“Can we normalize sending the other family money for playdates?”
A mum in the US has sparked a debate after claiming parents should cover the costs of their child’s playdate.
The TikTok user, @shay.nanigans87, said: “Can we normalize sending the other family money for playdates?”
The mother recently had her daughter’s friend over and the pair spent time colouring, playing with dolls, and chalking.
Once the playdate was over, she text the other child’s mother saying: “Thanks for letting Jamie play today, please help out with your share of the expenses for the play date totalling $15 via Venmo! Let’s do it again soon!”
The other mum simply replied with: “Expenses?”
However, the TikTok user insisted that she couldn’t afford to keep hosting playdates given how expensive it is.
She broke down the $15: Chalk – $1, applesauce – $1, fruit – $1, three cartons of juice – $2 and yogurt – $1. She also charged for damages and general wear and tear saying the child sat on the couch ($1), used the toilet three times ($3) and broke a doll ($5).
Though the other mother, Melissa, sent the money, she didn’t respond to the text and people were flabbergasted by the original posters demands.
One user was disgusted that the mother had charged for sitting on the couch, labelling it as ‘outrageous’.
Another wrote: “I’d be very uncomfortable if the person hosting a playdate kept track of how many times my kid needed to use the restroom.”
One user came up with an alternative solution for the mother saying: “If I couldn’t afford to host a playdate, then I simply wouldn’t invite. Instead, meet at a park and bring your own snacks.”
In a later video the original poster claimed to be a ‘rage baiter’ and said that the whole scenario was fabricated to generate engagement.
She said she had created a fake Venmo account with a different name to send the money to herself and that people had donated money to who they thought was the other mother.
She laughed as she said: “I didn’t think that people would be sending money to the person, Melissa, that they think that I charged money for her daughter to come over.”
