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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU for having the one drink?

199 replies

AIBU6006 · 22/04/2021 20:11

Name changed for this post.

I was asked by the DM of my sons best friend if I could pick up her DD and watch her for 30 minutes after school as she had been offered an appointment for her first covid vaccination and she didn't want to cancel and rebook the appointment as she'd have to wait 5 weeks for the next available appointment. I told her no problem. (DS and his best friend are 10yo)

The DM is a single parent and pretty much doesn't have any support so I decided to offer for her DD to stay over for longer and have dinner with us and I'd take her back home at around 6.30pm so the DM could have a break. The DM said yes please so that was the plan.

I have another DS who's 8 and the 3 of them were playing video games in the living room so I decided to go and read in the garden so I wasn't hovering around them. I could see and hear them from where I was sitting in the garden.

We all had pizza in the garden together and played a board game and then they went back in to continue playing.

I had 1 bottle of kopparberg in the fridge left over from the weekend so decided to treat myself and have it while sat out reading in the sun after they went back indoors.

My Dsis came into the garden to pick up couple of my deck chairs I said I would lend to her for the coming weekend and she noticed I was having a drink and began chastising me and was shocked that I was consuming alcohol while I was looking after someone else's child and said if she was the mother of the best friend she would have been appalled that I was under the influence of alcohol while caring for her child.

I don't drink often and only have a couple here and there and was only planning on having that one cider. I had only had a third of the drink at this point and I ended up pouring the rest down the sink because she'd made me feel absolutely guilty and ashamed. I honestly didn't see the problem with it to start with but now I'm wondering if I'd been completely irresponsible and I feel terrible! Was it something stupid to do?

OP posts:
S111n20 · 22/04/2021 20:49

@Sunshineandflipflops

I’ve had many a glass of wine or two while in charge of other people’s kids. I find it helps 😂
😂 you did nothing wrong.
LST · 22/04/2021 20:49

Wouldn't even registered with me. Not remotely unreasonable

Purpleweeks · 22/04/2021 20:55

I wouldn't get upset over one drink but I would consider it an odd thing to do.

rachelgreensroom · 22/04/2021 20:57

I don't think you did anything wrong! Bit mean of your sister to make a big deal out of it. Try not to let it get to you.

ConstantlyChanging · 22/04/2021 21:03

I’d find it a bit odd if someone looking after my young child was drinking before 6pm.

gamerchick · 22/04/2021 21:04

Why didn't you insert the deckchairs into her mealy mouthed gob?

HTH1 · 22/04/2021 21:07

Nonsense, if you had been driving or looking after someone else’s baby, then you shouldn’t have had a drink. In the circs, YWNBU!

Happytobejabbed · 22/04/2021 21:09

I’d rather someone looking after my children had a drink and read rather than falling asleep.

AIBU6006 · 22/04/2021 21:35

@Chasingsquirrels

I'm teetotal so don't know the particular brand, but assuming the 1 bottle was a single serve not a 2 litre bottle then I'd be totally relaxed about you looking after my child in that situation. I wouldn't be quite so relaxed if you were then driving him home, but that comes from me always driving if the person I'm with has had a drink as I won't have done so. Your sister sounds over the top and I don't think you should feel ashamed.
Yes, it was a single serving.
OP posts:
MrsJBaptiste · 22/04/2021 21:37

I wouldn't do it if it was the child of someone I didn't know that well.

The child of one of my close friends? They know what I'm like! 🥂

ThorosBeta · 22/04/2021 21:41

If the playdate involved operating heavy machinery then you were being very unreasonable.

AIBU6006 · 22/04/2021 21:50

@fairynick

You were not being unreasonable at all. Sounds like your sister was thinking if of an excuse to have a go - is there another reason she might be annoyed at you? When I was a child, my mum would often stay for a glass of wine with the friends mum when she’d drop me on play dates hahaha
No, I don't think so. We get on well. But she does have a tendency to get quite judgmental and opinionated at times and has rubbed people up the wrong way because of it.
OP posts:
curtaintwizzler · 22/04/2021 22:26

No. It's just one cider. Not a bottle vodka

curtaintwizzler · 22/04/2021 22:29

Would people judge blokes for having one cider or beer whilst looking after the kids? Or is it just women who aren't allowed?

Dizzy1234 · 22/04/2021 22:31

I didn't realise that people could actually supervise a play date without having a drink! Imo it's a necessity 😂
Your sister has too much to say for herself, ignore her 💐

Suzi888 · 22/04/2021 22:35

Unsure.... what if there was an accident and you had to drive to hospital or explain the incident to a doctor? Hmm

1Morewineplease · 22/04/2021 22:36

I'm just surprised that you only had one bottle to be honest!

shouldistop · 22/04/2021 22:38

Unsure.... what if there was an accident and you had to drive to hospital or explain the incident to a doctor?

So do you just never have even one alcoholic drink incase there's an accident? A doctor wouldn't care if you'd had a drink. If it's a genuine emergency then you call an ambulance.

Northernsoullover · 22/04/2021 22:39

@Suzi888

Unsure.... what if there was an accident and you had to drive to hospital or explain the incident to a doctor? Hmm
Here we go.. a) walk b) call the mother if it was her child who was the injured party c) call a fucking taxi? In all my years of parenting only ONCE have I needed to go to A & E in the evening. What the hell do you think non drivers do? Leave a child with a limb hanging off?
Northernsoullover · 22/04/2021 22:40

Damn! I forgot the ambulance Grin

SakuraEdenSwan1 · 22/04/2021 22:41

You should not be drinking anything if you are driving.

Chihuahuacat · 22/04/2021 22:44

@Suzi888

Unsure.... what if there was an accident and you had to drive to hospital or explain the incident to a doctor? Hmm
I hope you’re being sarcastic. One cider isn’t going to make someone incoherent in a hospital setting.

Also, you realise lots of people don’t drive? What if they have an accident?

BumCat · 22/04/2021 22:45

What is it with mumsnet making up details that aren’t in the original post!?

Your sister is very unreasonable, op. You are fine.

YellowandGreenToBeSeen · 22/04/2021 22:46

@SakuraEdenSwan1

You should not be drinking anything if you are driving.
Read. The. Not. Very. Long. Thread.

The child lives a minutes walk away.

BogRollBOGOF · 22/04/2021 22:49

Lightweight as I am, I can drink a bottle of Koppaberg and sucessfully keep 10yos alive and unharmed.

YANBU