'AITA for not buying snacks for my daughter's best friend on a play date?'
"AITA for not buying snacks for my daughter's best friend on a play date?"
I have an 11-year-old daughter, Ellie. She has a best friend, Sophie, (12). Both of the girls have special needs and are around 6 years old mentally. Sophie's mom called me yesterday, said that they were at an indoor playground, and Sophie wanted to know if Ellie could come and play.
Sophie's mom offered to put me on her punch card (she prepays for 10-20 visits at a time because it’s cheaper) so it would be free for me, so I got Ellie in the car and we met them at the playground. After about an hour of playing, the girls started to get hungry. I packed a snack for Ellie but Sophie’s mom didn’t have any snacks on her.
I told her they sell snacks in the front but she claimed that she didn’t have any money on her and asked me to buy Sophie some goldfish. I said sure, Venmo me and I’ll grab some. She says she paid for my kid to get in so I could cover the $2 for the goldfish. I said no, I took care of my kid and it’s not my job to take care of hers too.
I told her if she wanted me to bring snacks she should’ve told me when she invited me but I won’t be wasting $2 for a $.50 bag of goldfish because she was unprepared. She went up to the front and I don’t know if she lied about not having money but she came back with goldfish and fruit snacks.
Now she’s being petty by asking me to pay her back for all of the times we’ve used their memberships and guest passes so we’re not getting along. I’m going to have to see her at school drop off/pickup, ballet class, gymnastics class, and the girls weekly play dates so I wanted to know if I was the AH for not buying her kid a snack.
The internet did not hold back on OP.
benjamin6486 wrote:
YTA. And all over $2. Extremely petty, I feel like there’s more going on here you’re not sharing. Were you already irritated with friend's mom for some reason?
playdatesnacks OP responded:
They have a lot more than we do. I’m a single mom and I work at a school because childcare for a special needs kid is so hard to find and you don’t make much working at a public elementary school. Sophie has 2 parents.
Her husband is some kind of senior engineer making 7 figures and she manages their rental properties. I’m constantly having to answer why we can’t have all of the same things as Sophie and I don’t think they’re sensitive to this
YTA. Have you ever considered that maybe they know taking your kid to the play place isn't something you'd be able to afford regularly but still want your daughters to have fun together in a controlled environment where you'd both get to relax a little bit?
playdatesnacks OP responded:
She knows I can’t afford to take Ellie there. That’s why she pays for us when we go
AdSolid3204 wrote:
YTA 100% she spotted your daughter for the entry fee to the indoor playground and you can't spare $2 for a pack of goldfish? Do you hear yourself? You also jeopardized your daughter's friendship with this girl. I really hope this is a fake story because it's hard to believe anyone can be this dense.
forgetregret1day wrote:
She’s being petty? Do you even hear yourself? Your daughter got into the event for free because of her generosity and you can’t even spring for a $2 bag of goldfish? You passed her on the petty meter a long time ago, not that she was in any way being petty here.
She was just asking for a kindness and you’re so hung up on penny-pinching you can’t see how wrong you are. I’m surprised you have any friends and by being so petty probably just cost your daughter this friend. Shame on you. YTA.