I BROKE TWO PLATES

[koolkatxx]

Went to my friend’s today and honestly I think I need to be banned from other people’s homes for life.

First plate: we were snacking in the living room, I somehow managed to knock it off the coffee table. Smashed. I apologised about 50 times, cleaned it all up, offered to replace it. Friend told me to stop apologising and absolutely not to replace it. All fine.

Then an hour later… I somehow broke a different plate in the kitchen. I don’t even know how. It just slipped like my hands forgot how to function.

Her brother came in immediately, handed us the hoover without saying a single word, and walked out. I wanted the floor to swallow me. I felt like some kind of destructive toddler.

Friend kept saying “it’s fine, move on, don’t mention it again,” and even made me agree not to bring it up. But I STILL feel awful and like she must secretly be thinking I’m a complete liability.

AIBU to still feel mortified?
Or do normal adults just… break two plates in one day and move on with their lives?!

Sorry to be daft but this made me laugh! It was like a comedy act!

I would definitely internally be a bit “arghhhhh” about it but would also not let me guest know about it. It’s annoying. It’s not the end of the world of course but 2 plates in 2 separate incidents across 1 day is rather careless.
I’d not ask for replacements because they probably wouldn’t match our sets anyway and I wouldn’t want random mismatched dinner plates.

I would be embarassed and try to replace it. Everybody makes mistakes though and thinking of a few hideous incidents in my past had just made me break into a hot sweat (though it is summer in my country at the moment).

It's good luck to break plates! - The Greeks do it deliberately.

Me too, and I don’t have anything matching. No ‘set’ of anything. OP, they are just plates.

Of course you move on with your life, what’s the alternative? It was an accident, you didn’t set out to break anything. You’ve apologised - you could try to replace them but are you likely to get the same ones? I’d put it down to experience - in my friendship group it would be the subject of good natured humour, nothing to worry about.

I love random mismatched dinner plates, dotty, floral, vintage, Denby, anything TKMAXX has on offer.

Whatever she says, if those plates were part of a set, you need to replace them.

ETA: but only if you can match the set.

I would but I'd buy hideous ones Ebay should be good) or plastic ones for use when you visit. Makes the apology point but also lightens the whole thing too.

In my house i wouldn't think twice about it

Accidents happen

I absolutely would not expect anyone to buy me a replacement plate. Tbh I would find it very weird if they did

In my house i wouldn't think twice about it

Accidents happen

I absolutely would not expect anyone to buy me a replacement plate. Tbh I would find it very weird if they did

Same here. It's only a plate or two!
Friendship is far more important.

If you can afford to, I would send a card with a gift voucher for somewhere like John Lewis or even Homesense so she could buy either a replacement or a new set.

I wouldn't do that, it's so over the top, it'll embarrass her.
She said it's ok, I'd just move on!

Of course she said it was ok. She wasn’t going to start shouting and making her feel bad. I would have said it was fine, don’t worry about it, because it’s polite.

Yeah, absolutely. I would be the same, all fine, she's a friend, it's no biggie

🙄😵‍💫
Do people really think like this ? It was an accident, I would never make someone feel so uncomfortable, I value my friendships over some plates.

OP, if your friend has made you promise not to mention it again then she doesn’t care about the plates and cares much more that you would be upset. As it should be. Don’t give it another thought. ☺️💐

Id offer to replace them but don't worry too much it wasn't deliberate and they probably wouldn't accept.
I'm often clumsy and have been at my mum's for 2 days, I only knocked over one drink, wobbled a couple more, dropped a few peas on the floor and put a tiny scratch in the door! That's not bad going for me tbh 😂

Absolutely this, X 💯

I wouldn't have noticed!

Text and ask where she got them and buy replacements.

I like this 😁😃

No. It’s a pretty horrible thing to do - your friend has been gracious about your clumsiness.

No need to be passive-aggressive about it.

Breaking two plates on separate occasions in quick succession is strange.
Plates can be very very cheap. For many of us it would be no big deal if the Tesco/Ikea plates were broken. But I have Spode & Wedgwood plates that I am trying to use more often and not save for “best” (Thank-you, Patrick Grant!) I might not say it to your face but I would be really cheesed off if you broke two of those.
You should offer to replace like for like.
And please try to be more careful in future.

I once broke 4 plates at my friends house (although all in the same accident).

I was carrying them down the wooden stairs and slipped as I was wearing socks. Cue me falling down with all the plates.

I think my friends was just relived that I hadn’t hurt myself!