To refuse to pick dd's friend up from her dance class tomorrow?

[stormforce10]

Just had a call from DD friend's mum asking if I could pick up her DD and look after her after dance class for an hour or so as she has to take her DS to a birthday party.

Normally I wouldn't hesitate BUT last time I did that for this particular mum she turned up for her DD over 3 1/2 hours late and her explanation was that as both children were at friends she and her DH had decided to go out for lunch. No response to phone calls or text messages and I was desperately trying not to let on to her DD that I was getting worried something terrible had happened. That was 6 months ago but I was so angry with her I still haven't forgotten it let alone her DD's tears when she realised mummy wasn't coming when she said(6 years old)

I managed to say "sorry I can't we're busy tomorrow" and she's come back with a text message saying "please please please I've asked lots of people and they can't either really need someone or I won't be able to take DS to party and he'll be really upset".

What the hell do I text back now. I really like the little girl but I don't want to be taken advantage of again in this way let alone deal with the upset. I'm guessing if lots of other people can't (? won't) do it I'm not the only one she's done this to.

I was once embarrassed into looking after two kids I didn't really know from my sons nursery. We live in a smallish town and the mum knowing roughly which street I lived in went up the houses till she found me and begged me to have her kids for a few hours (till about 5pm). Kids were 4 and 1, tired and absolutely filthy...baby had obviously suffered a runny/leaky nappy all up her clothes. There was no change of clothes nor nappies. Anyway this mum turned up at 11pm having not answered her phone all night. She had 6 children and my mum and I were convinced she had actually abandoned them. I was going to call the police (we're not in the uk do I didn't know how to contact SS). Wish I had. Those kids were being neglected, I'm sure. I still think about them. (they've moved away)

Shemademedoit in all likelihood school will have picked up on it and they are hopefully on a register being kept an eye on.

Sad isn't it.

I really hope so. Wish I'd done something.