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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Was IBU to not replace this drink?

422 replies

SoftPlayStandOff · 10/04/2019 15:25

Soft play centre. Large one with different areas for different age groups.

I'm sat in the corner of the pre-schooler area - DS2 (4) and DS3 (2) are around and about playing. I stand up and look the opposite way to check on DS1 (7) and DD1 (10) who are elsewhere in the older kids section. When I turn around DS2 has a fruit shoot in his hand. I tell him to put it down, its not his. He does so and I think no more of it.

A couple of minutes later a woman comes up and tells me DS2 has drunk out of her child's drink. I apologise, say that i didn't see him drink it but I'd asked him to put it down when I saw he had it. She went away.

I speak to DS2 and he says DS3 handed it to him so he thought it was DS3's so had a mouthful. DS3 had picked it up from the middle of the floor in the middle of the soft play.

A couple of minutes later the woman's friend comes and asks if i'm replacing the drink. I laugh thinking she's joking and explain that I was sorry but it had been left in the middle of the floor and my toddler picked it up and gave it to his brother. She says again - 'well XXX can't drink it now its had his lips on it, are you going to by another?' I apologised again and suggested that surely a wipe with a baby wipe would be fine? She looks incredulous and says something about germs. I point out that its softplay - germs are everywhere and no, i was not replacing a drink that had been left in the middle of the room that my child had inadvertently taken a sip of.

Had this been a reverse I would have just wiped the bottle and let my kid get on with their drink. If i was the sort to be concerned by germs i would have not been at softplay or at the very least i would have kept my kids bottles by me (as I had done with my own kids bottles).

They proceed to bitch about it loudly until I left.

SO WIBU to not replace the drink in these circumstances?

OP posts:
Tinyteatime · 10/04/2019 15:42

I would probably have offered to replace it. Definitely as she asked.

NKFell · 10/04/2019 15:44

For me, YABU. It's not about germs, just to be polite.

Memeface · 10/04/2019 15:44

I wouldn't have replaced it.

Cloudyyy · 10/04/2019 15:44

It’s very rude not to offer to replace a drink your toddler took.

Mememeplease · 10/04/2019 15:44

Table, yes I'd replace.
Middle of floor no. If it was where it was supposed to be, your child wouldn't have drunk it.

I don't blame the woman for not letting her child drink it after yours though. YABU to suggest that.

NoooorthonerMum · 10/04/2019 15:45

My youngest dropped her dummy in the toddler's soft play once. I couldn't find it and eventually discovered it in the mouth of other toddler. I apologised to other mum and assured her I don't think we have any bugs at the moment. Of course stuff that gets left on the floor of the soft play is going to be considered public property by toddlers. That's why you shouldn't leave your drink lying around there.

Thingsthatgo · 10/04/2019 15:45

I would’ve offered to replace, definitely, and apologised on behalf of my son. If it were the other way round though, I would refuse a replacement and laugh it off.

MuddyMoose · 10/04/2019 15:47

For the sake of 70p or whatever I'd of replaced it. Your child drank someone else's drink regardless of how much.

Threads like this make me laugh though.
OP - so am I bring unreasonable?
(Some) Replies - Yes.
OP - Argues they are definitely not unreasonable.

Don't ask for other peoples opinions if you're adamant you're in the right in the first place.

HarrysOwl · 10/04/2019 15:47

I'm shocked at the amount of incredulous posters talking about etiquette - what the hell?

OP you didn't do anything wrong at all. You behaved like a normal person.

Your kid took a sip from a drink handed to him that was on the floor, it's not like he took it off someone else's table and downed it.

I doubt the other mother would have said anything if her friend hadn't been with her.

Marlena1 · 10/04/2019 15:49

In her shoes I would never in a million years have asked/expected you to replace it but if asked to I probably would have. While I agree it's a bit petty it wasn't his and he (like any child would) drank from it. Although I would have had a good bitch about her afterGrin

Bluntness100 · 10/04/2019 15:49

I would have apologised and offered to replace it, she wouldn't have had to ask me. However on the flip side, I also wouldn't have asked you to. I'd have replaced it myself, or told my child tough, you left it lying you lose it.

So for me, neither of you covered yourselves in glory for the sake of quid.

TheInvestigator · 10/04/2019 15:49

Taken from their table then yes but abandoned in the middle of the play area were drinks aren't allowed... no way would I buy another on for them.
They let their kid take it in and dump it in the middle of the floor where other children will of course pick it up.

NoooorthonerMum · 10/04/2019 15:50

@MuddyMoose

Actually RTFT! Of course OP shouldn't have had to replace the drink and most posters have agreed with her. If your leave a drink on the floor of the soft play (which is just stupid and not allowed anyway) then don't be surprised when someone takes it. OP also said the drinks are expensive and she had budgeted carefully for the outing and couldn't afford more. The other woman was being a moron!

NoooorthonerMum · 10/04/2019 15:51

A lot of posters here obviously don't realise what it's like for people who have to budget carefully "for the sake of a few quid" is nothing to you but it means not having bus fair for a trip to the library for someone else.

SoftPlayStandOff · 10/04/2019 15:52

muddy i was suprised the first responses were that IWBU, had the entire thread continued in that vein i would have had to reconsider my point of view. as you will note, it hasn't, it seems quite divided as to whether IWBU or not!

OP posts:
MissClareRemembers · 10/04/2019 15:53

I wonder how many other toddlers had a swig before your DC stumbled upon it?? Could’ve been slobbered on by loads of other kids.

She was BU to allow her DC to wander off with the drink and I think on your shoes, I would have bought another but made it clear it was a gesture of goodwill and that she needs to keep it on the table.

HarrysOwl · 10/04/2019 15:53

It’s very rude not to offer to replace a drink your toddler took.

He didn't.

recall · 10/04/2019 15:54

Softplaystandoff ...I just read this out to my husband and he thinks you are not being unreasonable 😂...it’s a good one !

Order654 · 10/04/2019 15:55

You should of replaced it. Your child drank someone else’s drink. The older one was old enough to know it wasn’t theirs. It’s just manky. I don’t want my kids drinking it after your kids have had some. Stop being tight and just replace it.

Baconmaker · 10/04/2019 15:55

What kind of idiot leaves stuff lying around on the floor of the soft play and is surprised it gets picked up by toddlers? YANBU she was a cheeky cow. If my toddler is in a cafe I'll watch what they're doing and make sure they don't take things from other people's tables. If they're in a soft play where drinks aren't allowed I don't make sure because no one should have brought drinks in there in the first place.

AuntieCJ · 10/04/2019 15:56

YWBU.

I can't believe anyone would think otherwise.

HavelockVetinari · 10/04/2019 15:56

Wow, this is a bonkers thread, I genuinely can't believe that anyone thinks OP is BU Confused

cricketmum84 · 10/04/2019 15:56

In the reverse situation no I wouldn't have asked the parent to replace the drink, especially if it had been left on the floor in the play area. Maybe I need to be more assertive though.

I wouldn't have offered to replace the drink but if asked by the parent I probably would have bought them a new one just to keep the peace.

Baconmaker · 10/04/2019 15:56

@Order654

Tough luck - if you don't want your kid drinking a drink another kids has drunk don't leave it on the floor of the soft play. If you're stupid enough to take drinks in there (ignoring signs telling you not to) don't be a cheeky bint and ask someone else to replace it buy it yourself.

ShirleyPhallus · 10/04/2019 15:56

.I just read this out to my husband and he thinks you are not being unreasonable

Why on earth do people do this. Is someone external’s view supposed to be more valuable somehow than the rest of the posters on the thread? Confused