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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think that if you can't remember to take your 8 year old home from the pub then you can't be trusted to run the country?

564 replies

PrettyPrinceofParties · 11/06/2012 07:44

www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/jun/11/david-cameron-daughter-behind-pub?newsfeed=true

OP posts:
dangerousliaison · 11/06/2012 09:52

my 6 year old dd heared this on the news this morning and her reaction was "goodness me, and that man runs the world, hmm!!!" Grin

FreudianSlipper · 11/06/2012 09:52

oh lord it was a mix up nothing more

i would love this to be a score point against him running the country but, as anti tory as i am, i can see this for what it is a mix up and nothing more and no ss would not get involved if it were another family

my friends mum left her brother in his pram outside the shop (this was the early 70's when you did often leave children outside shops), what made it worse was that she had untied their dog from the pram and made her way home. it was her dh that noticed their ds was no where to be seen when she got home. he was fine :)

NorbertDentressangle · 11/06/2012 09:52

Pagwatch -my DS can be a roving reporter for the boys toilets if you like. He grades the hand driers with a score out of 10 after every visit!

Pagwatch · 11/06/2012 09:53

Norbert Grin

We must never let them meet ! Can you imagine.

JuanQMaryVuch · 11/06/2012 09:58

I remember when Tony Blair's 16 year old son was found steaming drunk in the street. Not many people questioned his parenting skills. The general opinion was either "Yep. Been there." or "Yep. I expect to be there one day."

Hexenbiest · 11/06/2012 10:00

I think the more adult around the more likely this is to happen. You can assumed that the other adults are keeping an eye out for your DC as well - more eyes being better and they assume you have it in hand.

With slightly younger DCs I still ,in large groups, assign an adult to extra DC - and my DC are fairly good at looking out for each other as well but can see with older DC you would rely on the DC a bit more.

Still it's hardly stellar parenting and definitely not awe inspiring security.

Merrylegs · 11/06/2012 10:00

Ha. Would that DD could have yours as a bathroom buddy Pagwatch! (Although the loos in Harrods are a favourite also. Probably the only time she doesn't 'hover')

( I can just see her on the 'pooing at work' threads later in life being v Unreasonable).

foofooyeah · 11/06/2012 10:01

Its a very nice pub!

TotemPole · 11/06/2012 10:02

Pagwatch & Norbert, that's brilliant.Grin

pleasestoparguing · 11/06/2012 10:04

What exactly do the security men do if not ensure tha safety of the family - i imagine they would have been more terrified than the rest of us when noticing she was missing- it's a worst nightmare situation.
yes they are normal people, yes it's a mistake any of us could have made,
not right - the security people should have noticed -otherwise what exactly is their job?

NorbertDentressangle · 11/06/2012 10:05

Grin Pagwatch.

Can you imagine...their eyes met across the communal hand-drier as they discussed the ratio of cubicles to urinals and the quality of soap dispensers

Pinot · 11/06/2012 10:05

I like the posh loos in Harrods too. You get proper towels and a spritz of perfume of your choice.

I digress.

Pagwatch · 11/06/2012 10:06
Grin

It's like destiny.

Pinot · 11/06/2012 10:06

When we're out, I always tell my husband my verdict on the loos that I visit, when I get back to the table. I think that's normal isn't it? Is it?

landofsoapandglory · 11/06/2012 10:06

I heard about it on Daybreak this morning and thought it must be a slow news day! Then Miss High and Mighty Lorraine Kelly was sneers about it when lots of people were texting and emailing in to say they had done the same!

I think it is easily done, the more adults there are, the easier it is! DC is human, he made a mistake as did his wife. This one makes no difference to the rest of us, so why is it news and why should we care?

DontstepontheMomeRaths · 11/06/2012 10:07

I dropped my DD at a soft play party a few weeks ago on the wrong day Blush So she went blithely in to a party but she didn't know anyone there at all, as it was the wrong day. I was distraught when I got home and realised it was the wrong day. I drove back like a maniac to find a tearful daughter standing by the door. The organisers had called the police as they didn't know what to do. Until this incident I'd never ever made a mistake like this. The policeman was very understanding. But I felt horrified at my mistake.

Parents make mistakes. As others have said, I think I'm more surprised their security detail didn't spot it tbh.

Hexenbiest · 11/06/2012 10:07

Mine do go off to the loo - sometimes in very quiet area by themselves but they tell us. Surely that's normal?

Mind you I have spent time and energy teaching them to stay together and if they do go off to let us know where they are. I have been 'judge' by other parents for this but they often drive and we use public transport. I can't have DC nipping off in stations or buses stations or getting lost by wondering off in large crowds.

SelfRighteousPrissyPants · 11/06/2012 10:10

I was the same as the op when I saw this story. OK it's because I hate Cameron and the government and wouldn't comment if it was a normal family. BUT they aren't a normal family!

It is a bit worrying the man can't even look after his own kids when he's meant to run the country. Also I'm not one of these seeing child abductors in every bush types but surely the security implications of leaving the PM's daughter unattended are a bit higher than leaving Joe Blogg's daughter behind?

5madthings · 11/06/2012 10:12

its one of those things that happens isnt it? and i bet for those 15mins they felt AWFUL! its the worst thing ever, last year we went to thetford forest with our 5, at some point we lost ds4 who was just 3 at the time, i thought he was with dp, dp thought he was with me as we split up with the other children to go on various bit of play equipment, we then met up 20mins later, realised neither of us had him and it took us a further 20mins to find him!! it was horrible and we both felt crap and did a MILLION headcounts from that point onwards, ds4 was fine, he had gone back to a little climbing wall that he liked and wasnt remotely bothered we werent there!

Hexenbiest · 11/06/2012 10:13

DontstepontheMomeRaths
I dropped my DD at a soft play party a few weeks ago on the wrong day

I've done that sent DH and DD but in that case DH hung around to hand our DC over to someone she recognized and tell organizing parents she was there before he even tried to leave. So the mistake was picked up immediately.

I'm starting to think that we are very over protective parents.

AmberLeaf · 11/06/2012 10:14

I think its easily done IF you are careless or in Daves case pissed

I have 3 children and have never lost or left any of them behind, if saying that makes me smug I really couldn't give a toss.

I am somewhat laidback in many areas of my life but not when it comes to my childrens care and safety.

ReelAroundTheFountain · 11/06/2012 10:15

I love the people on here who say self-righteously "I've never for a moment taken my eyes of my one child" as if that's the same Hmm

FFS who cares? Sounds like a miscommunication that ended quickly and safely.

As for "social services would be getting involved if this was a normal family" ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

Greythorne · 11/06/2012 10:16

Nancy66 has it right.

The story is minor tittle tattle.

We should be asking why The Sun are publishing this stuff now.

There's a much bigger picture issue here. War between Dave and News international.

Who cares about this minor family hiccup which all ended fine 15 minutes later.

Serendipity30 · 11/06/2012 10:17

I totally forgot a friend was picking my DD from after school club as they had not confirmed they would do this, so i turned up as usual didn't find her, had a complete meltdown as the after school club people did the same. Frantically called my friend who was not answering the phone Hmm. Anyway we finally got through and of course DD was absolutely fine. Needless to say i was very Blush for a long time.

duchesse · 11/06/2012 10:17

Could happen to anyone, but worse for them with the added threat of kidnapping.