To ask her not to bring her DD?

[ShawnaHawkins]

Partly AIBU, partly WWYD

My friend has her own business providing training courses and I am one of her customers. She was looking to expand her business into providing courses in a related area and very kindly offered me some free sessions for the new course so that she can get comfortable with delivering the coaching. I am interested in the new course so gratefully accepted.
She is having some work done to her home office so we agreed to meet at a local cafe for the sessions and do them over a late lunch. I didn't mind this because the cafe is quiet, especially on the day and time we agreed to meet.

My problem is that she has brought her 18 month DD to the sessions. Her DD is wonderful and I love seeing them both, but we hardly get any work done because DD is being a typical 18 month old and understandably won't sit quietly while her mum teaches me the material.

We've had 2 of the 6 sessions so far. Our existing business relationship has not changed (i.e. I'm still paying for the original service) and the paid-for course takes place at a completely different time and location.

I was really grateful to be offered the sessions but we aren't getting any work done, it ends up being 50 minutes of DD-wrangling, and 5 minutes of my friend trying to explain something before giving up and telling me she'll just email me the information. AIBU to ask if we can do the other sessions without her DD and offer to change day or time if that works better, or to say that I don't want to continue with the sessions if we absolutely can't do them without her DD?

Or should I just mentally write off the idea of getting skills training out of this and just enjoy catching up with my friend and seeing her DD?

I'm such a chicken with this kind of thing!

That sound frustrating.

I would just write off the sessions and enjoy spending the time, and take whatever you can from it. It sounds as if she was hoping to practice on you, more than teaching you anything perhaps.

The difficulty would be if she sees this as a 'freebie' for you, so maybe mention that you're hoping she's benefitted from your input

The problem is that the idea was for your friend to practice the material.

And she can’t.

That’s that tack I’d take personally. Not that it’s not worth your while but that it’s perhaps not worth hers and stressful to boot.

Ask her how she feels it going or does she want to rethink the plan.

You are friends but presumably part of the deal is that you can give feedback. This is feedback.

Thank you! That is a good way to frame it. I'll see her for the paid course before the next free course session, so I'll ask her how she thinks it is going and if I'm giving useful input