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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Would you give me the replacement chips?

543 replies

Houseofdrums · 15/05/2026 18:22

Im with a group of mum friends at a food court. We all go off to different kiosks. Order our food. We find an available table.

I order from a Thai cuisine, a noodle dish and some chips for the little one.

I pick up the food, put toddler in highchair, put the chips infront of her. I’m about to take my first serving of noodles and baby kicks the chips all over the floor.

The chips cost £5. One of the mums says that it’s been less than 5 mins and they didn’t touch the chips, I should be able to ask for a replacement.

So I go to the kiosk, politely explain that I was just here and the baby annoyingly dropped all the chips. I show them the picture (we are sitting on the other end of the food court).

They say no. But I plead a little bit - I do have a soft voice so I’m being nice. Then they go on and on about how every mum will be asking for freebies. I should pay for another one. And I should go to another one of their stores who would provide me free chips.

Turns out she was also the manager.

I worked in waitressing many years ago, and honestly, we would have just given a portion of chips. Id be hesitant if it was the whole meal - but a couple of chips for a baby?

Was I being unreasonable?

OP posts:
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6
Thisismynewname23 · 16/05/2026 19:42

I’m literally astonished anyone would have the cheek to ask for a replacement but to then send an email complaining is diabolical I would have apologised for the mess, cleared it up and chalked it up to experience that you don’t leave food in your baby’s reach, the email complaining is another level

SaffaIrish1 · 16/05/2026 19:42

Baby? Your child is not a baby if you are feeding them chips. I also can’t understand how your toddler is in a high chair but could kick chips off the tray. You are being very unreasonable - if the food was dropped then you would need to replace it. Why should the restaurant cover the extra cost? It wasn’t their fault/responsibility.

Abricot1993 · 16/05/2026 19:41

Im in a different country and at this age a child wouldn’t have chips so thanks for clarifying

MmeDubois7 · 16/05/2026 19:40

Cheeky to ask but if I worked in a food establishment and I'd witnessed the incident, I'd probably have given you another.

RaveToTheGrave1 · 16/05/2026 19:38

Nope.

mummymayhem18 · 16/05/2026 19:38

Blimey,a great example of Entitlement. You dropped the 🍟 chips,well your child did so of course you should pay. How embarrassing for you to go up and ask 🤦‍♀️🙄.

SeenYourArse · 16/05/2026 19:36

Wow how embarrassing for you! Including ordering chips for a baby in the first place 😕 grim.
perhaps they were trying to tell you they wanted real food like yours?

RollOnSunshine · 16/05/2026 19:31

Like fuck am I going anywhere that charges £5 for chips in the first place.

But YABU

Limondrizzle · 16/05/2026 19:28

Houseofdrums · 16/05/2026 03:42

Thanks for your replies. I wouldn’t have normally asked.

If you don’t ask you don’t get. I usually bring home made lunch, but I’d been out with baby since 10am. This happened at around 8pm, by then had ran out of packed food and when we are out I tend to stick with chips.

Super interesting reading the very judgy comments. But I guess this is MN.

Funnily enough when I worked in retail (a decade ago) we had “well-off” clients. There was a shoe priced at £900 and the customer asked, if her and her friend bought a pair each, could they have it for half price. I asked my manager, she said yes - to my surprise.

On that day I learned - if you don’t ask the answer is always no.

Anyways - an update - I complained via email to HQ, as the woman was actually incredibly rude too and I got a full refund.

And if you ask and don't get, you complain? Funny that you didn't say in your op that they were rude. Sounds to me like you did more than ask... and at no point have you acknowledged that you shouldn't have given your baby the entire portion.

Witnesses · 16/05/2026 19:26

YABU but people feel entitled to this sort of thing all the time at work...spilled my drink, can you clean it up and get us another....kid dropped the burger, can we have a replacement....kid didn't like food can we have X instead....

Then act appalled at the very idea of PAYING for these things!

ByHeartyHiker · 16/05/2026 19:24

Abricot1983 · 16/05/2026 19:13

Why is a baby having fast food?

