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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To feel this mum should take her turn?

188 replies

hoodrally · 11/09/2026 15:51

Daughter is in year 6 and has a friend who she often goes to the park with after school, me and her mum have generally taken it in turns to take both girls.

However this year her daughter is allowed to walk home from school as they only live a few minutes walk and the park is on the way, her daughter has a phone.

I do not live near the school and it’s too far from my house to let her walk so I have to get a bus to collect my daughter and then she often wants to go to the park with this friend, so because she walks home she will text her mum and her mum will say yes she can and I end up having to take them and stand around while they play while her mum always stays at home instead of taking it in turns and I can pick her up later? s

OP posts:
TeenToTwenties · 11/09/2026 16:37

hoodrally · 11/09/2026 16:34

Thank you for the replies I think the issue is the other friend has a phone and a key and lives on the way home to the park so she can call her mum but my daughter if she arranged a play then I have no way of knowing if she went or not and she has nobody nearby if she has an accident so even with a phone if she’s hurt I would be a bus ride away from her.

Friends mum would be nearby in case if accident, or friend could call you? Or give your DD a brick phone?
I think there are lots of ways to solve this and you need to clarify to yourself why you are reluctant to do so.

hoodrally · 11/09/2026 16:37

concertinacornflake · 11/09/2026 16:23

You just need to tell your DD any park plans need to be made in advance.

This angst is self-created!

I know but plans change last minute and weather too.

OP posts:
Sartre · 11/09/2026 16:37

Get your daughter a phone. It doesn’t have to be a smart phone, just something she can call you from. Then let her make her own way home. She has to get used to it at some point, unless you’re going to be one of the pathetic mums my DC see waiting for their secondary age kids at the gates.

HereForTheFreeLunch · 11/09/2026 16:39

You need to be teaching your daughter independence and planning for year 7. This situation is a great opportunity to start that. Do you know how she will get to school then?

SouthLondonMum22 · 11/09/2026 16:41

You need to give permission for your DD to leave school without you and then pick her up later from the park or you need to start saying no. It's that simple.

Nothing to do with the other girls mum.

WerewolfOfLoudon · 11/09/2026 16:41

hoodrally · 11/09/2026 16:37

I know but plans change last minute and weather too.

Tell your daughter she can't go to the park after school anymore. You don't want to find any other solutions so it's a blanket no.

beaglescurleduplikebagels · 11/09/2026 16:42

hoodrally · 11/09/2026 16:34

Thank you for the replies I think the issue is the other friend has a phone and a key and lives on the way home to the park so she can call her mum but my daughter if she arranged a play then I have no way of knowing if she went or not and she has nobody nearby if she has an accident so even with a phone if she’s hurt I would be a bus ride away from her.

Then get your DD a phone or start saying no. It's not difficult.

Franpie · 11/09/2026 16:42

Then it sounds as though the real issue is that you’re not comfortable with your DD being unsupervised in a park and starting to have a degree of independence.

That’s your decision to make, of course, but you can’t expect other mums to compensate for that.

Either let your DD have a phone and trust that if something goes wrong, someone will call you, or suck it up and sit in the park, cold and bored.

Lmnop22 · 11/09/2026 16:44

If you have to pick your own DD up anyway or they won’t release her, how would the other mum supervise them? You’d be there too anyway.

Just fill in a permission slip for her to leave on her own and tell her/her friend to call friends mum in an emergency since she’s closer and then call you. It’ll only be for 45 minutes or so anyway if you’re already planning to come and get your DD from the park later on anyway!

SpiderJelly · 11/09/2026 16:44

Then the only solution is no park 🤷🏻‍♀️

Createausername1970 · 11/09/2026 16:44

I think you are potentially making it more difficult than it needs to be.

You can say "no" to your daughter if it's not convenient.

You can fill out a permission slip to allow her to leave with her friend - and only her friend - on certain days. Her friend obviously has permission to leave every day on her own, so it's not impossible.

I would be having a conversation with my child to say it's not convenient to go every time she asks, and in future her and her friend needs to decide a day or two in advance - or go on set days each week - so that you can sort out a permission slip.

As someone else has pointed out, the clocks go back in a little over six weeks so that will probably change things.

Walkerzoo · 11/09/2026 16:46

I had to travel when my kids were young so this happened me a lot.
But I chose the school and distance so sometimes you just have to go with the flow.
Take a book, head to the nearest shop but neither child needs supervision.

If it is such a problem say no park and go home

mrsm43s · 11/09/2026 16:46

hoodrally · 11/09/2026 16:34

Thank you for the replies I think the issue is the other friend has a phone and a key and lives on the way home to the park so she can call her mum but my daughter if she arranged a play then I have no way of knowing if she went or not and she has nobody nearby if she has an accident so even with a phone if she’s hurt I would be a bus ride away from her.

