I've been left with a 4yo

[raysan]

A close friend asked me to babysit their 4yo at my house so they could have a spontaneous night out. She'd do it for me and I love her kids, so was happy.

However.... last contact was 12.30am and her phone has been off since at least 5am. I dropped her kid at nursery after checking she was not at home. Why would he phone be off?? And if it was, why would she not come home so I could find her?? We don;t have mutual friends. Waiting for a text back from her teenager (who will probably sleep all morning), who at least has her sister's number.

When would you start to call hospitals???

It's a one off so I will forgive her, if she is just sleeping off a hangover but will be clear this is a one time free pass

All sounds a bit weird to be honest. Picking a four year old up that late, the ringing at 5am… were nursery not alarmed that someone presumably not known to them was dropping him off? Being 4, I’m sure the kid would be well aware that mummy wasn’t there and talked about it so that would hopefully raise a safeguard concern from their point of view.

Just not really adding up, in my opinion.

That poor poor child, and poor you!
She cannot help her phone being stolen, but she CAN help not coming to you last night. I would have moved Heaven and Earth to get to my toddler if I couldn't not contact the babysitter, not left him in someone else's house, without his pyjamas, teddy, etc.

This can't be real

Total bullshit. She got really pissed and took the piss out of you. Imagine just ditching your kid like that without proper arrangements? Don’t offer again.

Poor kids. Why wasn't the teenager at school/college/work/other? None of it sounds great...

I'm hoping the poor 4 year old has now been collected from nursery and the friend has been round with a bunch of flowers, some chocolates and a sincere apology but I'm dubious.

I'm also hoping the poor teen has been given some attention, leaving them to lie in bed all day is also crap parenting.

Or any reason why she couldn't call from a friends messenger at 11pm

@raysan I reckon she called you from her own phone on Messenger so you couldn’t tell it was her on her own phone. She is a CF.

She must have pre planned this. Why did her teenager not babysit their sibling?

Yes bulllshit OP.

She doesn't need a mobile to pick up her child.

She could've borrowed someone's phone.

She could've just turned up at your house (as she should've).

There's no reason why she shouldn't have been at home when you checked in the morning.

There's no reason for her not to contact you until 11am the next day.

She's a poor liar with an even poorer excuse.

Call her out on it.

She's taken the right piss out of you and her son.

You all seem to be missing the fact that the OP spoke to the friend at 12.30am and OP agreed that the child could sleep over.

But did she say she wouldn't be taking him to nursery and wouldn't be back till 11am?? I'd have been round there first thing in the morning if id lost my phone and hadn't been able to check on how my 4 year old was doing sleeping at someones house for the first time

Exactly the fact they decided to let him sleep over because he'd obviously fallen asleep which I suspect mum knew would be the case at 11pm doesn't negate how shit of a parent she was the next morning.

Although sadly it sounds like this is a pretty common occurrence as the OP specially says she normally drops him off on the morning during the school run. Poor kid.

Jesus Christ it was a one off. She wasn't going to die from falling asleep in one home and being transported to another. Do people seriously live their lives this way, never doing anything if it disrupts their child's routine once in a while?

It clearly isn't a one off though. In fact it sounds like it happens pretty regularly.

That's so weird of your friend

Why did not having her phone mean she couldn't pick up her child?

Yeah I wouldn't either. Don't really care if people think I'm ridiculous!