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AIBU?

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Original poster

Friend helped herself to Calpol while house-sitting

254 replies

Usernamqwerty · 31/08/2019 17:43

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? 🤔

OP posts:
Countrylifeornot · 01/09/2019 18:20

@mamaraah why wouldn't you buy liquid paracetamol from the pharmacy, correctly dosed for adults, thereby negating the need to swig half a bottle at a time? I'm aware that many adults can't or won't swallow tablets, but to actively choose Calpol over adult medication is a bit baffling.

happycamper11 · 01/09/2019 18:21

I had to use my sisters calpol when house sitting once. I had a banging headache and it was all i could find. Itbwasnt out of choice - vile stuff! Thankfully she didn't react that way.

CAK111512 · 01/09/2019 18:22

The house sitter should have let the home owner know or even bought another bottle of it.. Maybe her son woke up poorly in the night and she was surprised she didn’t have any calool for him? I always ensure I have a bottle in the cupboard for those moments.

Riwan123xx · 01/09/2019 18:23

Tell her to grow up

happycamper11 · 01/09/2019 18:28

I've had jam in my fridge for over a year and it's fine. How long ago was this incident that you've now had to throw it away?

Sb74 · 01/09/2019 18:34

This is madness!! Ha ha ha.

And who saves jam for something??? I wouldn’t give jam a second thought. Was the op sat at work, week after week, dreaming about all the special things she plans to do on the day she finally opens the JAM jar and then ... bam.... . L has only gone and helped herself again. Damn you L. Damn you. You ruin everything; needing to eat and stuff when staying at your friends houses, helping them out for FREE- I suppose you drank their water from the tap too L, to keep yourself alive. How very dare you!!! Goodness me! This is thrilling stuff.

duffeldaisy · 01/09/2019 18:35

Yes, you can get little sachets! Or is that for Ibuprofen only?
I think it's Calpol too - it's been a few years since I carried one about, but I used to take a sachet or two around in my bag in case of emergencies when out for a long daytrip.

They come in boxes and are much lighter than lugging a whole bottle about for one dose. I highly recommend them!

Biancadelrioisback · 01/09/2019 18:41

Okay, so D really should have just gone to the 24 hour shop near by when she realised there was none left, then mentioned to L that in future could she just tell her if she uses the last of something, especially medication as it's not great having to drag a poorly child to the supermarket in the middle of the night.
On the flip side, a house-sitter isn't barred from leaving the house at all. L could have easily taken herself to the 24 hour supermarket nearby to grab some paracetamol when she needed it. Or, she should have written a note to say she'd finished the Calpol.
Also, while yes L was doing D a favour by house-sitting, it sounds like she does this for a few different people so could always say no if it was inconvenient. Just because D asked didn't mean L was obligated to do it. And while she wasn't being paid, I imagine she ate and drank whatever she wanted, used the electricity and water etc so it's not like she had to make do in the dark and the cold.

MyHeartIsInCornwall · 01/09/2019 18:47

As a parent, it would be a bit annoying to find out it was gone, but of course anyone reasonable would just go and get more. I wouldn’t even mention to the friend that had the decency to save me hundreds by dog and house sitting!

Btw...I always have about 3 bottles in various cupboards around the house to hand. I can’t be the only one? One bottle would go quick sharp in mine though as I have 3 dc’s 😬😆

faceorembrace · 01/09/2019 18:49

Sorry, but I am on D's side. If you have a sick or teething baby and you find the pain relief you believed was there was not, because some adult swigged it and never bothered to tell you, you have a right to be angry.

Adults can manage pain better than babies and young children. What adult takes a child's pain relief and doesn't let the parent know? Totally selfish.

L was unreasonable and so is everyone here having a go at D.

faceorembrace · 01/09/2019 18:51

Why do people think D should have just walked to the shops and got some more ( with screaming teething baby or sick child at 2am or whatever it was) but aren't saying why didn't L just pop to the shops to get some adult paracetemol? Surely it was easier for L to do that than D?

TheWernethWife · 01/09/2019 19:00

Face the OP still hasn't come back to say how old this son is or was D a single parent who had no-one to go and buy her some calpol. I think this information is useful in forming a reply to the post.

Toomuchtrouble4me · 01/09/2019 19:04

It wouldn’t even occur to me to use calpol for myself but she did - and presumably she drained the bottle if it wasn’t there when needed.
She should have told friend that she’d had the last of the , it’s horriblecwhen baby has a temperature and you have no calpol, esp when you know you’ve got some - and then an adult has drank it!
She shouldn’t replace it - it was surely almost empty anyway, but she should have told her or left the empty with a note.
Maybe this is the tip of the iceberg and she had the Krug too?

Sb74 · 01/09/2019 19:04

I’m sure L is very sorry for the inconvenience she caused d and didn’t mean it. Nevertheless d is completely ungrateful at L for looking after her dog and house and L no doubt felt ill. A bit shit at time of need for calpol of course but frankly most households with young kids have calpol falling out of every other cupboard so d should be more organised. L should tell her friends to find someone else to sit their big houses and posh dogs next time and then she would have all the jam and calpol she needs in her own home.

TanMateix · 01/09/2019 19:12

She should have told her she had used it. But replacing it??? When she is providing a house/pet sitting service that would have cost your other friend at least 70-90 bottles of Calpol. She is a tight piece of work, should go out to find more and send some flowers to nice friend who didn’t charge.

daisychain01 · 01/09/2019 19:20

I'm patenting Strawberry Jam flavoured Calpol.

daisychain01 · 01/09/2019 19:29

Did 'D' even bother to ask whether 'L' was feeling better now, or did she just launch into a torrent of abuse?

Friend helped herself to Calpol while house-sitting
ddl1 · 01/09/2019 19:34

I don't think it was particularly bad to use it if she needed it. However, she should have told the friend that she'd used it (especially as it would be pretty obvious that it was there for a child) and preferably have replaced it. Thoughtless behaviour, but not the crime of the century.

mathanxiety · 01/09/2019 19:36

It wasn't the child's house and dog she was looking after, so yes, she should have replaced it because it was the child's medicine.

Biancadelrioisback · 01/09/2019 19:59

@Daisychain01 where does it say she launched into a torrent of abuse?

Jeeperscreepers69 · 01/09/2019 20:14

A grown assed woman dosnt take calpol.

StarlingsInSummer · 01/09/2019 20:27

daisychain01 is strangely invested in this thread... maybe she’s D?!

FeeFee832 · 01/09/2019 20:48

Jam is 86p a jar in Aldi.

Just saying.

LatteLove · 01/09/2019 20:54

D is U given she got free house and dog sitting but L sounds a bit loopy as well, it wouldn’t even cross my mind to swing down calpol, yuck, she could have also driven to the nearby supermarket and bought some 30p painkillers

LatteLove · 01/09/2019 20:56

We keep opened jam in the fridge for weeks.

This, jam keeps for yonks because of the sugar content. That’s what it is, a means of preserving fruit after all