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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

What's your worst playdate experience?

304 replies

PumpkinSly · 28/09/2025 16:58

Aibu to ask what your worst playdate stories are (if you can still call it a play date at 9). DS has been to his friends this afternoon and has come home covered in what I can only assume is dog shit. The friend has two dogs and DS has come home with shit all over his shoes, trousers, t-shirt, and even in his hair. It doesn't even smell like normal dog shit. It is very cheesy in smell and it's all over him. He reeked. He said he spent time playing in the garden, but who lets kids play in a dog shit covered garden?! FFS! He's washed, we've cleaned the interior of the car, and his clothes are in the washing machine, so no long term damage. But I am sorely tempted to message the mother and tell her the state DS has come home in. DH thinks it's not worth it, and maybe he is right, so please, tell me your playdate nightmares to distract me.

OP posts:
Cantstopthenoise · 29/09/2025 14:33

My daughter used to play with a girl in the street who always messed up her art and craft stuff, made a mess all over the house and garden with soil when I was dealing with my older daughter after a seizure and always took small items which my daughter would notice and ask for them back and this girl would deny she had taken them. Her mother always claimed it was something she had bought and my daughter was making it up.

Once they had a sleepover at this girl's house and they were playing with a neighbour when the girl's mother frogmarched my daughter home claiming the girls were playing rude games!

We also had another girl over who smeared make-up all over my daughter's bedroom wall and ran downstairs saying the house was haunted and a ghost had done it. This same girl destroyed my daughter's Mini Brands by ripping cardboard boxes.

Didshejustsaythatoutloud · 29/09/2025 14:34

Skye109 · 29/09/2025 07:12

I really tried hard when DC were in primary school to make a big effort to have their friends round. I wanted our house to be a happy, open place that their friends enjoyed coming round to, and I wanted DC to enjoy being able to regularly have their friends over.
I had to deal with so much bad behaviour from other people's kids over the years that I slowly stopped inviting them.
By year 6, I was done.
I had brand new expensive toys broken. One kid would do things such as picking up DD's brand new Sylvanian caravan which cost £60 and snapping the door off on purpose which broke the hinges and he just stared at me blankly then walked off, Other kids would pick up DC's toys and deliberately smash or break them. Another kid would pick up toys and take them apart when they weren't designed to be taken apart thus breaking them in the process. I had kids absolutely trash DC's bedrooms, and I do mean trash as in they caused serious damage and destruction to the walls, carpets and bedroom furniture, damage which couldn't be repaired. I had a kid pick up a framed family photo in DS's bedroom and throw it across the room at the window. The glass in the frame smashed. I've had kids go into MY bedroom and trash it whilst I was downstairs cooking. I've had a kid who deliberately vandalised our garden slide the plastic platform you stand on at the top broke rendering it unusable. I've had newly applied wallpaper torn off my walls. I've had a friend of DS's go into younger DD's bedroom and rip heads off her dolls, tear up her drawings, throw her cuddly toys out of the window and rip up her new birthday present. My DM had bought a lovely china ornament for my DD and it was really sentimental to my DD who loved her granny to pieces - a kid picked it up, asked DD what it was, she said it's from my granny, and he threw it down hard on the wooden floor to deliberately smash it.
I've had felt tip scribbled over carpets and rugs. Curtains yanked off of hooks. I had a pile of birthday presents for my DS hidden in a cupboard ready to wrap up for his birthday the following week - a kid climbed up on to the chest of drawers, opened the cupboard up on the wall, found them, pulled them all down on to the floor and ripped open every single box and package - I had been in the garden at the time so didn't hear what was goingbon, I walked in horrified to see all DS's presents that had taken me weeks to shop for and had cost me a fortune, opened up and splayed all over the floor. Amongst all the presents there were 2 big boxes of expensive lego sets, each one with a theme, that had both been ripped open, every single separate bag of pieces, and all mixed up together in to 1 big dump of lego pieces on the floor, I remember thinking I will never know what pieces were meant to go with which set. Plus every other present ripped open, all the boxes torn up. I've had kids throwing rocks from the flowerbed in to the massivec10 foot newly bought luxury paddling pool which popped it.
And this is just the damage and destruction.
On top of that I've had behaviour meltdowns, screaming, tantrums, rudeness off the scale, like unbelievable rudeness, terrible manners, insults about my home, horrible behaviour multiple times over.
I live in a very middle class. All these kids, every one of them, come from professional respectable parents.
When I raised issues with parents I never got an apology.
The irony of all this is that my DC are well behaved and very respectful to our home and they really look after their things, they always treasured their toys when they were little, and they would get really upset and distressed by all this behaviour from friends.
Honestly, we went through years of different friends coming over and they were all the same.
I was done in the end.
Now in years 7 and 9 I never have their friends round anymore. I stopped in year 6, I was broken! And I'm really sad about it. Our house is just us 4 now and I'm really sorry it never has their friends round anymore.

