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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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.

OP posts:
bigboykitty · 14/07/2026 17:54

Jorge14 · 14/07/2026 17:12

Got to love mumsnet 🤣

Yeah there's always one, and it's often that one!

TheChosenTwo · 14/07/2026 17:53

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

Jorge14 · 14/07/2026 17:51

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!

Wow, poor kid. I mean that is extreme. I don’t think I’m dealing with anything on that scale

OP posts:
Jorge14 · 14/07/2026 17:50

EarringsandLipstick · 14/07/2026 17:26

‘Disinfect the house’?
because he vomited once in the toilet.

come on.

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

OP posts:
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!

Nearly50omg · 14/07/2026 17:44

Rude entitled arsehole parents! Normal polite people with manners KNOW the normal thing is to pick their child up because if another parent who is looking after them has phoned you they clearly want them picked up!

MeanwhileinGilead · 14/07/2026 17:36

He initially asked you to call his parents, so I'd guess the "I'm OK" stuff came once he realised his parents wouldn't come get him and he wanted to reassure you that he wouldn't be any bother since he had to stay, or avoid you pushing the parents as he might have thought that would lead to larger issues. If the parents are out together locally, it seems like at least one of them could pick him up and stay with him if he's too young to be home alone. But the dad seems to think it's not serious, for whatever reason.

Jorge14 · 14/07/2026 17:32

It may be the ice cream, it just be the heat, I hope it is that and not a bug because it will ruin my sons last week of school. Anyhow it can’t be helped now, I would disinfect if my own kids were sick so I’ll definitely be doing that anyway. I think I was just shocked as I know id have cancelled my plans and picked my child up, the phone call felt like I was being inconvenient to them. Update, dad phoned back “hi you called me earlier” I said “yes it’s jacks mum I’ve spoken to you already”, he said “oh ok sorry I didn’t know who this was” he didn’t even ask for an update 😱 and he said bye and hung up. Oh well, my sons having a great time, and it is what it is.

OP posts:
EarringsandLipstick · 14/07/2026 17:30

WorkCleanRepeat · 14/07/2026 17:14

He doesn't sound unwell to me. Sounds like a kid that shouldn't really eat dairy ice-cream that ate it.

Agreed.

I’m in the minority but I don’t think it’s a big deal.

He sounds like he shouldn’t eat ice-cream. If he’s otherwise well, it wouldn’t bother me.

If he was really miserable, I’d feel sorry for him, but it still wouldn’t bother me if the parents didn’t come till the agreed time; I’d just have him rest up / look after him.

I also never worried hugely about my DC getting sick in those situations, if it happens, it happens.

If he was v sick & the parents were nonchalant about that, I’d find that strange & upsetting for the poor guy, of course. But it doesn’t sound like that’s the case.

EarringsandLipstick · 14/07/2026 17:26

Jorge14 · 14/07/2026 16:54

I’m just getting on with it this time, no idea where his parents are so just holding out till 6:45 when I can drop him back and disinfect the house. All windows and doors open & they have spent a lot of time in the garden. I think he’s denying it as this play date has been arranged for weeks & we had a few cancellations due to other things. I just know id be mortified, apologetic and would have him picked up immediately if it was my son.

‘Disinfect the house’?
because he vomited once in the toilet.

come on.

MistakenFlutterby · 14/07/2026 17:24

It probably is just a case of over heating and icecream but that’s not the point.

If someone calls and asks you to pick up your ill child you say “of course be there as soon as we can”

Rothburypixie · 14/07/2026 17:22

SunnyRedSnail · 14/07/2026 17:03

@Jorge14 I'd be paranoid it's a sick bug he has and you are all going to end up with it for the school holidays!

If my child vomited at someone's house then I'd go and pick them up!

He’s been at school with him all day anyway

BillieWiper · 14/07/2026 17:19

Viviennemary · 14/07/2026 16:59

He's been sick. He hasn't got the Bubonic plague. Your reactions are a bit over the top.

Yeah, disinfecting the entire house seems excessive. His dad said it was an intolerance to milk or whatever from ice cream so it's unlikely contagious!

SofiaAmes · 14/07/2026 17:16

It's possible that he just pukes a lot without there being a contagious bug causing it. My DS was that kid. He vomited all the time for what at the time was no apparent reason. I was constantly explaining to his friends' parents and the school that there was nothing that he just vomited a lot. He was finally diagnosed with Cyclical Vomiting caused by Mitochondrial Disease when he was 11. The vomiting was actually in the migraine family and caused by a misfiring in the brain when he got overstimulated (including having too much fun playing with his friends).

PS. I could tell when he had an actual tummy bug because he would have diarrhea to go with the vomiting.

chinupimdancing · 14/07/2026 17:16

I imagine it’s a combination of the heat and the ice cream.

Not every episode of vomiting is a sickness bug.

DeterminedRat · 14/07/2026 17:16

It might just be the ice cream though and it's a vom and he feels better type of situation. The parents might be very used to it and know that it doesn't mean that he is actually unwell.

muggart · 14/07/2026 17:16

Viviennemary · 14/07/2026 16:59

He's been sick. He hasn't got the Bubonic plague. Your reactions are a bit over the top.

You’re kidding, right? There are plenty of vomiting bugs that you shouldn’t want your family to get, bubonic plague isn’t the only virus!

WorkCleanRepeat · 14/07/2026 17:14

He doesn't sound unwell to me. Sounds like a kid that shouldn't really eat dairy ice-cream that ate it.

Jorge14 · 14/07/2026 17:12

Viviennemary · 14/07/2026 16:59

He's been sick. He hasn't got the Bubonic plague. Your reactions are a bit over the top.

Got to love mumsnet 🤣

OP posts:
Walkerzoo · 14/07/2026 17:09

Absolutely should have picked him up

They are out with drinks and can't be bothered. Poor kid

Jorge14 · 14/07/2026 17:09

MistakenFlutterby · 14/07/2026 17:03

You are only being unreasonable in that you allowed the child’s parents to make the decision.

“Please pick him up” shouldn’t have involved as discussion.

i know! I think I was thrown that the ice cream was blamed & then they said no one is home. I realised how manipulated I’d been straight away.

OP posts:
Ablondiebutagoody · 14/07/2026 17:07

Get them playing outside in case he pukes again

romdowa · 14/07/2026 17:05

Id be insisting they pick him up. Dont care why he got sick , im not being responsible for someones unwell child

MistakenFlutterby · 14/07/2026 17:03

You are only being unreasonable in that you allowed the child’s parents to make the decision.

“Please pick him up” shouldn’t have involved as discussion.

SunnyRedSnail · 14/07/2026 17:03

@Jorge14 I'd be paranoid it's a sick bug he has and you are all going to end up with it for the school holidays!

If my child vomited at someone's house then I'd go and pick them up!