DD’s friends have absolutely destroyed my carpet.

[MyOwnBestFriend1989]

I don’t even know the point in posting this but DH is on a business trip and all my friends are probably watching the England match so have got no one to rant to.

my DD (12) had her friends over today and they went to B&M or wherever it was (honestly couldn’t care less at this point) and bought some of those stupid stress toys. They’re the ones filled with fluorescent, possibly radioactive, liquid and you squeeze them. when they came back they were instantly playing tug of war with them, jumping on them and just stretching them beyond their limits. I said, in no unclear terms, “if one of those pops and goes all over my carpet I’m going to hit the roof”. Obviously I got the whole “we’ll be careful!” reassurance, and please don’t ask me why I didn’t confiscate the toys off them because I honestly don’t know!

i was downstairs catching up on Eastenders and one of the girls comes down looking guilty and sheepish and disappears into the kitchen. She comes out clutching my Zoflora and I instantly ask her “what do you think you’re doing with that”, she claims the girls were “just making potions”. My response was “not with my Zoflora you’re not now what’s the real reason.” Cue her bursting into tears shouting “we didn’t mean to!”. My stomach dropped.

I’ve marched upstairs and there it is - a, what can only be described as marinated, ocean blue stain clearly smeared into my cream carpet. Not only that, there was also some scrunched up bits of toilet paper in it which had a faint blue tinge to it meaning they had obviously rubbed it in in an attempt to get it out.

i have to give myself credit for I didn’t scream or shout at the girls: I said “girls, you have half an hour to ring your parents and get them to collect you.” There were no arguments and rightly so.

it is now 11pm and I’m yet to receive an apology text from one of the parents - not that a “sorry” WhatsApp message will pay for my carpet to be professionally cleaned.

don’t know what the point is in posting this but just deflated to be honest. Unless of course anyone has any advice on how I can get this stain out or indeed on how to passive aggressively message the parents to imply that I do indeed want to be indemnified for a professional clean.

You can’t get the parents involved. You were responsible and this is what happened, maddening as it is

Don’t do what I did and try to get an ink stain out of a carpet with hydrogen peroxide etc. Just get a pro carpet cleaner in quickly. If you try to deal with it you almost certainly won’t get it all out.

And yes, you should have said no to them playing with them in a carpeted area and told them why

I know hindsight is marvellous but I think you know that there were things you could have done to stop this happening.......

To expect the parents to clean is out of order. They were under your supervision and it was, no doubt an accident, though you knew it was going to happen.

What made you mix a hallway, children and a cream carpet?

Dr Beckman is good. Bung a jolly runner down.

Shit happens.

Tricky as you don't specify whether it was your DD or a friend who caused the mess. It's not clear whether it broke when your DD was holding it alone (after all that tugging and throwing around it was likely to be worn out, especially if a cheap product).
It's likely the friends went home and told their parents you were mad at your DD as she broke a squishy toy on the carpet, leaving out any of their own potential involvement.

Try one of these pens. I bought one on a whim a while ago just to have in my handbag, but then one of my daughters accidentally burst a fluorescent pink stress toy on our oatmeal coloured carpet. I thought it was done for, but this came to the rescue. I was very surprised, I didn’t expect it to be that hardcore, but it got it out with minimal elbow grease. It’s also good for stains on kids clothes when out and about etc. I know I sound like an advert flor them, but I promise I have no skin in the game, I just own one and it works.

https://www.tallow-ash.com/products/stain-pen?variant=50427326529840&country=GB&currency=GBP&utm_medium=product_sync&utm_source=google&utm_content=sag_organic&utm_campaign=sag_organic&tw_source=google&tw_adid=&tw_campaign=21433195907&tw_kwdid=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21437123905&gbraid=0AAAAApzUWNorCvmnzwbCEscAz4zs75iXS&gclid=CjwKCAjw08fSBhA7EiwAfbQTsId3ykFLHNerUQDYFAvJZnfWSSd52tBNofjlV35rvzasreo0LBYymRoC_nkQAvD_BwE

That’s when you say ‘Alas, those toys are only for outdoors!’

It’s your responsibility - you let them play with them on your cream carpet knowing they could pop and didn’t supervise them - how can their parents be responsible & what are you planning to argue with them about ?

Honestly I think you were unreasonable to send them home tbh. It was an accident, they didn’t mean to do it. You, as an adult, saw how they were playing with it and didn’t stop them. Not sure why you think they, as children, would stop themselves tbh.

If I were the parent of one of the children sent home early I’d think you were ridiculous and certainly wouldn’t be sending any apology text.

Absolutely. If you saw an accident waiting to happen, don't let them do it!

Sending them home for an accident was way OTT. Poor kids.

Was it one of your kids that came down for the Zoflora or a guest?

I would not be pursuing the innocent parents for cleaning costs, it is a fucking carpet. Just get it cleaned if it bothers you so much, and work on your interactions with your daughter.

Why do you hold the other parents responsible? What negligence do you feel that there's been on their part?

No, you don't ask them to contribute. The only parent that was negligent, was you. You forsaw what could happen, but didn't take any action to prevent it, and didn't monitor what they were doing.

I think we've all made similar mistakes and i ge your frustration. But seriously, approaching the other kids parents to get them to contribute to the cleaning is bonkers.

I must be crazy (or live in a rough area) but my 12 year old and her friends wouldn't be off shopping on their own buying random shit anyway

You sound entitled, it's YOUR fault not the other parents!

• Title also needs editing, DD and friends!

You’ve got cream carpets, in a child room? oh well

Can you post a photo of the stain? May help come up with solutions

The other parents weren’t in a position to stop this, and you were. If my DD were one of the kids I’d offer a %. of the cost of a clean and take at least some of it out of her pocket money. But I’d be annoyed at you for letting it happen and not sending them outside or something. I wouldn’t offer any more if a clean didn’t do the job.

Oh mayn. I shouldn’t judge, but if she’s burst into tears y 12 years old sounds like your a bit scary.
you got their parents to collect them too?

this will be one for them to remember. I think you shouldn’t of let them use it on cream carpets. They were probably just having fun.

The parents weren’t there. This happened on your watch. You can’t expect them to pay.

What I mean is, life is a bit more important than a cream carpet.
her friends will probably never want to come round again now.

Agreed, it was an accident and you predicted was going to happen but left them to it. They tried to clean it and apologised but you sent them home,

You knew what they were doing and let them continue. It’s entirely on you. Don’t be that crazy person that starts an angry WhatsApp demanding reimbursement (unless you want to be talked about). Why also are you not placing any of the blame on your own kid?

Why are you making this the other parent’s problem? You were the one in charge!

I'd be bloody livid if you expected me to pay to have your carpet cleaned in these circumstances.

I'm not surprised you haven't had an apology text. Either none of the girls have told their parents, or the parents are equally pissed off with having their own plans disrupted because of unexpectedly having to collect their children due to something it was your responsibility to prevent.