in thinking this wasn't her fault? (other people's children's accidents)

[LifeIsButtercream]

I was at an indoor play place yesterday with DD, and a friend and her DD (both DD's are 21months). There was a bouncy castle in the place, and my friend's DD was on it with a couple of other LO's who all seemed about the same age (pre 2's). I was a few metres away with DD helping her on a slide.

My friend was stood at one end of the 'tongue' of the castle (parents weren't allowed on it). At the other end one of the children had made their way to the edge, slipped and fell onto the (rather hard) floor. My friend was about 6-7 feet away and rushed over to the LO, and picked them up looking around for the parent. LO was crying and had a bumped head.

A mother comes rushing over, takes the bumped child and lets fire with a barage at my friend, saying "you should have stopped them falling! You could see they were near the edge!" etc etc.

My friend protested that she hadn't seen them in time, and was out of reach to have caught or stopped them, the mum declared that she was taking her LO to First Aid and my friend 'had better not leave' because if the LO was badly hurt she was 'going to sue you for negligence and endangering a child' .

Ten minutes later the LO was running around happily and the mother didn't materialise again. I know tempers often flare and rationality vanishes when LOs get bumped, but AIBU in thinking that my friend was in no way at fault for the child falling and was not responsible for ensuring that they didn't?

[Nevereatyellowsnow]

Yanbu at all! Is there any chance the other mum thought your friend worked there though? Not that thats any excuse! Hopefully she feels stupid now and thats why you didn't see her again

[anonacfr]

WTF? That bitch woman should have been supervising her own child and if she was worried her LO was going to fall off should have been by the side of the castle herself.

As for suing your friend, that is just too funny for words. Was your friend hired by the indoor place to supervise the children?

[PinkIsMyFavouriteCrayon]

I think in those sort of places theirs always a sign saying parents/guardians are responsible for their own kids. The woman should have been supervising her own child, not expecting a stranger to do it for her. I feel sorry for your friend, I would be FUMING at that sort of attitude!

[anonacfr]

PS your friend should have said 'sorry I didn't see your child, I was too busy supervising my own DD. Where were you btw?'

[ApocalypseCheeseToastie]

WTF does LO mean ??

[scurryfunge]

Do you the woman thought your friend was an employee?

[Edinburghlass]

Outrageous! Pity it would leave your friend unsettled and upset when she did nothing wrong

[purpleandpink]

yanbu - I would be mortified if my child fell when I wasn't watching and certainly wouldn't blame a random stranger! wtf??! Crazy woman!

[minibmw2010]

I guess LO means "little one"?

[saffy85]

YANBU if I was that bitch mother I'd be too mortified that I wasn't supervising my child to start giving it large to a total stranger for not watching them properly. Cheeky caaaah.

Hope your friend didnt apologise too much- it wasn't her fault at all.

[medoitmama]

No of course YANBU. What a cowbag! Show your friend this thread.

[curlymama]

YABU for even having to ask!

This woman sounds like a nutcase. And a cheeky, self centred, rude bitch.

[mamatomany]

She was unreasonable - soft play things are my idea of hell, I've spent years in them and seen more rows and physical fights between parents there than in a pub.
Idiots.

[mommmmyof2]

YANBU some people are just crazy, nothing else to it! what made her think it was your friends responsilbilty anyway and also at least your friend picked the child up off the floor, she wasn't a monster who just left it crying!

You sure the mother of the child never bumped her head too

[ziva]

what a geebag.shouldve been looking after her own child.ffs shes not even two of course they will fall.

[PatPending]

Ill bet the nutter silly woman thought you pal worked there, ranted to the First Aid staff, was put straight, and then was too mortified to re-appear (leaving her kid alone again!!!).

Mad.

[StroppySheep]

What a loon! This has happened to me, also in a soft play place. A woman came storming over to me and ranted at me for not helping her baby who had managed to get stuck (not that I had noticed). Then she went and sat back on her arse on the other side of the room and later shouted at her 3 - ish year old dd for not looking after the baby.

[emmie31]

My son had a nasty habit of running in front of swings, I was usually there in time to stop him (i was massively pregnant) but this one time he got wolloped , the lady pushing her child felt so bad bless her and picked him up for me..... but it wasn't her fault it was mine for taking my eye off the ball for a second. Bouncy castle lady should be watching her own child, and not be relying on other people

[mommmmyof2]

Love that she has a name now of bouncy castle lady, thats her crazy name

[ChippingInSmellyCheeseFreak]

The only vaguely reasonable explanation is that she thought your friend worked there - but even then, they are really there as a token gesture, you should still be supervising your own children - or if you aren't accept that bumps are part of it and that it's not up to the staff/other parents to look out for them.

I hope your friend wasn't upset by this daft bint.

[ziva]

or your friend couldve said,sure,go ahead and sue me.judge would laugh her out of court

[MissQue]

Flaming nora, toddlers can bounce off those things like peas on a drum, what was she doing not watching her small child anyway? They're hardly old enough to do anything unsupervised at the best of times!

[MoonUnitAlpha]

I can only imagine the other mother thought your friend worked there - otherwise she is nuts!!

[Lamorna]

She must have thought she was staff, there is no other explanation.