WWYD? Son broke glass at friend's house

[crl]

We were having dinner with friends tonight and DS broke a glass. The broken glass also got all over a pair of their son's shorts that were on the floor and they pitched the shorts rather than try to get every little splinter of glass out.

I offered twice to pay for both items and my offers were rejected. My friend said she had already broken many of the glasses from that set and there was no need to replace it. And she said her son didn't like those shorts anyway. These are good friends and I know they would not be offended if we did nothing more, but I don't want to take advantage of their niceness.

I don't think I should offer to pay again. I doubt I can find a matching glass since I don't know the brand, etc. Plus if she really doesn't have many left, I'm not sure it makes much sense to buy her just one. Should I buy her son a new pair of shorts and maybe a t-shirt as a substitute for the glass?

What would you do? What would you expect a friend to do in this situation?

Thanks,

[trumansmom]

If it were a close friend, you've already done all I would expect. :) Things happen. She has kids, she gets that. I honestly wouldn't worry about it.

Maybe make a batch of cookies or something if you can't shake the guilty feeling. I'll bet she's already over it.


Jeanne
Mom to Truman 11/01 and Eleanor 4/04

[candybomiller]

Excellent advice about the cookies Jeanne. :)

Or maybe you could get her a gift certificate to someplace she could replace both the glass and the shorts: Target, Herberger's, Dillards.

[DebbieJ]

I wouldn't worry about it. Really. She understands.

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
2 year check up: 25 lbs with clothes on and 35 inches!
BFARed for 20 months and 6 days
(Breastfeeding After Reduction is possible! www.bfar.org)

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[nfowife]

I agree, things happen! If she's a good friend I don't think you need to do anything more than you've already done.

[anamika]

I wouldn't worry too much. I do agree with the PP about cookies or something home-made. Or something you would do for her anyway - I bake cookies :)
I'm just glad everyone is okay.
We were at a restaurant over the weekend and DH got a piece of glass in his finger from the seat that DD had been playing on a few mins back. The waiter said a glass had broken at the table the previous night. Scary!

[g-mama]

I wouldn't overthink it. She understands. You've done all that would be reasonably expected. Don't sweat it.


~Kristen

Paolo 11-00
Benjamin 8-03
Marco 12-05

[aliceinwonderland]

What Jeanne said...I personally do not care much if another kid broke something in my house, my own son has set a well-established precedent of that! Your offers are already more than (what anyone would expect IMO! Unless the shorts were the Armani toddler equivalent ;) I wouldn't sweat it any more than you have :)

[KBecks]

I'd say to trust if she says it's OK, then it's OK. You don't have to do anything extra.

Why not invite them out to lunch sometime and you can pay, or invite them over to your house for some food and playtime?

[american_mama]

You can't go wrong no matter what you do. You can buy similar shorts or get a gift certificate. Or you can accept her word and do nothing.

I've been on both ends of the breaking stuff and usually feel it should be replaced in some fashion, BUT these incidents have been with more important items belonging to not very good friends. The most relevant example is when my DD broke a glass bowl (Pyrex style, I think, so not an expensive one) at my DH's boss' new house. At first, I blew it off because it was part of a set and I couldn't replace just that one bowl. Then I thought about it (duh, DH's new BOSS!) and sent a gift certificate to Bed Bath and Beyond.

[ribbit1019]

I too wouldn't sweat a glass and shorts. If it were something more personal that you could replace then I would replace it. Glasses break all the time around here, sometimes our DD's fault sometimes not. And kids grow out of clothes soooo fast.

I agree with PPs make cookies (or whatever you are good at making ;)) if you are still eaten by the guilt.


Christy
My Waterbabies
Maddy born 6/9/04
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&
Jarred born 3/8/06, 11 lb 14.5 oz 24" @ 6 wks, a happily breastfed babe.
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Co-Owner Ribbit Baby

[crl]

Thanks! DH says to let it go, especially since that's what I would want our friends to do if it had been our glass/shorts. We have dinner at each other's places all the time (like once a week) so odds are good one of her kids will even the score for me. Thanks for helping me let go of this one.