Food police alert 🙄. She chose to buy her 2 year old child (hardly a baby) some chips that's obviously why

PyongyangKipperbang · 16/05/2026 19:20

Abricot1983 · 16/05/2026 19:13

Why is a baby having fast food?

She isnt a baby, she is two and a few chips to keep her going until home is hardly setting her up for a lifetime of health issues, especially considering what she ate when they got home....ffs.

BagelandEggs · 16/05/2026 19:19

Is the five minute rule for buying food like the five second rule when you drop something?!

ByHeartyHiker · 16/05/2026 19:16

If you bought a vase and dropped it on the floor outside the shop would you expect a free replacement? Same principle. YABU and entitled

Abricot1983 · 16/05/2026 19:13

Why is a baby having fast food?

PistachioTiramisu · 16/05/2026 19:06

I cannot believe a whole day later the OP is still chuntering on about these bloody chips. Your kid dropped them - why should the cafe replace them?

Witchonenowbob · 16/05/2026 18:59

KilkennyCats · 16/05/2026 18:51

Probably more through luck than design, if you’d feed them off the floor in a public arena.

Show quote history

Oh yeah, so many fatalities from eating food that touched a floor!

KilkennyCats · 16/05/2026 18:51

MerryUmberHedgehog · 16/05/2026 18:35

It wasnt a couple of chips though was it? Id have picked them up off the floor and given them back to baby to eat, but then Ive only had 4 kids and successfully managed not to poison them so what do I know!

Probably more through luck than design, if you’d feed them off the floor in a public arena.

notatinydancer · 16/05/2026 18:48

’one of the mums said it’s been less than 5 minutes and she hadn’t touched them ‘ HOW is that relevant ? They were on the floor ?
Are your friends a bit thick ?

jdb9803 · 16/05/2026 18:39

Houseofdrums · 16/05/2026 03:42

Thanks for your replies. I wouldn’t have normally asked.

If you don’t ask you don’t get. I usually bring home made lunch, but I’d been out with baby since 10am. This happened at around 8pm, by then had ran out of packed food and when we are out I tend to stick with chips.

Super interesting reading the very judgy comments. But I guess this is MN.

Funnily enough when I worked in retail (a decade ago) we had “well-off” clients. There was a shoe priced at £900 and the customer asked, if her and her friend bought a pair each, could they have it for half price. I asked my manager, she said yes - to my surprise.

On that day I learned - if you don’t ask the answer is always no.

Anyways - an update - I complained via email to HQ, as the woman was actually incredibly rude too and I got a full refund.

You complained - that is horrifying - you are unbelievably unreasonable!!!!!!

Totalmayhem · 16/05/2026 18:38

You weren’t unreasonable to ask but you should have left it when they said no. I agree the odd bowl of chips is a perfectly fine emergency tea for a 2 yo when required. Particularly when it comes from what sounds like a flash food hall - op is not giving the impression it was a bog standard chippy…..probably organic goose or duck fat being used😂.
Afraid I also had a giggle when you suggested mid 30s was a young Mum but see in your updates you say this is because you look young.

PixieBigShoes · 16/05/2026 18:37

Same sentiment!

Would you give me the replacement chips?
MerryUmberHedgehog · 16/05/2026 18:35

It wasnt a couple of chips though was it? Id have picked them up off the floor and given them back to baby to eat, but then Ive only had 4 kids and successfully managed not to poison them so what do I know!

Zerosleep · 16/05/2026 18:27

Yes YABU. Your baby dropped the chips, you pay for the replacement. Your responsibility not theirs!

Heronwatcher · 16/05/2026 18:26

Yes and when you give your babytoddler the lovely spinach and brown rice, do you have the sense to put it out of reach in the first instance until you can supervise them? Otherwise your kitchen must look like the I’m a celebrity assault course. If you know what that looks like though I imagine you and babytoddler don’t watch ITV….

Personally I think the babytoddler probably realised that the chips were severely lacking in dietary fibre and B vitamins and made her protest with the Messi-esque kick for her own good. You should be thanking the staff for refusing to replace them because that enabled the babytoddler to eat the spinach and rice instead for her nighttime repast.