Name Change just in case
my DC 6/7, a few weeks ago invited a friend to play after School, if I'm honest not my favourite of their friends, as there has been previous problems & the kid is not the politest thing & is known for been a bit volitile & can be bully like at times in School etc etc, IMO, a bit envious of DC, but DCs choice & they seem to have been getting on a lot better lately, so Kid made very welcome regardless.
They were playing in DCs room & as much as I left them to play as thats how DC likes it, I was keeping a reasonably close ear on them from the next room, as after the last time this Kid was here, & my DC been very upset when they left, swearing never to invite them again, as it turned out the Kid was the ring leader in excluding DC with another mutual friend, from playing games with DCs own toys in the room I was a bit annoyed with myself for not realizing this was going on, as the odd time I popped in with drinks etc, the Kid was unusually extremely friendly & polite
anyway, to the point
I did hear this Kid going on & on at DC about a certain small toy, "oh I don't have that, its my favourite, I've always wanted it, I would be someones best friend forever if they gave me that" etc etc, but I didn't hear the Kid ask outright, nor did I hear DC give this toy to the Kid, so thought no more of it as they moved onto films & my serving food & were playing nicely, so didn't think to much more of it.
DC cleared their own room after the Kid left (house rule) so it wasn't until a couple of days later that I noticed a main character part of a large & quiet expensive playset was missing, on asking about it, DC then owns up to having given it to the Kid, out of character as DC is quite fanatical about keeping playsets together & wont even let me put the wrong characters with other playsets (I blame the collector Dad) On quizzing further as to why, DC owns up to feeling obliged to give what turns out to be 2 toys to the Kid as a "swap" as"if they don't get what the want, they start getting other kids to gang up & pick on you at School I was surprised as DC is usually pretty good with saying no in situations like this, but does tend to have a soft heart & can be taken advantage of that way, DC is really upset with themselves as didn't really want to give the toy away at all, & of course, no swap forth coming
No only the previous week my DC had brought home a hat saying Xx has given me this, & I asked DC to take it back, saying that is very kind of you, but my Mum says can you please make sure your Mum knows you have given it to me & is okay about it, which I consider to be the right thing to do So I am puzzled that the Mother hasn't thought of doing the same, & when I sent a polite, none accusing text to her & ask if she would mind sending the toys back as they are an irreplacable part of a playset, she didn't seem that bothered at all, something like, well, not that easy in the chaos
so far no toys back, though DC says the Kid has said they have lost the rare 1but they have 1 of them & are bringing it back, but still hasn't done so & the Mother hasn't even mentioned it at all
Am I alone in thinking this is pretty poor, or do most parents not notice if their Child brings home things that don't belong to them??