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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

My friends 4 year old trashed Ds bedroom and broke his expensive birthday toy.

297 replies

Cannierelax · 28/03/2013 12:07

AIBU to want some form of compensation for the broken toy? Perhaps a replacement or even a similair but cheaper toy. My Ds is 5.5 and my friends Dd is 4.5. When i told my friend Ds was really upset she said, well that's what kids do. Em, not my child. Aibu? My friend was there when this happened and gave her Dd a row. She knew that the toy was broken but I said I would get DH to try and mend it. I've just messaged her saying DH Was not able to repair it at this point. At this point she stated that's what children do. I messaged back that it was a birthday gift he was looking forward to for several months. She hasn't messaged back.

OP posts:
WhatKindofFool · 28/03/2013 20:52

Aren't you supposed to be able to take lego apart? Sorry, but what do you expect a 4 year old to do with Lego. Hmm

HazeltheMcWitch · 28/03/2013 20:54

Have you read much of this thread, WhatKindofFool?

Hmm? Hmm

HazeltheMcWitch · 28/03/2013 20:55

Roar at Legoland, Cannie

It's going to blow your mind!

WhatKindofFool · 28/03/2013 20:57

No, please forgive me McWitch

MogTheForgetfulCat · 28/03/2013 20:57

Love this thread Smile Arf at Legoland!

DS1 has just had the Lego City fire station for his birthday, we spent a chunk of last weekend making it, and him and DS2 have been playing with it. It falls to pieces all the bloody time Angry and is sooooo frustrating. Have decided that Lego is fun to build but rubbish to play with - for that I think you need Playmobil and the little people with their stick-on hair Grin.

ColouringInQueen · 28/03/2013 21:00

Cannie you've been so graceful. Have a lovely Easter and a brilliant time at Legoland Grin

QuintEggSensuality · 28/03/2013 21:04

wow. just WOW. Grin If noboby had taught my son The Right Way of Lego, he would have ended up like you! Smile

My then 5 year old ds1 has never forgiven me for breaking up his <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=www.eurobricks.com/sieg/dex/img/7709mn.jpg&imgrefurl=www.eurobricks.com/sieg/dex/search.php?mode%3Dpage%26what%3D7709&h=263&w=420&sz=31&tbnid=x3fJ0QgsIiYlrM:&tbnh=81&tbnw=129&zoom=1&usg=__Z--38xheFzSssoMUWH7h0L3RFbU=&docid=mR8a2Li0Hpkk6M&hl=en&sa=X&ei=KK9UUaS0HMmp4ASA2YHIDQ&ved=0CEIQ9QEwAg&dur=426" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">exo force sentai fortress that he got for Christmas! I did it so he could rebuild it. He had other ideas, it was a model to PLAY with, not take apart and build again! He was ever so proud. And ever so upset when he found it in pieces. I thought I was giving him the pleasure of building it again.

He has since learnt that lego is for taking a part and rebulding, but some models he wants to keep

TheOneWithTheHair · 28/03/2013 21:15

Cannie you've brightened my day no end!!

I hope you and your family have a wonderful time at Legoland. Grin

Blatherskite · 28/03/2013 21:25

I told lego-mad DH about this thread. He has announced that it must be a piss take as everyone knows that Lego is for taking apart and building again - even the big sets.

Good job you didn't marry him OP, you'd have had some proper arguments over lego Grin

Cannierelax · 28/03/2013 21:31

bllatherskiteblatherskite- I disliked Lego as a child. DH was born abroad where he didnt have any access to Lego.

OP posts:
Cannierelax · 28/03/2013 21:31

Having said that Ds has been playing Lego ninjago since he was 4 years old and loves the stuff.

OP posts:
AngryAnderson · 28/03/2013 21:45

I would just like to say I know of 2 ways you CAN break Lego:

  1. Pull C3P0's leg sideways until it snaps off Shock DH and I both had Lego as children and I never thought you could break it...but our 4 year old DS managed it!!! We were astonished that poor C3P0 is actually permanently disabled Sad
  1. Lose a specific piece that underpins a necessary section. Then you can't build the model. To my mind, that's broken.

And I did ring Lego customer services and didn't think they were that good Sad Woman told me they couldn't send me a new C3P0 as George Lucas wouldn't let them Sad DH did find hundreds of C3P0s on Amazon though Smile Not that we've bothered yet Grin

OP, you already know YABU but just for form's sake...

sleepyhead · 28/03/2013 21:48

You can also melt it, if you take some of your Lego on holiday to the South of France when you're 10 and leave it in the back window of the car in the midday sun. It warped and was never quite the same Sad

Blatherskite · 28/03/2013 21:53

DH was the opposite. He was Lego mad as a child and as an adult! to the extent that his parents built him a bedroom with desks on 2 whole walls for him to build and display his models on - before breaking them up and building them again of course Wink

MuddlingMackem · 28/03/2013 22:11

Have only read half of the replies but have read all of the OP's posts.

OP, YWBU to ask your friend to replace it, as everyone else has said.

However, as someone pointed out, some people like to build lego and some like to play with the finished model. This worked well for me and my brother as I liked to build and he liked to play. So our sets stayed up. :)

If your DS isn't particularly keen on building the set and just wants to play with the finished model, there is one possible alternative course of action for you, if your friend thinks that the building is the fun part. Get the replacement instructions then invite her round, sans destructive child, and present her with the instructions and the lego pieces and invite her to rebuild it, after all if it's no big deal surely she won't mind. Wink I'm sure she'd refuse, but in future she might be a little more considerate of those who like to keep their models built, and she might make sure her DC is as well. Grin

AngryAnderson · 28/03/2013 22:21

Melting! Shock

TwelveLeggedWalk · 28/03/2013 22:39

Wow, this thread has been educational. Just googled Lego Death Star ... £1500 Shock

ArtVandelay · 28/03/2013 22:43

My toddler son and his brother and sister (my steps) go so mental when they see each other that the other weekend they managed somehow to split a small 4x4 lego brick and gouge a ditch in a solid wood floor. They are 2, 9 and 13.

That's destructive (proud)

louisianablue2000 · 28/03/2013 23:11

The Death Star wasn't originally £1500 but because Lego don't make it anymore the cost has gone up as people resell (I'm guessing its appearance on TBBT has made it even more popular).

The Police Set has only 800 pieces, that's only a few hours construction for a small child. The building is what makes Lego educational. Just think of how much your DS's spatial awareness will be improved by rebuilding the set.

MidniteScribbler · 29/03/2013 05:13

Can I rebuild it? Can I, can I, can I????? Puhlease!!

In case you can't tell, I can't wait for DS to be old enough for Lego!

AngryAnderson · 29/03/2013 15:23

ArtVandelay, that is impressive destruction! How do u split a block? Shock

kelda · 30/03/2013 14:10

it takes quite a lot of effort to break Lego

ArtVandeley are you sure it was real Lego and not Megablocks[bugrin]

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