or is it a bit rude??

[OutOutLetItAllOut]

my friends childcare bailed on her this week, so i offerd to have her 3 kids while she is at work.
they are good kids, no probs really other than the odd argument or moan...
anyway, she sent them with a bag each of toys, inc nintendo ds each, ( so 3), yesterday child 1 plugged it in to charge it, but didnt play it here, so really it didnt need to be charged, and today child 2 and 3 both walked in and plugged them in so they can play them later..
is that rude??
i think she shuld make sure they are charged at home so the kids have them to play, not to send them with the idea that they can do that here..

oh ok Pat I assumed it'd be more TBH. in that case in terms of money it's not a big deal, but I would still remind the DC that next time it is polite to ask before unplugging something (what if they'd unplugged the freezer?)

but yes, porcelain and suitejudyblue, I'm the same. I don't empty my parents' fridge or randomly take baths at their house, but if I asked they will always say yes. even if you know that the answer will unequivocally be yes, it is just polite to ask.

there is absolutely no issue with him not feeling at home, he knows he is more than welcome here and I love him to pieces (as does DH obviously!) - he was a witness for our wedding in 2008. he's often here even if DH isn't. I'm a bit uncomfortable with the implication that I'm being strict and evil just because he's not biologically my son. FFS.

"I do see how there might be an issue with it being a step-parent who objects if the bio-parent doesn't though. In that situation I would let his dad make the rules unless he was really taking the piss."

yes, I can see that too, it'd be a bit 'evil stepmum' if I was imposing all these rules. but we never did impose them actually - DH's children are, thanks to the way DH (and to her credit, his exW) brought them up, incredibly polite. when we moved in together and they started visiting they were automatically exercising this 'common courtesy' - so I can't envisage a situation where he'd be 'taking the piss' TBH!

...though they do all make one helluva mess leaving their stuff everywhere

pleeese

I am on prepay and I have one of those little gadgets that measures how much lekkie you use in pence per hour (love it).

I plugged my DDs DS in and it barely registered so its probably less than 5p for all three for an hour so moneywise, I guess its not much of an issue.

However I don't think it's very polite for them to unplug your appliances but equally not the end of the world so just tell them not to x

I think it's very petty.
We're pretty skint at the moment but it would NEVER occur to me to be annoyed at something like this.