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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To have sent DCs friends home for this behaviour?

588 replies

VictorBaucherOrSomething · 10/01/2026 14:07

DD (11) had two friends for a sleepover last night. About 9pm I walked into the kitchen to find them playing some 'game' where one of them was trying to make the other two laugh when their mouths were full of water. The girls were holding soup bowls and spitting the water into them, except they were obviously missing the bowls and there was spat-out water on my kitchen floor. I asked them to stop and to clean up the mess they made.

When i returned to the kitchen they were still playing the game, with the manky water still on the floor so I asked them to stop again. I have a mirror in the kitchen and saw the two other girls rolling their eyes behind my back and trying not to snigger. At that point I told them it was time for them to go home, so I called their parents to collect them. One parent was pretty apologetic, the other was less than impressed and was pretty snippy with me.

DD still isn't speaking to me for sending her pals away but I was pissed off with the lack of respect from them. AIBU?

OP posts:
Rhaidimiddim · 10/01/2026 14:24

They didn't do as they were told.

I have, in the past - it only happened once - sent a child home for not doing as they were told. If I am going to be in loco parentis, the child does as they're told by me or I refuse to be responsible for them and send them home.

Hopefully your DD has learned a lesson here.

Timetochangetime · 10/01/2026 14:24

Very embarrassing.

Megifer · 10/01/2026 14:22

Oh tell me you didnt do this 🤣😩

JLou08 · 10/01/2026 14:22

I think you you have hugely overreacted. How embarrassing for your child.

MrsPinkSky · 10/01/2026 14:22

mamabeth · 10/01/2026 14:19

It's not about water, it's about respect.... Is that something you are familiar with?

Well it's clearly something you're not, given your sarky reply.

Yes it's about respect, but it's a telling off - not a sending home.

No parent is going to allow their child to sleepover again once it gets out, that they've had to go and pick their child up at gone 9pm over something like this.

And the poor kid is now a laughing stock.

Ophy83 · 10/01/2026 14:21

They were having harmless screen-free fun. It was an overreaction to tell them off about it in the first place, let alone send them home. You could have just said "make sure you wipe the floor when you're finished"

CrapNewYear · 10/01/2026 14:21

Haggisfish3 · 10/01/2026 14:07

I’d just let them play and then make them clean it up.

Are you kidding?

Comedycook · 10/01/2026 14:21

No way would I have sent them home. Their reaction wasn't great but they're 11 and my biggest concern would be any fall out for your DD in terms of friendship

Schoolsschsxho · 10/01/2026 14:20

massive over reaction.

mamabeth · 10/01/2026 14:19

MrsPinkSky · 10/01/2026 14:09

Massive overreaction for goodness sake, how embarrassing for your daughter.

I expect she wasn't allowed to play with anything messy when she was younger too?

It's not about water, it's about respect.... Is that something you are familiar with?

TulipCat · 10/01/2026 14:19

Overreaction on your part. Your DD is unlikely to be invited for sleepovers now that you've flagged yourself as tricky about them. They were just messing about with friends, you could have asked them to clean up when they'd finished, what difference would it have made? Now, if they had then refused to do so, that would be different matter.

NerrSnerr · 10/01/2026 14:19

It was just water- so easy to mop up. Massive overreaction.

TFImBackIn · 10/01/2026 14:18

I would have sent them home too, mainly for the eye-rolling.

Conditioner · 10/01/2026 14:18

Massive overreaction, it’s water! They were having silly fun, like they do at 11.The eye rolling isn’t great but it wasn’t in front of you, you just so happened to see in the mirror. Bet your daughter is embarrassed and doubt any friends will want to come round now.

FunnyGoldPoet · 10/01/2026 14:17

Complete over reaction. If your dd is year 7 and just getting into secondary friendship groups then you gave just put the kibosh on her being invited to any sleepovers. The mums you made pick up.will not want to risk upsetting you in the future by allowing your kid to have fun at their house. I bet your daughter is absolutely dreading school on Monday. I really hope you can find a way to make it up to her.

Rattai · 10/01/2026 14:17

Oh god. I really feel for your daughter.
You don't have to be a try hard cool mum but you didn't have to be so uptight and embarrass her in front of her friends.
I feel so sorry for your daughter

MrsPinkSky · 10/01/2026 14:17

I would've stuck a large towel down and let them get on with it, as long as they cleaned up when finished 🤷‍♂️

AgnesMcDoo · 10/01/2026 14:17

Awning them home was a total overreaction.

it will be a long time before your daughter lives this down.

Spoodles · 10/01/2026 14:16

What a ridiculous overreaction. It was a bit of harmless fun and preteen eye rolling at a sleepover. You're acting like they were trashing the house.

I feel quite sorry for your poor daughter. Sad

TY78910 · 10/01/2026 14:15

This is a common thing online now, I’ve seen videos of this all over SM. It’s just a bit of water, I think you were being a bit OTT.

TeenLifeMum · 10/01/2026 14:15

Omg it’s water not poop, just tell dd to mop up after and chill the hell out!

BriefEncountersOfTheThirdKind · 10/01/2026 14:15

Ofc they rolled their eyes, you were making a big deal over a game that wasn't hurting anyone. They'd thought of the practicalities- using a bowl, in the kitchen so floor could easily be mopped and you were acting like they were throwing soup at each other or something

Massive overreaction and your poor DD will probably be teased about it now

SereneGoose · 10/01/2026 14:14

I'm thinking of the other mums....just settling down for Netflix wine and chill AND wham...thanks OP...

Clefable · 10/01/2026 14:13

I wouldn’t have sent home (presumably it was just on a hard floor so not really a big deal) but I would read the riot act and send them out of the room if they had continued doing something I had asked them to stop, and probably taken my DD aside and told her in no uncertain terms to sort it out!

NoKnit · 10/01/2026 14:10

I do feel for your DD

This will go around school that her Mum is a mean battle axe who cant see the funny side of kids being kids. Yes they should have had a bit more respect but come on we're you always an angel as a child? I would have threatened going home if they hadn't cleared up after realising I was serious