When parent leave their kids at their friends' place or anywhere else with adult supervision, they expect that kid to be taken care of, which is reasonable, isn't it? Well, sometimes reality doesn't match expectations.
Something like that happened in today's story. A mom dropped off her son at his friend's house, expecting the boys to have a great time together and be taken care of. Then, when she picked him up, the boy revealed that it was no fun. In fact, it turned out he had been highly mistreated, which, to say the least, infuriated his mom.
More info: Reddit
It's reasonable for parents to expect their kids to be taken care of under another's adult supervision
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
A woman dropped her son off at his friend's house, hoping the boys would have fun while the friend's mom would look over them
Image credits: EyeEm / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Then, when a woman picked up her son, he revealed that the hang-out was far from fun
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Turns out, the friend's mom left the boys outside in very hot weather and wouldn't let them inside to drink water or use the bathroom
Image credits: shreyans2004
After the playdate, the boy was left miserable and sunburned, which angered his mother
The OP dropped her 7-year-old son off at his friend’s house for a playdate, hoping that he would have a nice time. After all, playdates are usually very beneficial for children, as they build many skills like language, problem-solving, creativity, and many others.
Yet, this playdate turned out to be the opposite of fun. The son spilled the beans that the friend’s mom made the boys play outside the whole time they were together. While time outside, similar to playdates, is important for kids’ development—as it improves their motor skills and promotes curiosity and other good things—in the case of this story, it wasn’t such a beneficial thing.
The thing is that the weather outside was 95°F (or 35°C). So, it’s no surprise that the kids asked to come inside multiple times – they were overheating, but they were refused. Instead, the mom told them to “drink from the hose if they're thirsty.”
While it isn’t uncommon for people, especially kids, to drink water from the hose on a hot day, at the same time, it might not be the safest way to consume water, especially if it doesn’t have a DSW (drinking safe water) tag. Those without a tag can contain various chemicals, like lead and phthalates, which are dangerous for the human body.
And, even if the hose itself is safe, it might contain some amounts of stagnant water from the previous gardening task. Such water usually carries a range of parasites and bacteria, which we don’t have to tell you are dangerous for humans.
So, while in the case of this story, these points might seem like overthinking, it doesn’t change the fact that the boys weren’t thrilled with the idea of drinking hose water, even though it was probably for other reasons.
Image credits: EyeEm / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Making matters worse, the boys weren’t allowed to go inside to use the bathroom either. The woman told them they should “go behind the shed” instead.
So, to recount everything that happened during this playdate: the boys were left outside in very hot weather without proper drinking water or a bathroom. Quite a nightmare, isn’t it? And it doesn’t even end there.
When the OP learned about what her son went through, she asked why he didn’t call her to complain – she would've gone earlier to pick him up. Well, it turns out his friend’s mom didn’t allow him to do so, saying, “Kids these days are too soft.”
So, instead of leaving after a fun playdate, the boy was left sunburned and miserable. Naturally, that infuriated his mother. So, she went online to ask how she should treat the situation – the woman she left her son with is respected within the community, so she wanted advice on how to approach the topic without creating unnecessary drama.
Well, netizens were sure about one thing – the original poster definitely has to confront the woman. What differed were the ways they suggested she do this. Some said she should do it over text so there would be written proof, while others suggested she should find out where to report her.
Well, it doesn’t matter which of the offered choices the OP chooses. What matters is that she finds a way to receive justice in this situation.
What would you do in this mom’s situation? Share your ideas in our comment section!
She asked online what she should do and netizens gave her plenty of ideas for how to confront the friend's mom
