Friend's behaviour causes concern

[E11a]

Hello,
About half a year ago my husband befriended a couple at antenatal class, and ever since we have been keeping in touch with them as our children are the same age (5 months) and they live locally.

Up until recently we only met in cafes, restaurants and once went to their place, but yesterday my husband insisted that we should reciprocate and invite the other mother with her daughter to ours.
I had my reservations but did invite them. As soon as these people got to my place, the mother decided to swap our childrens' teething rings without even asking me. She simply gave her daughters ring to my son and he started drooling and biting it immediately. She also took his teething rings and gave them to her daughter. During her short stay at our place she never asked for my permission to use any of our toys and got her daughter to drool and bite all of them she could find!
I wonder if anyone experienced anything similar and what's a tactful way to explain the other mother that you disapprove of such behaviour?!
I was so shocked yesterday that I watched her making herself too comfortable with our toys and possessions without saying anything...

Wrote the above having only read the first few posts - didn't see the other 90+! All the best anyway.

wannabeglam, thank you.
Regarding dummies- no she wouldn't swap those simply because neither of us ever use dummies. Some people in this thread have read my post attentively enough and found her behaviour a bit bizarre - my husband thinks so too. It's not the toys, it's the rings' swap that I find a bit objectionable.
But I decided that it is a matter of adjusting my perception in this case if I want to keep the friendship going. And I do :)

I take my 5month old DS to a mother and baby group once a week. There are loads of toys spread out on the playmat and it's a free for all. IMO I'm helping my LOs immune system grow strong by exposing him to germs. The other mothers have no problem with using the toys there either. A teething ring is no different to anything else a 5 month old has in his hands - it all goes in the mouth at the moment!
Agree with Pozzled - just say what you're feeling.

Agree with constance I think you're getting a bit of a hard time here and people jumping on a bandwagon to laugh at the pfb mother - makes you all feel better does it?

Ok so some people are more relaxed about this kind of thing than you - so what? If it bothers you, it bothers you.

Actually I agree, I can't help feeling a bit icky when I see other babies drooling or even (yuk) posseting over stuff, and couldn't help myself feeling this way particularly if another mum actually swapped toys. Yes of course there's going to be whole lot worse as they get older (I shudder to think what my two have eaten in their time) but ffs, 5 months old babies do not know the difference between their own toys and someone elses. there is no need for someone to do this.

Next time she comes round I would give her a selection of toys for her baby which you can keep separate from yours, and rinse afterwards.

BialystockandBloom,

Thank you. I have reflected on the situation and feel there is no need to say anything to her. She must have swapped toys because her daughter gets bored with hers, and she assumed my son gets bored with his things. She is OK and I feel OK too now.