😮😱

crossstitchingnana · 29/09/2025 14:41

Dunno, could be the bucket of water they threw down my stairs, the one child who ate so much food she proceeded to vomit or the one who insisted on chasing my child around spitting food at them. Not the same child. All three had their parents called and never came back.

blackandwhite000 · 29/09/2025 14:48

My son was 5 and had just started school. We had had a number of successful play dates with various little ones and one week he brought Brian (not his name) home. Brian spent the entire time playing with DSs toys and not really interacting much, but they were cohabiting in the playroom happily so I left them to it, occasionally popping my head round the door. While making dinner I heard an almighty scream and raced through, to find Brian squatting in the middle of the room, pants round his ankles, shitting on my floor. My DS was shouting at him to stop, while Brian made direct eye contact with me and continued to curl one out. I tried to coax him to stop and use the toilet, to which his gaze never faltered. Once finished he simply pulled his pants up and looked at me. I rang his mum, who said they'd been having some toilet training issues (she had not warned me) and she came to collect him. I did not mention it to anyone else and then, a year or so later, another mum was saying she had a playdate with him that week....and the same thing happened! Brian will be 26 now and I often wonder if he's still out there in the wild doing it.

Sweetleftfood · 29/09/2025 14:56

Eastie77Returns · 29/09/2025 13:44

Ah I forgot the batshit playdate school mum when DS was about 5. Sorry about the length, it is all coming back to me.

We arranged to meet at the park with her DD who the school mum said was great friends with DS. DS didn't know who I was talking about when I mentioned the girl's name and told me he had never played with her... but I'd already accepted the invite so off we went.

Mum and her DD arrived 30 mins late. The mum insisted the DC were buddies to the visible confusion of both children. Anyway it was fine, they ran off happily to play on a piece of equipment that included ropes they had to climb up. DS was a bit of a ninja and managed to climb up quite quickly, the little girl struggled but was not bothered at all. Nevertheless the mum ran over to her, grabbed her by the shoulders and said loudly "DD, this is a CHALLENGE that you cannot overcome right now. We've talked about challenges. It does not mean you are not good enough or strong enough" and carried on giving what I can only call a demented pep talk on recognising your strengths and celebrating your weaknesses. She then hugged her daughter and came back over to me spouting on about how proud she is of her daughter's "inner vitality". This continued throughout our time in the park as she hovered over every single piece of equipment the girl played on, giving a running commentary on how amazing she was "what does jumping on this roundabout say about you? Yes you are agile!"

Later on as we were walking home she started talking to me about a job interview that she had the following week. However every couple of seconds she would spell out a word instead of saying it e.g. "So next week I have a J-O-B interview with a C-O-M-P-A-N-Y..." and so on. She told me it was because Olivia was so bright but very sensitive and she has to hide how much she says in her presence.

This was several years ago and remains to this day one of the strangest interactions I have ever had with another human being.

