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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to come to conclusion someone stole from my toddler?

32 replies

livingthegoodlife · 14/02/2017 16:45

In supermarket today at the checkout with my toddler in buggy. She is two and was holding a very shiny £1 coin. I was watching her very carefully to check she didn't put it in her mouth.

When I came to pay I hadn't spent enough to get a refund for my car parking. I quickly went to the end aisle to grab some toothpaste to bump up the bill.

When I turned back to toddler she was holding a grotty 2 euro cent coin. A man piped up that her sister had £1 now. Other DD knew nothing about it.

I can only come to conclusion someone swapped her pretty £1 for a copper coin. Suspicions lie with the bloke.

I feel really sad that someone would take advantage of her like this. It's been bothering me all afternoon. Aibu for letting this upset me?

There is no way she got hold of the copper coin by accident or dropped the £1. I spent ages looking.

OP posts:
NotStoppedAllDay · 14/02/2017 17:00

Well, you turned your back... but also say you were watching her carefully. Not great is it, toddlers being toddlers things happen

What does her sister say happened?

SquinkiesRule · 14/02/2017 17:14

What an arse, who steals money from little kids. He seemed to have an answer quickly it was him.

NarkyMcDinkyChops · 14/02/2017 17:15

A man piped up that her sister had £1 now. Other DD knew nothing about it

Far more likely sister took it than random man.

You're coming across a little.......odd.

TalkingofMichaelAngel0 · 14/02/2017 17:18

She's made roughly 70p though with the current exchange rate!

SpongeBobJudgeyPants · 14/02/2017 17:20

Two Euro cents though Talking, not 2 Euros.

viques · 14/02/2017 17:24

So you walked away from your toddler who was holding a one pound coin in her hand.

You should be thanking your lucky stars you are not posting from a and e.

IHopeYouStepOnALegoPiece · 14/02/2017 17:32

I was watching her very carefully to check she didn't put it in her mouth

Except for when you moved away for long enough for someone to apparently steal it off her yeah?

WorraLiberty · 14/02/2017 17:36

I'd check her sister's pockets and then check her nappy if I were you...

Original poster
livingthegoodlife · 14/02/2017 17:39

Yeah I know, I was watching her carefully then I panicked because I was holding up the checkout whilst I grabbed the toothpaste (I hasten to add only about 2m away).

I admit I am grateful there was no choking incident!!

Sister didn't take it. She says she doesn't know what happened. Sister doesn't have the £1.

How did toddler get the 2 cent piece?

The whole incident is weird in my opinion.

(And hard to type and explain!)

OP posts:
DixieNormas · 14/02/2017 17:47

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Zaphodsotherhead · 14/02/2017 17:52

But how would the man know your toddler had a £1 coin? You were watching her, so you'd have noticed if he was staring at her....so, unless in the two seconds it took you to get the toothpaste he sussed she had a £1, found a 2c coin in his pocket and swapped the two over...are you absolutely sure it was a £1 coin in the first place? Easy to think it's one thing, but made a mistake...

DontTouchTheMoustache · 14/02/2017 17:52

I think the thing to take away from.this is never let your child play with coins because you can't be too careful about choking. You thought you were watching carefully enough but you were distracted long enough to go missing and it would take her much less time to swallow it. I'd be more bothered about that than anything else. Sometimes we think we are being safe enough but it only takes a moment for us to get flustered and make a mistake.

SilenceIsBroken · 14/02/2017 17:53

If he did take the money he was impressively quick off the mark to have a 2c ready to go on the off chance you turned your back!

DrivingMeBonkers · 14/02/2017 17:54

If the man had swapped the coin, the other DD would have seen it. How old is she?

PennyPickle · 14/02/2017 18:02

If the child in the buggy is a toddler I'm assuming her sister is older than a toddler? I'm sure any child over the age of 2 is able to tell you what happened in the 2 seconds you turned your back. This is a very strange thread Hmm

DearMrDilkington · 14/02/2017 18:03

I agree penny, this is really bizarre. Confused

WorraLiberty · 14/02/2017 18:03

A man piped up that her sister had £1 now.

Surely that ^^ means her sister took it? Confused

kali110 · 14/02/2017 18:08

I think you're lucky your dd didn't swallow the coin.

Beachedwh4le · 14/02/2017 18:09

Weirdest thread today Grin

DixieNormas · 14/02/2017 18:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SheRaaarghPrincessOfPower · 14/02/2017 18:16

A friend's toddler is currently in A&E after swallowing a coin, she needs surgery because it's stuck.

Do not let your small child play with coins, watching closely or not.

Chloe84 · 14/02/2017 18:18

Why would you give your 2 yo a coin they can potentially choke on in the supermarket? You would never have been able to watch her carefully continuosly. It sounds like you really, really wanted DD to enjoy the coin.

OnHold · 14/02/2017 18:19

More likely she dropped it and the man gave her the other coin to stop her kicking off

PennyPickle · 14/02/2017 18:19

Surely that ^^ means her sister took it?

Well, Worra, on the face of it she should have - except OP says sister doesn't have it and toddler doesn't have it. I guess 2 seconds is long enough for a toddler to swallow it. Stranger things have happened........How long does it take to leave a checkout and walk to the toothpaste aisle? 2 seconds? or 30? Mmm.....

I am sure if it was 2 seconds OP would either have seen the man approach the children, him swopping the coins, sister taking the coin (which would probably have resulted in some retaliation from the toddler) or the man still be talking with them.

kali110 · 14/02/2017 18:34

SheRaaarghPrincessOfPower yes. I just don't understand.
my first thought wouldn't be that a random bloke must have stolen it, but that it was the dsis or that she'd swallowed it Confused