A mum is frustrated after a proposed carpool situation between a friend of a friend has resulted in her constantly giving lifts and providing free childcare.
What the mum initially thought was going to be a shared and mutually beneficial arrangement has backfired, with the mum now stuck giving lifts to another child while the child's "cheeky" dad repeatedly takes his own daughter to school, and leaves the mum's child to walk in alone.
In addition to this, the girl's parents don't want her to be "home alone" after school, so they're continually letting the mum take her home where she's stuck looking after her until they finish work. The mum wants to "extricate" herself from the situation but feels "awkward" and unsure how to go about it.
READ MORE: Liverpool and Merseyside theatres pay tribute to the Queen
Taking to Mumsnet's popular Am I Being Unreasonable (AIBU) thread, she sought advice with a post titled "Please help me extricate myself from this situation [Cheeky F***er]". The mum penned: "My daughter has just started high school. Due to where we live, only a few people from the area go. It's about a 1.5 - 2 mile walk. A friend introduced me to her friend, who lives locally and whose daughter is also starting at the same high school. We met up before school returned and agreed to lift share some days. So far so good.
"However, this has turned into me taking and collecting the girls on some days, and my daughter walking on her own on the other days, because the dad has taken the other daughter without offering my DD [dear daughter] a lift! Their daughter is now here because they don't want her at their house alone after school. This really doesn't work for me as I have four children of my own, two jobs and my own things to do. I feel really taken advantage of and fear it will only get worse. How to get out of this? Help!"
In a follow up comment, she added: "Can't send her home as she doesn't even have a key and there is no one there! It's raining as well so wouldn't send her outside to wait. Really awkward!" Her post was met with a lot of responses from outraged Mumsnet users, keen to share their thoughts.
One said: "Tell the mum that the situation is not working out for you and end it. She may not know the husband is being a CF [cheeky f***er] and can straighten him out."
Another said: "Just do the same, take your DD and if questioned just say you presumed you weren't doing a lift share as they never take your DD. And send their DD home!"
A third commented: "Send her home now, and don't pick her up again. It really is very simple." Another Mumsnet user said: "Oh god how long does she stay at your house? Are the girls friends? How awkward … If the parents don't want their DD home alone they should arrange an after school club, childminder or family member to pick her up and watch her. You are neither a club, childminder or family so tell the parents "This arrangement does not work I'm afraid. I will no longer be accommodating your DD at my house after school"."
Another said: "F*** that. I'd message telling her straight that you're disgusted your daughter has been left to walk alone and they have managed to turn a lift into childcare. They really are cheeky f***ers but at least you're nipping it in the bud early."
And another commented: "Today you can't do anything about [it] obviously but you need to message just saying obviously this arrangement isn't working for you since they haven't shared lifts and you can't do after school child care as you aren't a child minder and have enough on your plate. Absolute CF!! It's a nightmare. Make sure you tell your child too though so there is no confusion."
At the time of writing, 97% of people voted the mum was not being unreasonable to be irritated by the situation.
Get the top stories straight to your inbox by signing up to our what's on newsletter
READ NEXT:
