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AIBU?

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AIBU to think his parents should collect him after he was sick?

61 replies

Jorge14 · 14/07/2026 16:40

My son has a friend over after school, i gave him some money for the journey home from school so he could get him and said friend an ice cream or something. They’ve got back, had some water and played football and the friend has gone to the loo and been sick. He called out to me that he feels ill & can I phone his parents. I did just that and no answer, he came out the loo & said I feel better now it’s fine and is denying he vommited but I heard him. His dad phoned back and I explained & he said he can’t have a lot of ice cream it makes him feel a bit ill because of the milk so can he stay. I spoke to the boy to say he should have chose something else & he said he can have ice cream and has it all the time. He’s clearly not well and said he’s not hungry but he won’t admit he’s ill and the parents have gone out for a meal so me taking him home is inconvenient. I’m going to leave it & drop him back at 7 as arranged and just hope for the best but honestly, am I being unreasonable to think they should think picking him up is the right thing to do. I’m totally perplexed.

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Mumbear10 · 15/07/2026 18:45

If another parent asked me to pick my child up early due to sickness , it would be no questions asked, even if I had made plans already.

Jorge14 · 14/07/2026 22:05

bigboykitty · 14/07/2026 21:34

How old is the boy's brother, OP, if the parents are off on a jolly? If he's old enough to be left with him, I wonder why they didn't ask you to drop the boy home when he became ill.

He’s an adult & it’s fine. Parents are home, they’ve text me.

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WhatAMarvelousTune · 14/07/2026 21:42

Whoops75 · 14/07/2026 21:19

My daughter has a lactose intolerance and regularly eats what she shouldn’t!
He ‘vomit’ is reflux and not like a true purge, she calls them mini pukes.
I would do the same in this instance because we are used to it.

What do you mean you’d do the same? You’d refuse to pick up a child when the parents wanted you to? I wouldn’t do that even if I thought the parents were being completely ridiculous! If someone called me and said “your child sneezed and I don’t want a cold in my house so please collect her” I would go. Not because I think it’s rational, but because they no longer want my child in their house and you can’t just insist someone continues to look after them for you.

bigboykitty · 14/07/2026 21:34

How old is the boy's brother, OP, if the parents are off on a jolly? If he's old enough to be left with him, I wonder why they didn't ask you to drop the boy home when he became ill.

Amberlynnswashcloth · 14/07/2026 21:28

I'd say something like "I understand, DC throws up all the time too - violent and projectile - and we never know when its coming! So next playdate at your house?"

Whoops75 · 14/07/2026 21:19

My daughter has a lactose intolerance and regularly eats what she shouldn’t!
He ‘vomit’ is reflux and not like a true purge, she calls them mini pukes.
I would do the same in this instance because we are used to it.

Walkerzoo · 14/07/2026 21:13

Some parents amaze me. I would have done the same as you

Jorge14 · 14/07/2026 21:10

Sickallday · 14/07/2026 19:01

You are def not being unreasonable. If that was my child I would have been straight around,

how old are the boys out of interest?

they are 13 - year 8 at school. I dropped him home to his brother as his parents still out & his mum text me saying thanks, sorry etc & he seems fine and she thinks it was the ice cream. Either way I’ve had a good clean of the loo’s etc & changed my sons bed as they sat on it (some will say I’m OTT but I’d do the same if it was my own kids just in case). I guess it’s not a big deal, I think i had a panic as it’s nearly the holidays and we’ve been looking forward to it. I’ll update tomorrow if it was a bug 😂

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Liverpool52 · 14/07/2026 20:06

I volunteer for a youth organisation and I am no longer shocked by the response of some parents to stuff like this.

Sickallday · 14/07/2026 19:01

You are def not being unreasonable. If that was my child I would have been straight around,

how old are the boys out of interest?

Jorge14 · 14/07/2026 18:52

AnonyMumAuDHD · 14/07/2026 18:48

If ice-cream is an issue, it may be that he is lactose intolerant and parents didn’t want to make a big deal about it by telling you in advance. Would be worth checking when he goes home - if he is you will know for next time.

