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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To rant about my children's now ruined brand new clothes?

275 replies

D0oinMeCleanin · 02/08/2013 15:31

I know I am BU but I am so pissed off I don't care.

My parents took my children camping at their expense for two weeks. This is awesome and I am incredibly lucky to have such a close and supportive family.

As the weather was hot and they've grown since last summer, I had gave them their holiday clothes for our holiday this year.

My parents have allowed them to go a play park in their brand, spanking new white shorts. They have not soaked the resulting stains as soon as they occurred, they've been through the wash twice with surf, vanish in wash and vanish spray on stain remover, nothing has touched it, they're now soaking in the sink with half water, half vanish. They're obviously going top need replacing Angry

I know I am lucky that my kids got a free holiday and in the grand scheme of things they're only shorts, but I am so fucking annoyed that no-one thought to ask them to change into more suitable clothing for going to the park in the mud. They'd only worn the shorts once.

OP posts:
Bogeyface · 02/08/2013 23:58

And it wouldnt be quite so bad but if an MNer posted saying

"MIL is taking the kids away for a holiday and I told her not to worry about washing, she should just bin the kids clothes at the end of the holiday! After all, the clothes cost me far less than 2 weeks childcare. AIBU?" we all know what the response would be!

MidniteScribbler · 03/08/2013 00:11

My DS will never go camping with his grandparents. He'll never even know them. They'll never babysit for him, never take him to a pub, never take him on two weeks holiday. And if they were alive, and he could do any of those things with them, I wouldn't want them to waste a single minute of that precious time by worrying about washing kids play clothes.

ItsNotATest · 03/08/2013 00:34

Can we have a link to the cerise play suits?

StayAwayFromTheEdge · 03/08/2013 00:37

I realise when you have gone wrong - you should never camp anywhere where they have a pub on site!

Beastofburden · 03/08/2013 00:39

People don't soak clothes on holiday, especially not grandparents who are busting a gut giving young kids a good time. If the kids were older you could say, I have packed you one smart outfit each in case you need it, don't ruin them. But if they are too young for that, too bad.

You can't control everything in life. You have now spent hours and money faffing around with various ways to clean these shorts. it will probably rain for the rest of the holidays now. Let it go.

SavoyCabbage · 03/08/2013 00:46

You are placing far too high value on what your dds wear and look like.

I had tomato stains on a tablecloth that I couldn't get out with vanish, lemon juice of full on undiluted domestos, but they faded away to nothing in the sun.

paperclipsarebetterthanstaples · 03/08/2013 00:53

You sound like my lovely but slightly cooky friend who has specific cinema outfits, stuff only to be worn to quiz nights, set clothes for lunch out...

Honestly, don't stress the small stuff.

Ham69 · 03/08/2013 01:02

Is this a joke? Did your kid's have a lovely time? FFS, surely that's all that matters.

Swallowing · 03/08/2013 01:02

So your children's clothes mean more to you than the fact that they had fun?
My children are always filthy, because they are having fun in puddles, mud, sand, paint, etc. I couldn't give a shit about whether they have brand new, sparkling pristine clothes, because they are happy (and very very dirty) I feel sorry for your kids. Don't say anything about how your family do the laundry. You are insane

bragmatic · 03/08/2013 03:44

If I bought white shorts for my children, and sent them off to a pure white tiled room to dive into a swimming pool of bleach, they'd still find a way to stain them.

TotallyBursar · 03/08/2013 03:58

Didn't you post about turning your mobile off because dd1 was using a borrowed phone to moan and disagree with what her grandparents wanted her to do? Sil's phone I think...

They dealt with 2 weeks of your instructions, on top of the clothes lists, a stroppy little madam and trying to give them a good time. I'm not surprised they didn't feel particularly inclined to find a way to soak the arse of some shorts - with all those more-than-basic laundry accoutrements you keep to hand behind the sanny- shorts one would assume you deemed suitable for camping, they even followed your evening wear instructions. Amazingly enough anywhere outside can be dirty.
So you end up having to be cross with your dc for wearing them outside of their bedroom or...yourself for all the reasons above.

Playsuits accidentally got stained when your family tried to do you yet another favour.

Even petsitting (with the dog in kennels) you come out very much on top in the arrangement.

Fakebook · 03/08/2013 04:23

This has probably been said 200 times before but, white shorts for camping? Seriously?

nooka · 03/08/2013 04:28

wtf are playsuits? Am I the only one that finds the idea of two little girls in perfect non play possible outfits slightly unsettling?

The OP's idea of camping seems pretty diametrically opposed to my experience, but then I don't really get the idea of camping near a pub anyway. Sounds more like going to a Butlins type holiday camp.

sashh · 03/08/2013 06:07

bye some dye

exoticfruits · 03/08/2013 06:22

Yes- just dye them a different colour.
I am not keen on camping anyway but I would want to be on a campsite well away from it- one with a kiddies disco sounds like hell!

Jan49 · 03/08/2013 06:23

YABU You should be very grateful to the gps for taking your dc away for 2 weeks. Please don't say anything to them about the stained clothing.

I'm a bit puzzled about the importance of the shorts. You're talking about possibly losing one pair of shorts per child. Just how much difference could the loss of those make to the amount of clothing they have available to wear on your holiday with them? Were they each going to have one pair to wear for the entire holiday? Confused

SpooMoo · 03/08/2013 06:29

How old are your kids OP? Do they choose what to pack and what to wear? The outfits you describe sound like they are older.

BeaWheesht · 03/08/2013 06:29

Wow. You don't know you're born OP.

exoticfruits · 03/08/2013 06:35

You don't give ages, but a word of advice for the future- if they go on Cub/Brownie camp or a school residential do NOT send any good clothing- they will do the equivalent of wipe the floor with them!

exoticfruits · 03/08/2013 06:35

And the leaders/teachers will not be the least bothered and it won't cross their mind to soak them.

Poppy4453 · 03/08/2013 06:42

Who buys white? Silly choice of clothing.

WeAll · 03/08/2013 06:52

Why is everyone so against white?
DS had some white trousers with an adjustable waist that lasted from when he was 2, rolled up, when he was 3, actual length, and now when he is 4, rolled up again as shorts. They've always washed fine.
He has just managed to stain them, after all that time, with something I can't get out. I am going to dye them black for next year!

WeAll · 03/08/2013 06:55

I think the problem is as someone else mentioned, that you are buying your DDs clothes to look pretty in, in which their normal actions are limited.
Maybe buy more generally suitable clothes all round next year.

I feel sorry for them, being sent to change if somewhere looks too grubby. Learning to always hesitate before having fun in case they spoil clothes. It's a share really.

merrymouse · 03/08/2013 07:11

Do children never spill drinks at these Turkish pub discos?

VBisme · 03/08/2013 07:15

Yes YABU I hope you've thanked your parents for looking after your children for 2 weeks.
That's incredibly generous of them, they sound lovely.

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