To think when you drop a child home, you wait until they are safely inside?

[Dancergirl]

I've had an arrangement with a mum at school recently where she kindly drops dds 2 and 3 at home while I am taking dd1 to a ballet rehearsal. My cleaner comes for a few hours to watch them until dd1 and I get home. My cleaner has a key and lets herself in around half an hour before they are brought home.

Last week I had a call from my neighbour to say that dds 2 and 3 were with her as when they were dropped home, the cleaner hadn't arrived yet (it turned out she missed her bus and was really worried about the girls). Luckily dd2 has the good sense to go to a good neighbour and luckily she was in.

But I'm cross that the mum didn't wait until they were safely inside before driving off. I asked dd2 and she said she waited while they rang the doorbell.

Dds 2 and 3 are 9 and 5 btw. I would wait for ANYONE to go inside safely, adult or child.

Good god of course yanbu, who in their right mind would leave 2 small children like that. I think you need to make alternative arrangements. Quickly!

But what to say to her? Dh thinks we need to tread carefully as she was doing us a favour.

I always do, I have to know they have got inside safely, Even DS1's friends who are 13.

Why didnt your cleaner call you and tell you? If she doesn't have a phone i think you need to rethink your 'childcare'

Anyone dropping off should always wait until children are inside, and ideally til the grown up inside has given the dropper off a wave to acknowledge that they now have the kids - what on earth was she thinking!,

I remember my DM watching my friends in when they were 16. 9 and 5, definitely. I can see your DH's point, but clearly you can't continue with her doing you this favour if you don't know that she is watching them in, so you do need to raise this with her.

Yes that's what I do bamboozled, something makes you even more careful that normal with someone else's child.

goodygumdrops that's a good point, she does have a phone. I WILL have to be making alternative arrangements because the next day she came round with my keys and said she couldn't do it any more. I think she was upset about being late for the children.

How strange of course you would wait to make sure, I usually use this as a boyfriend test, if they wait till you've gone in and waved and shut the door they are a decent type, if they drive off as soon as you get out the car they are a dick.

YANBU

I still watch my girlfriends go in the house when dropping them off, and we are in our 30's.

I would have a word with your friend going along the lines of would you mind seeing them in as my cleaner was late and didn't let me know, so you are asking her but in a way that looks like you aren't blaming her but making her awareness?

I would always see children in, and still do it for friends on a night!

If you drop someone home, you see that they get in the house...pretty obvious I would have thought.

YANBU of course you would wait till the children are in the house. I wait for my 18 year old babysitter to get into the house when I drop her off home. In fact she often says she will walk home and I won't let her do that either.

However, your friend is doing you a favour and it is difficult to raise this as you may end up with her stopping the help.