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

[Cannierelax]

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.

look, i understand why you're annoyed. you'll:

• have to find all the fiddly little bits
• and then put it together

it'll take hours and hours. but to ask her to replace it is unreasonable.

don't ask her dd over again. meet her for a coffee somewhere else. and she should have apologised on behalf of her dd.

I won't mentioning this to my friend again. I feel well, a bit embarrassed now.

tantrumsandballoons £70 is nothing, this one www.amazon.co.uk/LEGO-Star-Wars-7163-Republic/dp/B00007B8MS/ref=sr_1_5?s=kids&ie=UTF8&qid=1364476719&sr=1-5 is nearly £900!!!!

Il put it down to experience.

We have boxes for our lego instructions!

Boxes for the broken sets that may be rebuilt one day!

And boxes upon boxes of random pieces!

We also have mini boxes that I used to keep sorted so certain types of bricks were all together but it went unappreciated by the dses and the bits got muddled

I used to get very anal about the big Star Wars sets and would have a little cry when they got broken but I'm over that now sort of

Your DS may not break models yet op, but give it time!

Just to echo erm....virtually everyone on this thread, YABU!

I'll leave OP alone now and talk to SchroSawMargeryDaw: have you tried Lego technic? Like I said, they are a bit more fun. I like meccano too, but I think we don't have enough to make really outrageous things. But what is your position on k'nex?

Poor OP.

Maybe you'll look back at this one day a manage a laugh about it

I don't think you can ask her replace it. Her DD didn't break it, she took it apart. I thought the whole point of Lego was to build and disassemble to make something else? Very annoying though and upsetting for your DS.

As already suggested, look online for the instructions to rebuild it.

I think the OP has taken this quite well, and is now feeling a bit mortified about going on to the other mum. The other mum did tell her child off for playing with the Lego, so I think it's all best left.

I don't see why the little girl shouldn't come round again though, surely next time you just remove the rebuilt Lego models before she arrives! Or tell her not to touch them. She is the one who is wronged here, as she got told off for playing normally with a Lego set!

Oh my, I rarely laugh out loud at MN, but the idea of Lego being broken because it's been taken apart! Your friend must be totally mystified.

Oh Christ- I hope so. What would I do without the advice of fellow mumsnetters!!!! I've said it before and il say it again, sometimes my common sense goes completely out the window when it comes to Ds.

I have a lot of sympathy for the OP. I bloody hate Lego. It hurts your feet, and it has taken DH about 10 years to chill out and come to terms with the fact that kids like to dismantle those carefully constructed stations and whatnot. Now we buy the loose bricks you can make anything with, and DS2 spends weeks making whole cities that NEED to be hoovered around gently and never ever put away.

Oh bless him - I know it's horrible when they are so very upset and inconsolable and sobbing you kind of lose all sense for a bit.

Hopefully he will enjoy building it all over again with you.

Perhaps glue it together as it is rebuilt this time. I keep meaning to do this for DS (who just doesn't get why they fall apart when he plays roughly with them).

anyone any suggestions for the best lego sticking glue?

I made the fire station when I was about 9. It took forever and it was really hard.

My sister accidentally trod on it the next day.

I was so upset I never built it again.

I am just about over it now (after 22 years).

Uptoapoint I haven't tried Lego Technik, I think I will though. I always like a challenge. :o

DP and I were just discussing K'nex, I'm not too keen because it's plastic and clicks together. Doesn't feel as fun as the metal stuff for some reason.

OP, you have climbed down very graciously indeed. Have a gold star and a hug!

SchroSawMargeryDaw I failed to make a wheel with knex once and have been haunted by it ever since, so am thinking whether to pretend to get it for DS2's birthday.

Hahn OP I was all ready to say you we BVU, get some bloomin instructions online!

But there you are

I've had MN make me see sense several times, it happens to the best of us

The big carnival wheel? That one did look fun! You should give it another go.

I think a 4 year old is not old enough to be left to play by themselves. I do let them play in rooms without an adult but I have moved any special toys to where I can watch them play with it or put it so they can't. I am sorry but I don't think I would be offering to replace an £80 toy.

As the host I would think it was my fault for leaving it where it could be played with!

OP, you are funny. And very gracious.
Why don't you contact your friend and tell her about your lego-realisation? She will laugh, and you will too.

I bloody love lego. I love it more than my DS (4) does. And I am so excited about when he's older, and I'll he'll get to play with Technics.

OP, you've taken this really well! Your DS is still very young, so you probably haven't got that much Lego "experience" yet. I'm the first to admit that I was coming out in hives and wealds when my DS started taking apart his own lego and rebuilding it, but that's a massive part of the fun with Lego!! Chalk it up to experience!

Oh OP, I feel for you, sit down have a cup of tea :)

When you put it together this time, superglue it. Job's a good un.

MN works.