This reminds me of a mum I encountered in the playground when my DS was about 5ish. We didn't know them but her son and mine played together so we struck up a conversation. She sounded British as in no detectable foreign accent but kept talking to her child in a language I couldn't quite recognised and since I am bilingual and spoke to my son in my language I interestedly asked which language she spoke.to her child in. Oh I am trying to get my son bilingual, they are so impressionable at this age so I only speak French to him.She told me she is not particularly fluent in French but since kids that age learn languages so easily she thought she'd try it. I am in no way fluent in French but definitely know enough to get by and what she spoke to the son sounded absolutely nothing like French at all. I've often wondered if it worked out for her.

Cel77 · 29/09/2025 15:02

Your son is 9 and he rolled around in dog's sht? Is he not aware of his surroundings? It's disgusting to let kids play in a garden where there's dog sht but I'd expect 9 years old to stay well away from it!

floraldreamer · 29/09/2025 15:03

TheatricalLife · 29/09/2025 13:23

I had that when I was a kid! I remember sitting and watching the family eating their tea at the table (a proper, plated hot meal for the dad, mum and three kids) while I had nothing. I was expected to sit and wait quietly in the adjoining living room -I wasn't even allowed the TV on. I don't think I ever mentioned it to my mum. I definitely never went over again, despite being asked.

I have had this too. It wasn't a 'formal' meal but my friend went to her Dad and said 'I want some of this!' and showed him a tin of spaghetti hoops and sausages. Dad made her it.
I was starving when I got home and told my Mum who was fuming.

Shakemesexy · 29/09/2025 15:17

Meandmyguy · 29/09/2025 13:40

My son went on a play date once and couldn't find the toilet so shit in his pants and put them behind the sink pedestal.

He was only small but that mother never spoke to me again.

But if he was at the sink he was in very close proximity to the toilet no?

User987439 · 29/09/2025 15:17

crossstitchingnana · 29/09/2025 14:41

Dunno, could be the bucket of water they threw down my stairs, the one child who ate so much food she proceeded to vomit or the one who insisted on chasing my child around spitting food at them. Not the same child. All three had their parents called and never came back.

Getting angry at a child for eating too much and vomiting sounds pretty heartless. There could have been many reasons for that, the most obvious one being you served too big portions and the child was coached to finish everything on their plate. Or you had too much junk food out and the child is not allowed that sort of thing at home and stuffed themselves. Or they had too much water/juice in their glass and felt obliged to finish it all with their food.

DancingwiththeEuropeans · 29/09/2025 15:21

Shakemesexy · 29/09/2025 15:17

But if he was at the sink he was in very close proximity to the toilet no?

Maybe they had separate bathroom and toilet, that would confuse a child I'm sure.

BertieBotts · 29/09/2025 15:22

This was several years ago now. I had taken my then 4yo to a friend's house after school to play. The mother offered to make chicken nuggets for the children which I accepted. As we were in the kitchen putting them in the oven she told me her partner smoked weed and - you don't mind do you? I thought it was a bit of a weird question, but politely said I didn't mind, because I felt it was none of my business. We went outside to watch the children again and her partner proceeded to light up a joint right then and there and they passed it around between them and offered it to me Shock I must have been incredibly naive and sheltered but I had not imagined in a million years that I was being asked "Is it OK if my partner smokes weed 5 feet from our very young children?" I didn't know people even did that. I assumed she meant that he smoked it in the evening when their child was in bed or something.

I was so taken aback I couldn't think what on earth to do. I felt it would be rude to leave immediately since the food was cooking in the oven, so I stayed there feeling incredibly uncomfortable trying to make polite conversation for the next 20 minutes while it cooked and then the children ate until I felt I could make an excuse and took DS home. I was so upset that I went straight to a nearby friend's house to sort of debrief but she wasn't in.

ridl14 · 29/09/2025 15:23

Jasmineivy · 28/09/2025 22:57

The worst play date was when DD wanted her twin friends from nursery to come over for a mid morning play- fine, but then they were 45 minutes late (the rest of my children were 6, 2 and 3 months and I had a good routine for the baby which this was going to disrupt ).

The other mum left her other three children (I was an idiot and didn’t put the foot down). Then the slightly older sibling of the twins encouraged them to totally trash DD’s room- everything on the floor, total mess. The oldest sibling turned out to be keen on shooting everyone in the face with the nerf guns (his mum said they weren’t allowed them at home as they didn’t believe in toy weapons, I can see why). So had to distract him from that.

