Anonymous wrote:OP, what time was your party?

Did the kids stay 2 hours beyond? 30 min. beyond?

Are you friends with the parents and do they do you favors?

Context matters.

Anonymous wrote:I think you might have put them in a tough place. They had a holiday party to attend and would have probably had a babysitter. But you invited them to your son's holiday party and kids wanted to go. They probably left their holiday party early too to pick up.

I wouldn't do this to other people, but don't think it's a big deal

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, def rude to arrive an hour past pick up but you kind of lose the right to complain this much when you agreed to babysit.

That would have been a fast no from most people

Anonymous wrote:They were a half hour late. Sometimes it’s hard to leave a party. You are uptight and should have just said no. Sheesh.

Anonymous wrote:I think you might have put them in a tough place. They had a holiday party to attend and would have probably had a babysitter. But you invited them to your son's holiday party and kids wanted to go. They probably left their holiday party early too to pick up.

I wouldn't do this to other people, but don't think it's a big deal

Anonymous wrote:Hi, op here. Their kids are ages 6 and 9. My kids are 3, 7, and 10. My 3 and 7 year old usually go to sleep at 8:30 on weekends. Kids were not picked up until 9:30, my kids were not asleep until 10 and up at 6am today like they always are 🤪

Not sure why it matters, but the issue was not the ask in itself (sure, no problem.) but the staying out an hour past when they would pick up their kids and texting a mild apology. Like, cmon man.

Anonymous wrote:you are so kind to do that! seriously a lot of people would have said no. i also would've said sure. i feel pressured in those situations.

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP, hope your kids enjoyed the party and I know it’s frustrating to be taken advantage of. Did you know these parents were supposed takers? Now you do, and since you bit once, they will definitely ask again. Just in case you need a reminder, be prepared to say no and don’t allow them to dictate plans. They might suggest a play date and then when you say yes, they will say, “Perfect, I will drop my kids off tomorrow afternoon”. If you are put on the spot, just say, “That won’t work for us”.

Anonymous wrote:It's funny, OP, because for me the hour-late pickup would have been mildly irksome, but traffic and everything is so crazy this time of year that unless this was a pattern, I would assume time just got away from them, and I would have rolled with it, NBD.

For me, though, that was a rude ask in the first place. Unless I'm misunderstanding, it doesn't sound like -- oh something unexpected came up, they found themselves in a pinch, etc.... it sounds like they just wanted their kid to stay several extra hours at a party so they didn't have to get a babysitter for their own adult event. It's cool now to invite your kid over for a playdate at someone else's house to avoid babysitting fees? And to do it last minute after the hostess has already been hosting a kid party all day? Seems entitled and obnoxious to me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hi, op here. Their kids are ages 6 and 9. My kids are 3, 7, and 10. My 3 and 7 year old usually go to sleep at 8:30 on weekends. Kids were not picked up until 9:30, my kids were not asleep until 10 and up at 6am today like they always are 🤪

Not sure why it matters, but the issue was not the ask in itself (sure, no problem.) but the staying out an hour past when they would pick up their kids and texting a mild apology. Like, cmon man.

Wait, so now they were 30 mins late? And you’re angry about the extra work of having them sit and watch a movie, srsly? I wouldn’t have thought twice about this. But just say no next time!