Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

to think a parent should have made their kid put it back...

47 replies

flyingspaghettimonster · 24/04/2011 22:43

I organized an easter treasure hunt for the kids today, as I wanted them to work to find their Easter baskets (we're in the states so can't get easter eggs, so we are trying out their traditions).

I spent ages writing rhyming clues, silly little things that were simple enough for the kids to read themselves and follow. Each one was hidden in a bright plastic egg with two mini eggs inside. I put the trail out just a couple of minutes ahead of the kids to avoid anyone taking the clues, but I was sure if some kid did see the eggs, they would see the clue inside and realise it was meant for another child, and leave it.

Well, when the kids were looking for clue 11, they bumped into a boy of about 8 who said 'oh, I already found three eggs' - he was a bit gloaty about it and I had a bad feeling he meant the next three clues we were searching for. Sure enough, he followed us over to the play park where the two eggs I had hidden there were gone. My daughter asked him about it and he pulled the eggs out of his pocket and tossed them at her, saying 'I ate all the candy though, since I found them'.

I couldn't believe the boy was allowed by his parents to take these eggs which so clearly had been placed where they were for a purpose, in a deserted play park, and didn't tell him to put them back! The father just stood there smiling like it was fine that my kids treasure hunt was spoiled.

Shouldn't the father have made him put the eggs back? Luckily the third clue lead back to their own garden, or he'd have probably followed it all the way to their baskets and taken them too...

OP posts:

ChateauRouge · 24/04/2011 22:48

If you can't get easter eggs in the US, what on earth do they hunt for?

Sorry- not helpful I realise!

pjmama · 24/04/2011 22:49

Honestly I think if you're going to hide things for a treasure hunt in a public place, that's unfortunately the risk you take. The father probably should have thought a bit harder and realised what was going on, but I suspect he was probably just a bit oblivious and the kid was just chuffed at finding free chocolate!

BeerTricksPotter · 24/04/2011 22:49

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ChateauRouge · 24/04/2011 22:50

YANBU- but didn't you say something to the man?
Did that kid eat your children's candy baskets?

What a vile child!

Goblinchild · 24/04/2011 22:50

Sorry, but it was a public place and you found a selfish and greedy little piglet.

squeakytoy · 24/04/2011 22:51

I put the trail out just a couple of minutes ahead of the kids to avoid anyone taking the clues, but I was sure if some kid did see the eggs, they would see the clue inside and realise it was meant for another child, and leave it

Hmmm, not sure really if YABU. You put them in a public park.. and you cant expect an 8yo to assume they are for another child. You could be the local charitable soul who puts eggs out for any neighbourhood kid to find.

You should have spoken to the dad perhaps.

halfyorkshiremanhalfessexgirl · 24/04/2011 22:52

egg hunt politics - love it

you needed an egg warden

if part of your hunt was in a public place frequented by children who would think the easter bunny had left some surprise chocolates...

theglove · 24/04/2011 22:53

It was a public place though, he maybe thought he could join in

Sassybeast · 24/04/2011 22:53

YABU -it was a PUBLIC place - clue is sort of in the name....

Bohica · 24/04/2011 22:55

You can't leave candy/chocolate in a public place & not expect some children to eat it if they find it.

vess · 24/04/2011 22:57

He could have eaten them without the parents noticing.

A1980 · 24/04/2011 22:58

YABU

If I'd found it, I would have thought that some parents or children had left it behind or lost it.

You know for next time though, hide everything in your house and your own garden.

Do they really not have easter eggs in the states?

Original poster

flyingspaghettimonster · 24/04/2011 23:00

yes, I agree the kid had no reason not to open the eggs and follow the clues - I was just wondering what you, as a parent, would do in that situation? Because I would tell my kid to put it right back where they found it, and certainly not eat candy (that was mini eggs, so not individually wrapped) that they found lying around... I was worried other kids might find them so only did 5 clues in public places, because a treasure hunt just around the house would be a bit dull...

I didn't say anything to the Dad who left with his kid in tow whilst we stood there trying to figure which clue the kids were meant to follow next... I didn't want to cause a fuss.

I just thought maybe it was a British versus American thing - that maybe British parents would be more strict about not touching the clues, whereas the American parents wouldn't be?

He didn't get the baskets as they were hidden in the kids bed rooms, I was not stupid enough to put expensive things out in public (the older two were getting DSIs as a joint gift from all UK family who couldn't send an egg, and because they need something to occupy them on their trip to Blighty this summer - and since these were OTT gifts for Easter in my opinion, I did the treasure hunt so the kids would feel they had sort of earned the treat a bit...)

OP posts:

mitochondria · 24/04/2011 23:00

I've tried to train my children not to eat things they find in parks.

worraliberty · 24/04/2011 23:01

Perhaps the kid thought the Easter Bunny left them there and that your kids were being greedy [bugrin]

kaid100 · 24/04/2011 23:04

I think that putting the eggs in a public park is asking for trouble, I'd have done a hunt in my own house and garden. That said, I wouldn't let my children eat any old food they had found on the ground.

bluerodeo · 24/04/2011 23:05

i don't think its an american/british parenting difference - you get all sorts of ineffectual parents worldwide

Honeydragon · 24/04/2011 23:07

YANBU

My DS is 8, he was at our local library for a craft session, when helping pack up he found a plastic egg filled with chocolate and handed it in to the organiser, as he was worried a child had left it behind.

As it happens the organiser had set up a egg hunt for the kids and ds had found the first by accident

But at 8 ds damn well knew that it wasn't his candy and to tell an adult. The child in the ops situation was old enough not to pick up/ take something that didn't belong to him. So either his father allowed him to take the candy, making to father pig ignorant, or the child was a badly brought up little crapbag.

I spent Easter in the US a couple of years ago and we did a Egg Hunt with Eggs

justventingreally · 24/04/2011 23:07

I don't know really.

I'm British and I still don't really know what an Easter Egg hunt is.

I think you were a bit daft to leave chocolate in the park and if you think it's dangerous for his kid to eat your chocolate then maybe it's dangerous for your kids to eat chocolate that you left lying around in a park where strangers could fiddle with it?

But mostly, I don't really care

Reindeerbollocks · 24/04/2011 23:10

The Easter egg hunt sounds fun.

YANBU to expect a good parent to tell their children not to touch the eggs - let alone eat them.

Unfortunately, using a public place means that all types of parents could be around, and clearly dad didn't notice, or didn't care enough about what it could have been to stop his son.

Personally I'd have said something to the dad, it's the kind of behaviour I'd expect from a child who found chocolate - that's what children do. And that's why dad is in the wrong for not stopping his son.

lockets · 24/04/2011 23:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Honeydragon · 24/04/2011 23:59

I think lockets has provided a juxtaposing anecdote that proves irrefutably that Nobhead parents produce little nobber children.

blackeyedsusan · 25/04/2011 00:56

... mmm that's interesting lockets.. children who share a bedroom behaving well?

(that doesn't make sense and i am too tired to work it out.
zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Tee2072 · 25/04/2011 06:17

Of course you can get Easter Eggs in the US. I've eaten my fair share when living there.

Where on earth do you live?!?!

missslc · 25/04/2011 06:32

mmmmm....you know he won't have realised he had done anything wrong.....the egg hunts here are all about finding and keeping whatever something is in the egg.

I'm afraid he just followed the tradition.

No easter eggs where we are in the states....just chocolate bunnies.

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread