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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to not have given their toddler my phone?

70 replies

LifeIsButtercream · 03/12/2010 13:44

I was waiting in the doctors this morning, and was putting my mobile phone on flight mode when a little boy, 2 at the oldest, came and stood infront of me, pointed vaguely at my phone and started whining and stamping his feet.

There was only me and two other ladies in the waiting room, one of them says (without looking up from magazine) "He wants to play with your phone".

My phone is a touch screen and tends to unlock easily and dial people without warning (I dont let my 19 month old play with it for this reason!), so I told the little lad - gently - that it wasnt a toy and I'm sorry but he cant play with it. I put it away in my pocket. Cue more screaming.

The mum says "arn't you going to just let him play with it?" I reply no and explain above. She gets up, takes little boy by hand and drags him back to his seat saying loudly "No, the mean woman wont let you play." over and over, then muttered "bitch" under her breath.

AIBU to have not given my slightly dodgy mobile to someone elses child? I was definitly made to feel very unreasonable! I'm not unsympathetic, I know what its like to have a restless toddler in a waiting room, but I would never expect another mum to hand over their property to keep my DD happy.

OP posts:
corygal · 03/12/2010 13:57

Fruitloop at work; forget it.

JamieLeeCurtis · 03/12/2010 13:57

Or maybe mentally ill or very very stressed

JamieLeeCurtis · 03/12/2010 13:58

Don't agree with giving the phone to the child though

bumperella · 03/12/2010 13:59

Yep, the woman was a loon. Why would you give a child a real "grown up" thing to play with anyway, even if it was a phone that wouldn't dial out?

Serendippy · 03/12/2010 14:00

GetOrfMoiLand you are joking, aren't you? I might try letting my DD scream in the doctor's surgery and mention that only money shuts her up. Hand it over Grin It takes a village and all that...

Gogopops · 03/12/2010 14:00

What a crazy bitch. Would she have replaced your phone if her son had broken it? I guess not. She sounds like someone who thinks the world revolves around her. Was she a chav?

It would not have been unreasonable to you to mention it to the receptionist.

AgentZigzag · 03/12/2010 14:01

I'm surprised GetOrf that you think the OP is somehow obliged to give in to a tantruming toddler with something she doesn't want to give to him for good reason.

Do you normally do what you're told by toddlers when out and about?

Perhaps the OP wasn't feeling too well and just wanted some peace and quiet herself.

gemmummy · 03/12/2010 14:03

Getoifmyland I think you're stirring because the AIBU was way too one sided and therefore a bit dull....Incoming lol!!!

Serendippy · 03/12/2010 14:03

I think GOML is joking. Otherwise she would not have a laptop to MN on because she would have given it to someone less fortunate in her imaginary village

nocake · 03/12/2010 14:04

You should have pulled a sharp penknife out of your bag and asked if it was okay for him to play with that.....

It's a phone not a toy!!!

TottWriter · 03/12/2010 14:04

YABU

....not really, I just thought it was about time someone said this in an AIBU thread. How odd that everyone agrees with the OP.... Xmas Grin

Honestly, you did nothing wrong. What kind of sense of entitlement do you need to expect other people to give expensive electronic items to your own PFB to slobber over play with for a few minutes?

Deffo NBU.

Onetoomanycornettos · 03/12/2010 14:04

My daughter played with my mobile which I had left unlocked and dialled the police. They were very nice about it, but were very firm that I should make extra-sure it never happened again. They rang me back just to tell me this.

I would not hand over my phone, I might play or smile with a toddler, if the mum wanted the child to play with a phone, why didn't she hand her own mobile over? And nothing excuses the rudeness.

Frazzledmumwithsmudgedmascara · 03/12/2010 14:05

OP, you're definitely NBU; like someone else said, it sounds as though the other woman has a sense of entitlement. She sounds a real oddball!

TottWriter · 03/12/2010 14:05

Aww, beaten to it, it seems. Dang.

AgentZigzag · 03/12/2010 14:06

Naughty GetOrf Grin

That's why I was surprised, you're usually a template for talking sense.

(Glad I didn't swear at you now Grin)

Lonnie · 03/12/2010 14:08

My phone is not easy to unlock but its my phone not a toy the kids get told no

YANBU

MrsYamadasnoggedSanta · 03/12/2010 14:08

Grin @nocake!

GetOrfMoiLand · 03/12/2010 14:09

I have wanted for years to roll out that 'it takes a village' nonsense.

Sorry I was playing mumsnet top trumps.

MackerelOfFact · 03/12/2010 14:10

YANBU, no way should you willingly let yourself be mugged by a 2-year-old.

Surely he would've been perfectly happy to play with his mum's phone instead? Unless she didn't have one, because it had been destroyed by a toddler or something...

SantasMooningArse · 03/12/2010 14:12

yanbu

igmore

saffy85 · 03/12/2010 14:14

YANBU. She was deranged however.

flamingpants · 03/12/2010 14:17

I distinctly hope that when she muttered 'bitch' under her breath it was meant to be directed at herself.

MissMashMissMash · 03/12/2010 14:17

YADNBU- Aside from the fact that he could have broken it/dialed Australia etc, why is she teaching her child that it is ok to go up to strangers and make demands?

CheekyWeeBauble · 03/12/2010 14:19

YADNBU - she sounds most unhinged, and very rude!

pottonista · 03/12/2010 14:27

In about a decade, I have no doubt she will also mutter 'Bitch' about every woman who is mean and selfish enough to call the police when her teenage son 'wants to play with your car'.