So you are saying again that your daughter's friend is not in need of supervision at all, due to her phone, where she lives, arrangements her family have put in place etc. You still think you daughter does still need supervision. But somehow or other you think is up to your daughter's friend's mum to be responsible for supervising your daughter, rather than you.

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · 11/09/2026 16:51

I think it’s fine to have a friendly chat with the Mum about this.

But I also think you can say no to your dd, or that park trips have to be prearranged so you know not to come out for her until later.

hoodrally · 11/09/2026 16:51

Franpie · 11/09/2026 16:42

Then it sounds as though the real issue is that you’re not comfortable with your DD being unsupervised in a park and starting to have a degree of independence.

That’s your decision to make, of course, but you can’t expect other mums to compensate for that.

Either let your DD have a phone and trust that if something goes wrong, someone will call you, or suck it up and sit in the park, cold and bored.

I do want her to have independence but we live the other side of the city, this wasn’t always the case as my landlord sold up and I struggled to find a property and the one I have let now is 20 minutes bus from the school and daughter wants to stay in this school.
She will be going to a local secondary school. I don’t drive.

OP posts:
TheDenimPoet · 11/09/2026 16:53

Sorry but it's not up to this other mum to supervise or pick up your daughter. She is allowing her daughter to do things on her own, so it is entirely your responsibility to take care of yours.

Can she not go to the park with her friend straight from school, and you collect her later? You say the children arrange it at school and you don't find out until you're at the gate - well guess what, if it's not possible, you say no!

beaglescurleduplikebagels · 11/09/2026 16:57

hoodrally · 11/09/2026 16:51

I do want her to have independence but we live the other side of the city, this wasn’t always the case as my landlord sold up and I struggled to find a property and the one I have let now is 20 minutes bus from the school and daughter wants to stay in this school.
She will be going to a local secondary school. I don’t drive.

Why can't she catch the bus for 20 minutes? She has a phone and can contact you.

BeEagerRubyBird · 11/09/2026 17:00

hoodrally · 11/09/2026 16:15

Yes that would be easier but because my daughter doesn’t walk home from school on her own the school won’t let her leave without me being at the gate.

I imagine that if you explain it to them they will, they're probably just not letting her go because they know you're coming. If you said she was going with her friend to play after school and she was allowed to walk with her, they surely would let her go.

Contain4 · 11/09/2026 17:01

Surely it’s nice for your DD to have a friend there to play with.

If you don’t want to go on certain days, just say no because you need to get home for x,y,z

FortyFacedFuckers · 11/09/2026 17:02

If you are already there at pick up what do you expect the other mum to do? Surely you wouldn’t travel home then come back to collect her when they have finished playing?

Contain4 · 11/09/2026 17:02

How far is the park from school?

Could she go to the park and you meet her there or walk her to the park and then let her walk home?

ShitFacedShakespeare · 11/09/2026 17:05

hoodrally · 11/09/2026 16:09

The children arrange this at school so I am already at the gate before they come out and ask, we live the other side of the city.

"No love, not today"

That's all you need to say to your child on the days you don't fancy taking her to the park 🤷‍♂️

It has nothing to do with the other mum.

PoloThePolarBear · 11/09/2026 17:09

I’m sorry, I’m baffled by this.

Your year 6 daughter is not in charge of your life.

So if you don’t want to supervise her at the park (whether or not her friend will be there) you just say “no, not today” and head straight home.

Maybe explain to her in advance that she can’t just make social plans and announce them to you at the end of the school day anymore!

But the other mum is not doing anything wrong here. What you’re really asking her to do is to come out just to look after your daughter at the park as a favour to you. You can ask her, but she’s not obligated to provide you with childcare. It’s important to remember that you are not providing her with childcare, she’s happy for her daughter to walk around and go to the park by herself.

Wetblanket78 · 11/09/2026 17:10

It's not the other mum's fault you live further from the park than they do. Get your DD a phone just for calls and texts doesn't have to be a smartphone if you're so bothered. She can contact you if they decide to go and agree on a time to collect her so you have no waiting around.

BrucesTooth · 11/09/2026 17:15

Fill in the consent form so that she does it have to wait for you to be there whether you have come to pick up or not.
Make it clear that plans need to be arranged in advance and If not planned a park trip then you go to get her and head home. If one is planned and plans have to change, can't she walk back to herel friends house and you collect here from there? (Friend or friends mum and let you know if you don't want your DD to have a phone.)