DD’s friends have absolutely destroyed my carpet.

They're 12, not 45. Kids. 12 year olds get overexcitable and silly and clumsy and stuff gets damaged in the process. It's what they do.

DD2 had a bunch of friends come over just after her 12th birthday when we'd moved house and they were just the same. Fortunately, because I had more sense than that was skint and had cats, the flooring was vinyl other than a cheap oatmeal landing carpet and dark seagrass on the stairs, so there were no ruined carpets. What we did have, though, was a broken lower segment and back panel of her brand new wardrobe and a wonky chest of drawers where a couple of them thought it would be funny to sit in and on them.

There was no point in getting angry about it, they were hyped up and being silly and instead of doing anything, I'd retreated into the shade with a cold drink to leave them to get on with it. When DD told me, I had a look, rolled my eyes and tried to fix them, but the damage was too extensive.

DD was so annoyed with them that she never invited anybody else round again and told them why. Me making a fuss because I'd bought cheap shit furniture (because it was all I could afford) and hadn't done anything when the noise got a bit louder would have been pointless.

You didn't stop them playing with things that could stain a daft choice of colour especially for a hallway white carpet when you already knew it was likely to happen. That's your responsibility, not some hyper preteens'.

I mean, YANBU to be pissed off but I'd not expect other parents to chip in to cleaning.

That's a cost you bear having DC and having their friends round to play.

Get the pro cleaner booked in and agree a suitable (but not excessively harsh) punishment for your DD. I would suggest she has to clean something in the home today.

YABU you should have said play in the garden with the things or not at all. You are the parent here, I would not pay if I was one of the other parents.

You don’t sound very nice. Why send the girls home? You’ve made a mountain out of a molehill. Your daughter must be mortified.

Yup, sorry OP, not the other girl's parents fault you let them have them in the first place.

White vinegar is pretty good at lifting absolutely horrific radioactive slime out of a carpet (guess how I know).

It's possible you can get it out. I did this a few weeks ago when one of my cats knocked over a dehumidifier in the window onto cream carpet. The ones that have a blue liquid. I used carpet cleaner to blot and soak up most of the blue. Then I switched to warm water and white vinegar. Blot, blot, blot and it'll (hopefully) come out! Don't wring out the cloth too much, really let it get wet so it lifts properly.

We’ve had to ban them from the school I work as as kids were purposely popping them or cutting them with scissors and it was going everywhere - being left on chairs for the next kid to sit in etc. can’t wait for yet another shit trend to disappear.

You’re better than me I would have hit the fucking roof and started wailing. I would probably have bollocked the kid for trying to lie to me as well.

Realistically though you should have been watching them or kicked them outside to play. Whenever we have other peoples kids over I pretty much always banish them to the garden unless it’s torrential rain.

Absolutely this

Sorry, OP. Another vote here for "this was your responsibility".

Especially as you've subsequently said you suggested they go outside but didn't put your foot down. You know you have cream hallway carpet too- this was all pretty foreseeable and you could easily have prevented it. Making other people's kids feel bad- and even expecting their parents to pay- because you took your eye off the ball isn't on.

It's the third post I've read about this over a couple of years.

Its your job and responsibility to supervise play in your house. You let them play with them against your better judgement on cream carpet so you pay for clean up.

What do you want them to message?
Sorry you didn't supervise my child and an inevitable accident occurred?

This one is on you.
Chalk it up to experience

I can't imagine sending dc home for a genuine accident. You must have made them (and your dd) very uncomfortable. I think the impact of your dd is more important than the stain on your carpet.

You are making too much of it. Kids have always done stuff like this without thinking the consequence through - that's what you're there for, to be in charge and make sure your own child does what you tell her to. Claim on the insurance and don't even think of asking their parents to pay.

I think it’s you who should be sending an apology. Girls have been invited over I assume for a sleepover. You knew those things would burst, but you let them take them upstairs. It bursts, the girls panic, they do their best to clean it and clearly anticipated your response. Your conversation to the girl with the zoflora is awful. You were rude and nasty. Why would the girls not be honest with their parents? Your daughter will be the one who misses out on some of the fun stuff now as they will all be scared of you. An apology from you is needed along the lines of I’m sorry, I over reacted, it’s my fault, I knew that would happen but still let them take it upstairs. Maybe the stain will be a reminder about how adults should behave.

