Friend helped herself to Calpol while house-sitting

[Usernamqwerty]

Got a message from my friend (call her L) who had been house-sitting and dog-sitting (for no pay) for her friend ('D') who has a lovely massive house while D was away. L told me that she felt unwell and helped herself to some Calpol in the house. However, she forgot to replace it and now D is going bananas at her saying it wasn't there when her son needed it. L doesn't know what to do... was she BU in using it in the first place? 🤔

I think it just depends on the type of person you are, a selfish person would obviously not see it as an issue to use the last of something, especially something for a babies but it's not about using it, it's about being without it when your baby needs it.
Some people are just that way, pretty sad really.

I dunno, passive aggressively drinking the last drop of the poor wee bairn's medicine while stockpiling jam for Brexit - that L is truly something isn't she?!

Unless this person polished off an entire bottle of Calpol, there was probably only one dose left anyway, so shouldnt this Friend have kept enough Calpol in the house so they didn't run out, if it was that life-and-death?

Getting annoyed about it is petty and maybe shows they don't have very much else to worry about in life.

I was saving the jam for something else

A Victoria sponge for the Queen’s 100th birthday street party?

George Clooney popping in for a cream tea?

PMSL at the self-imposed jam deprivation between special jam events.

Unless D was in the habit of serving Calpol for dessert then we can safely assume that she went to get it because her baby, toddler or small child either had a high temp or was experiencing some pain, Lego.

No matter what time of day or night, it's a pita to have to get out to the 24 hour supermarket (moreso by night than by day) to get more, and not at all nice of the selfless L to walk off with the possibility of leaving a baby or child without medicine.

Forgetting isn't an excuse, JacquesHammer.
It's the problem.

I have absolutely no problem someone who is doing me a massive favour by house / pet sitting helping themselves to anything they need, be that food, drink, medicine, or whatever else. They're doing a massive favour and I'd tell them to help themselves.

It would be annoying if they used up all the calpol and didn't say anything, but I wouldn't question it or moan about it, because it's only a minor cost and inconvenience to have to replace it.

Eating some jam when you're staying with someone is hardly the crime of the century either. I'd also have absolutely no issue with that!

This is odd.

Norovirus is not caused by bad or out of date food...

Especially jam it's called a preserve for a reason fgs!

Terribly sad about the jam wastage.

We need more of a back story eg times etc.
If her child woke at 5am crying In pain and It was discovered there was no calpol, and all the shops are shut. I can under stand her being peeved. However if it was 5 in the afternoon and the shop is around the corner. Then yes it’s a case of over reaction Jackson.

It's thoughtless and callous to use up a baby's medicine and walk away.

Genuine question, is there evidence this was a premeditated callous act, deliberately swigging the last mouthful of Calpol whilst thinking "yummy, it tastes so much nicer knowing it's the last drop of Junior's meds'". Probably not.

over reaction Jackson

Countless times we've scrapped off a little bit of fur from the jam pot and we definitely haven't died, chucked up or needed to call 111. Jam is bombproof, in fact I'm thinking of adding a case of it to my Brexit stockpile.

Plus I just think it's polite to ask your host first before helping yourself...

I think two things are unreasonable:

• using all of something, especially without either replacing it, or mentioning that it's been used up, or
• opening an unopened thing (like the jam).

Norovirus is not caused by open jam. No one throws away jam, because it’s jam.

Food, tea, coffee - not bothered. Shower gel/bubble bath - not bothered.
Not washing up - I'd be annoyed.

But medication would drive me Batshit. You do not take other people's medication, whatever it is. As it is, the vast majority of our stuff is prescription only, but the few OTC things are there because when they are needed, they are needed NOW.

I had an ex who was rather fond of stealing my prescription painkillers to the extent of desperately needing them late at night, only to find they had all gone. So I am defensive of medication and would completely support her going ballistic at somebody stealing a baby's only pain and fever medication.

What baby??? The child could be 12 and the medicine needed for a headache at 3pm.

My 11yo gets an occasional and very intense eye pain -possibly junior migraine but GP is reluctant to diagnose at her age, we’re watch and wait, diary keeping.

There are no 24 hour supermarkets or pharmacies. 24 hour GP is 30 mins away.

As it happens, I have back up in the car, and sports bag. But only I know that.

Thank would be seriously pissed off if I couldn’t treat my child at 3am. Even if I just discovered it when I didn’t need it, I’d be pissed off. I’d calm down and know it was easy to forget to tell me... but initially I’d be so pissed off at the selfishness.

Not paying for house sitting is irrelevant, she was happy to do it. My friend jumps to house sit for other friends, as she’s living with her parents and needs the break!

The jam though?! You’re crackers on that one!

what adult uses calpol?

One who, in the throws of advanced labour has forgotten she's packed it in her hospital bag, I did manage to do the maths to work our dosage though 😂

My Mum would make a vatload of strawberry and raspberry jam every autumn and we’d eat it all year. I used to love it when you’d open one to find a layer of green mould on the top to peel away! I can see her in my mind’s eye now “Och, that’ll no do ye any harm!”. And she was right.

@raspberryk My brother cat sat a few weeks ago, he ate and drank us out of house and home as per expected. Because he was doing us a favour. He asked if I wanted it replaced and I of course declined. He then got pressies on top to say thanks.

That cracked me up. Reminds me of when my DP used to cat-sit for somebody when we were students and would always have panics about having eaten every morsel of food in the house at the end of the stay. They would say "use up the food or it will only go to waste" but he took that maybe a bit too literally!

There is some serious batshittery going on here - everyone assumes that the 'baby needed calpol in the middle of the night' but the OP was in the early evening - there are plenty of options to buy more at that time, and let's face it if you are house sitting you might get a headache etc. If I were L I'd tell D to piss off and pay for the privilege of someone housesitting in future..,,

This has to be the most batshit crazy MN thread ever. Who in their right mind begrudges a friend who is helping them out having a dose of Calpol. Presumably she was in pain and needed it rather than thinking, ooh tasty drink, I'll have a bit of that.

And as for objecting to a friend opening a jar of jam. Are we in a national jam shortage? When did jam become something to save for a special occasion.

I can only conclude I have had one too many gins this evening, and this is all a weird dream.

Well, come No Deal, we may well be suffering national shortages of jam and Calpol. Maybe that's the problem! :D

Norovirus is a virus. Clue's in the name. Food poisoning is caused by bacteria.