s wondering if honesty made her the bad guy.

Last weekend was my husband’s 35th birthday. We had two events planned to celebrate — a fancy dinner on Friday and an outdoor festival on Sunday. We invited two close friends of ours, who have a one-year-old daughter.

From the beginning, I made it very clear that both events weren’t kid-friendly. The restaurant was tiny, with bar-style seating around a chef’s kitchen — no high chairs, no kids menu. The festival, on the other hand, was in the woods — technically open to children, but not stroller-friendly or ideal for babies.

I even sent them the restaurant’s website so they could see the setup and told them we’d completely understand if they couldn’t come. They said they’d be at both events. So I assumed, reasonably, that their parents — who live close by — would babysit.

Friday Night: The Restaurant Disaster

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Friday night comes around — and they show up to the restaurant with the baby. I hadn’t included her in the reservation, and the restaurant had no high chairs. Their daughter had to sit in her mom’s lap the entire time.

My friend was visibly frustrated — no kid’s menu, no space, the baby got fussy and cried. She had to take her outside for a while, and when she came back, her mood was awful. It completely killed the relaxed, celebratory vibe. They left quickly after eating and said, “See you Sunday.”

“We told them the restaurant wasn’t kid-friendly. They came anyway — and then complained about it.”

Sunday: The Festival Meltdown

Sunday rolls around — and once again, they show up with the baby. Despite knowing it was in the woods and not stroller-friendly, they brought a stroller. The day was filled with interruptions: feedings, diaper changes, the baby crying. Every time we tried to move to a new area, they’d stop, and when we suggested they catch up later, they’d get upset.

We ended up sitting under a tent most of the day instead of walking around and exploring. At one point, I even held the baby so she could feed her. We missed half the activities we’d planned for my husband’s birthday — the whole day revolved around the baby.

“We’ve gone to this festival with them before. They knew what it was — but this time, everything stopped for the baby.”

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Aftermath: The Text Message

The next day, she texted me saying she “had fun” but apologized if the baby had “ruined everything.” I told her it wasn’t ruined but admitted it was frustrating — we had warned them that neither event was baby-friendly, and because of that, we missed a lot of what we wanted to do. The festival only happens once a year.

She immediately got defensive and said, “Sorry, but we’re parents now — we have more important things to worry about.” Now things are awkward, and I feel guilty for even saying something. Maybe I should’ve kept my mouth shut, but part of me feels like I just stated the obvious.

“We warned them twice, and they still chose to bring the baby — then acted like we were the problem.”

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Typical reader reactions:

“NTA. You warned them multiple times — they chose to ignore it.”

“Being a parent doesn’t mean the world has to revolve around your baby.”

“They knew what kind of events these were. That’s on them, not you.”

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🌱 Final Thoughts

Parenthood changes things — but it doesn’t excuse ignoring boundaries or hijacking someone else’s plans. You were upfront, understanding, and patient. They made the choice to attend knowing full well the setting wasn’t baby-friendly. That’s not on you.

What do you think?
Should the OP have stayed quiet for the sake of peace, or was it fair to finally say something? Share your thoughts below 👇

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