I doubt the kids told their parents, OP; they were probably too embarrassed. Have you tried spraying a mix of vinegar and warm water on the goo to get it out?

Next time, don't allow toys like that to be played with inside.

@MyOwnBestFriend1989 you can’t ask the girls’ parents to pay for any damage in your house, as they had no opportunity to parent their children whilst in your home, they would have been expecting you to do this. And you didn’t. You left the girls to play with those items even though you knew of the potential consequences should one burst.

This is on you OP. You messed up. And can only be angry with yourself I’m afraid.

@MyOwnBestFriend1989 you can’t ask the girls’ parents to pay for any damage in your house, as they had no opportunity to parent their children whilst in your home, they would have been expecting you to do this. And you didn’t. You left the girls to play with those items even though you knew of the potential consequences should one burst.

This is on you OP. You messed up. And can only be angry with yourself I’m afraid.

I'm having deja vu as I'm sure I read this exact post about 6 months ago..

My daughter did this with a navy blue glittery one on a light grey carpet! I got a brush with a little washing up liquid and a stain remover/carpet cleaner and kept going over it and it did eventually come out.

OP, did you never make this sort of error growing up? I was in my early twenties when I shook a bottle of nail varnish in my parents' immaculate house and the top flew off and got silver polish all over the new wall paper and carpet. Nobody shouted. I won't deny there was some polite despair and I was very sorry. I'd done so well since the fag burn in the carpet from the small party I'd hosted while they were on holiday during the upper sixth.

We're all different and I can't get too upset about carpet personally but my parent are very house proud people so I am familiar with your perspective. However if a visitor to our house smashed a window during an act of complete stupidity I would reassure them vigorously that it was fine, we'd never liked that window and would be delighted to replace it, they'd done me a favour, don't give it a second thought. I would not make them cry. I'd be more concerned about preventing them from feeling awful about it, because they would.

You seem to be treading an altogether different path. I hope you don't ring their parents, for everyone's sake. Accidents happen and the biggest problem here seems to be your reaction. Do you respond to life like this generally? I can't imagine you will need to ban DD from inviting friends. She must be mortified.

The children won’t have passed in the information and I would get ahead of it and phone them because you never know what excuse they have come out with!
I suspect no one will offer to pay to help clean it, it all happened under your supervision and you could see what was going to happen because you’re warned them you’d hit the roof if it did.
Your daughter, I assume knows your house rules and is more to blame as well. She should have stopped when you told her….
I have a son the same age, I usually get invaded by boys who could be quite boisterous but essentially pretty well behaved.
Im pretty chilled out but there are some things I won’t tolerate so if one of them is making an interesting choice/being stupid my child will say to pack it in because otherwise they’ll not be coming again because I will just say no…
I learnt very quickly to have tiled floors throughout the downstairs after having boys and animals traipsing through, so I can see why you’re upset over your lovely cream carpet. I’ve resigned myself to redoing the house how I would like after they’ve all left home 😂

And you just let them carry on playing with them on your cream carpet?!

I think OP disappeared a while ago … and is probably regretting her actions ( hope so!).
Thank goodness she didn’t ‘scream’ at her daughter’s friends.
Your daughter’s friends seemed as though they really wanted to sort it ( with the Zoflora etc)
Hope this won’t affect your daughter’s relationship with her friends. And please - as a mum to teens / pre teens - keep your communication with them open & supportive.
and .. I know I’ll probably be criticised for this statement - OP - you should probably limit your viewing of Eastenders…

I don't blame you for being deeply pissed off and sending the girls home.

I don't think you can expect other parents to apologise or offer to pay, though - it happened on your watch.

Regarding the stain, I'd get a professional onto it. If you have any offcuts of the carpet, you could cover it temporarily with an off cut 'rug'.