TBF kids often get sick when over-excited.running around like loons, and if he seems otherwise fine - no repeat sickness, no pain, not pale, appetite normal, etc - I’d take the parent’s explanation at face value.

It’s not a big deal either way I guess. I think I was just shocked at the response as I would’ve gone immediately. Anyway, the boy does seem fine. Fingers crossed not a bug though

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AnonyMumAuDHD · 14/07/2026 18:48

If ice-cream is an issue, it may be that he is lactose intolerant and parents didn’t want to make a big deal about it by telling you in advance. Would be worth checking when he goes home - if he is you will know for next time.

TBF kids often get sick when over-excited.running around like loons, and if he seems otherwise fine - no repeat sickness, no pain, not pale, appetite normal, etc - I’d take the parent’s explanation at face value.

User573359 · 14/07/2026 18:42

Without knowing how old he is, it might be that he has dairy free ice cream at home and doesn't realise. But more likely, kids have a tendency to lie, deny or play things like that down in front of friends. I've had extremely sensible children in my house choose to eat things their parents have said they know full well they can't have, kids do stupid things with their friends, hoping they will be fine.

Jorge14 · 14/07/2026 18:35

They are out and said they couldn’t.

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Jorge14 · 14/07/2026 18:32

Blondeshavemorefun · 14/07/2026 18:02

So is he allergic to milk - cmpa ? Or that’s an excuse

I wouid have thought if he was at his age he should know what he can and can’t eat

he said he’s not allergic to milk & has ice cream most days

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MxCactus · 14/07/2026 18:29

This sounds bad, but if he's sick every time he eats ice cream he might genuinely not feel ill, be contagious, and feel fine afterwards.

My eldest gets carsick. She'll throw up and then just carry on as normal

Poppyfie1ds · 14/07/2026 18:24

When they called back how did you not respond with “please come and pick up your sick child, he’s not well.”

WhatAMarvelousTune · 14/07/2026 18:10

It doesn’t matter whether it’s the heat, the ice cream, or a sickness bug tbh. If your child is at someone’s house, and they call for you to pick them up early, that’s what you should do. You might be annoyed and think they’ve called you unnecessarily, but you still pick your child up.

omghereistrouble · 14/07/2026 18:07

Sounds like going out was more important. Might if he has an allergy letting you know too

Hellohelga · 14/07/2026 18:03

I’m sure all will be well. Worst case scenario you and DS will also vom. Not the end of the world. However now you have the measure of the parents who used you for babysitting and manipulated you into holding onto their pukey DS when you clearly wanted him collecting.

Blondeshavemorefun · 14/07/2026 18:02

So is he allergic to milk - cmpa ? Or that’s an excuse

I wouid have thought if he was at his age he should know what he can and can’t eat

EarringsandLipstick · 14/07/2026 17:59

Jorge14 · 14/07/2026 17:50

I don’t literally mean the whole house!! I mean the bathrooms & where he sat

Ah ok! Fair enough 😀

EarringsandLipstick · 14/07/2026 17:58

7238SM · 14/07/2026 17:47

Reminds me when my mum took my brother and friends to the cinema for his 10th birthday. 1 boy vomited in the middle of the cinema and mum couldn't contact either parent. The boy then said he'd hit his head really badly that morning had a small cut on his head, but his dad (who he was with that weekend) said it was still fine to go to the party! It wasn't and he ended up have a skull fracture!

I mean, that’s awful. And totally different to this situation!

bigboykitty · 14/07/2026 17:56

No more playdates for this child. The dad was a cheeky fucker. I'd have followed up immediately with a text. You need to collect your child now. He's ill. It's not a discussion.

Jorge14 · 14/07/2026 17:54

TheChosenTwo · 14/07/2026 17:53

My most pressing question is who the hell is out for dinner at 4:45pm?!

They were out about 3:30 when I first called. I think they’ve been out all day tbh

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