Then she was 1 hour late picking them up and was obviously pissed off when I didn’t offer to have them over for lunch. No I had not planned to have an extra 6 people for lunch when I had my own four to sort out including the baby to feed. Never invited back.

Wait this mum was supposed to bring her twins for a playdate and instead left you with all five of her children when you had 4 of your own including a 3 month old?

And was late and expected you to feed them all?? I'm speechless!

SinnerBoy · 29/09/2025 15:35

My daughter had her 5th birthday party at a soft play, the whole class and a few extra siblings. A dozen of them came home, one girl with her 3 and 8 year old brothers. I explained that none were to go in the attic, or our bedroom.

At some point, I heard a loud thud and screaming, legged it up to the attic to find the three of them had trashed it. All my books were in a pile on the floor, they'd pulled all the bed sheets and mattress off, taken every CD and DVD out of their cases, along with the info sheets and smashed a load of the cases.

The thud was the wardrobe they'd emptied and pulled over. I showed the dad, he laughed, shrugged and said, "Oh, that's just what they're like."

On the way downstairs, the 9 year old boy was in the bathroom, he'd thrown all the toilet rolls in the loo and squirted shampoo and toothpaste everywhere.

I told dad to clean up and left him, all he did was fish the soggy toilet rolls out and dump them on the floor. I didn't want a scene and to ruin things. I bloody wish I had,though!

dumberthanaboxofrocks · 29/09/2025 15:48

As a host, kid broke his own nose 😬 said child was acting like he’d never been outside his own house, however I was apologetic and said he’d been very excited and was a fast mover (ie. ungovernable and jumping off all the furniture like it was a soft-play). Tbh the dad was NOT nice about it. Still think about that a decade on.

MyKhakiPanda · 29/09/2025 15:50

The one where the really dull father insisted on staying ( kid was 7) and sat in my kitchen for 2 hours droning on about his boring job and his even more boring hobby ( think collected obscure Japanese trading cards).

spoonbillstretford · 29/09/2025 15:50

DD1 had a friend round, who went in my bedroom drawer, got out nail varnish remover and emptied it over DD2's head. About the only time I have shouted at a child I've had over, and she didn't come again. All the other friends were pretty sensible.

Shakemesexy · 29/09/2025 15:52

BertieBotts · 29/09/2025 15:22

This was several years ago now. I had taken my then 4yo to a friend's house after school to play. The mother offered to make chicken nuggets for the children which I accepted. As we were in the kitchen putting them in the oven she told me her partner smoked weed and - you don't mind do you? I thought it was a bit of a weird question, but politely said I didn't mind, because I felt it was none of my business. We went outside to watch the children again and her partner proceeded to light up a joint right then and there and they passed it around between them and offered it to me Shock I must have been incredibly naive and sheltered but I had not imagined in a million years that I was being asked "Is it OK if my partner smokes weed 5 feet from our very young children?" I didn't know people even did that. I assumed she meant that he smoked it in the evening when their child was in bed or something.

I was so taken aback I couldn't think what on earth to do. I felt it would be rude to leave immediately since the food was cooking in the oven, so I stayed there feeling incredibly uncomfortable trying to make polite conversation for the next 20 minutes while it cooked and then the children ate until I felt I could make an excuse and took DS home. I was so upset that I went straight to a nearby friend's house to sort of debrief but she wasn't in.

You were outside though no? I wouldn’t find that any different to an adult smoking cigarettes outside near children. Distasteful and not nice but not something I’d leave a house over in distress!

Silverfoxette · 29/09/2025 15:53

New girl at school asked dd over over. Dd had been struggling with friendships in school (bullying) so we were delighted. So glad i stayed with her and had coffee with her mother while dd went upstairs with the girl and a friend of the girl who was a neighbour.
dd comes down distraught a little while later. The two girls were behaving as if dd was a ghost, pretending they couldn’t see her at all. It was so bizarre and the mothers reaction was so odd too, she made out my dd had something wrong with her that she wasn’t going along with the game.

chipsticksmammy · 29/09/2025 16:01

Mum dropped off small child after a lot of suggesting a play date between the kids (age about 3) and left so quickly she didnt even say bye. I didnt know she was even leaving. She didnt say a word.

