“She wants me to pay $4.4k after my baby broke her phone – but I warned her!”
A mum has sparked debate online after refusing to pay a friend thousands of dollars for a smashed iPhone and broken designer sunglasses – and parents are saying, fair enough.
The story, which appears to be from the UK, was shared on Reddit’s popular Am I the A**hole forum – a place where users weigh in on who’s in the wrong – and has already attracted more than 1,700 comments.
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“Take off your sunnies – he’ll grab them!”
The mum, 28, explained that her six-month-old son is in the grabby phase – reaching for glasses, phones, even hair. So she always gives a heads-up before anyone holds him.
“I warned her about it all,” she wrote, referring to a friend (let’s call her Jean, 33) who came to visit.
“Best taking your sunglasses off your head – he’ll grab them.”
Jean, who was wearing £800 Gucci sunglasses (about $1,540 AUD), apparently rolled her eyes and accused the mum of “hogging” her own baby.
She then took out her brand new iPhone 16 to snap a selfie while holding the baby. As predicted, the baby got excited, grabbed the sunnies, flailed his arms – and knocked the phone to the floor.
£2,300 worth of damage
Jean later demanded the mum replace her sunglasses and phone – or pay her £2,300 (around $4,400 AUD).
But the mum, who’s currently on maternity leave, said no.
“We can’t pay that – that’s not even my monthly wage,” she wrote.
“Plus, you ignored my warnings. I’m being called heartless, but I was more concerned with calming my son down.”
Her husband backed her up and simply said, “We did warn you.”
Reddit verdict: Not the a**hole
The post drew hundreds of responses, with people overwhelmingly siding with the mum.
“Babies grab stuff. They drop things. That’s just what they do,” one user wrote.
“You were clear. She ignored you. That’s on her.”
Others shared their own parenting mishaps – from babies yanking out earrings to smashing expensive gadgets.
“If you’re carrying $4,000 worth of stuff and not listening to the parents, that’s your risk,” one commenter added.
“Get insurance.”
The takeaway? Listen to the parents
One of the top comments put it best:
“You can’t expect a literal baby to follow rules. That’s why you listen to the people who know them best.”
Designer gear and grabby babies rarely mix – and if a parent gives you a warning, it’s probably best to believe them the first time.