She did not return for hours, well past dinner time. Turns out she had gone to see a 3 hour film and there was no reception in the cinema.

I had to feed her child (fair enough, it wasnt much) but he just kept getting more and more excited, screeching and destroying the house. It was awful by the time she came to get him. We had to put him in the living room and take it turns to guard him as he tried to destroy things so we could get on with our Sunday.

She then messaged and suggested I take him home one day a week after nursery and she would do the same with DD.

Her number was deleted and blocked and I never spoke to her again.

MarxistMags · 29/09/2025 16:02

Oh please do tell how they tried to kidnap the cat !

RafaFan · 29/09/2025 16:10

I've just remembered another one. My friend brought her 12 and 6 year old sons with her when she came to my house to pick her middle son aged 10 up from my son's birthday party. All other kids had left, so my friend and I were just chatting while the kids were outside picking up nerf gun bullets. The 12 year old, who is incredibly athletic and kind of hero-worshipped by the younger kids, was showing off (climbing up outside of swingset, and standing on top of it etc.) and had been mildly told off a couple of times already by my husband who was supervising. His mum had not intervened at all at this point. He (the 12 year old!) then went too far and climbed onto the roof of the house via the deck, walked right up to the pitch, and (I believe not intentionally) knocked the ridge cap off. My husband then gave him a proper dressing down. Mum ordered all the kids into the car, and now she leaves the oldest home if she's coming to our house! The middle son, my son's friend, is an incredibly nice, polite kid, who can be rowdy but will never push boundaries like this.

Mummyneedsacoffee · 29/09/2025 16:17

Had a couple over with their daughter for a lunch play date.

I provided lunch and some soft drinks. The wife then asks if I have any wine, so we drink the one bottle I have whilst her daughter is emptying the toy boxes, screaming and shouting whilst my kids sit there like.. wtf?

then she insists we go to the shop to get more. She fills her basket up with snacks, wine and stuff to take home. Get to the till… and she steps back! I was like “nope! I didn’t want anything and I didn’t pick anything up .. I’ll wait outside!” She had the audacity to complain it cost her £32!

got home and her daughter continues to run riot. She needs a poo, her mum shows her the bathroom… 10 minutes later they announce it’s finally time to leave and gathered up
their things very quickly. thank god.. it’s been 8 hours and they weren’t taking the hint)

when they left I immediately start tidying when my husband (now ex) says “I can smell poo”

I went upstairs and there is shit everywhere. The bathroom had it all over the floor and the carpet just outside it. And my towels had clearly been used to wipe her bum. It was up the wall near the toilet roll holder. Etc! Her child was 8!

never ever again.

Mummyneedsacoffee · 29/09/2025 16:19

I’ve also had the “oh let’s all get together so the kids can play and we can chat!” From parents at school. I’ll get it in the diary and then I’ll always message the day before to say “looking forward to a cuppa and a chat!”

only for the parent to say “oh I’m working, I’ll drop the kids off at 10 and pick them up again around 4!” ….. NOPE!!

twentyfivepercent · 29/09/2025 16:24

Took Ds (3) to a bouncy castle party, he managed to bang his nose on another child's head which caused a massive nose bleed, the horrifying part was he didn't seem to notice (or care) so continued jumping around merrily splattering everyone and everything with blood, I had to crawl on and pull him off by the ankles 😬

SomethingInnocuousForNow · 29/09/2025 16:26

popcornandpotatoes · 29/09/2025 11:53

Yes and this sort of stuff should be reported. If a child is left with you without prior agreement and you can't get hold of parents it is perfectly acceptable to call the police or the MASH. it might just get that child longer term support that they clearly need

I don't know, what if a parent had a one off emergency (lost phone, sick relative) and was an hour late? Would you call the police?