A mom allegedly sent another mother a $31 bill after hosting her 5-year-old daughter for a playdate. The reported text exchange has left the internet baffled.
The messages became popular after 2DayFM Breakfast with Nath & Emma from Australia talked about them. Per the texts that were reported, the host mother stated that the money was charged for lunch, snacks, juice, and art supplies.
The recipient didn’t see it that way. Her first reply, per the messages, was, “You’re charging me for a playdate?” Neither mother has been named in the reports.
A $31 Invoice Landed After the Playdate Ended
The hosting mother had invited the girl to her home. But instead of treating it as a regular playdate, she allegedly sent a payment request afterward for what the child had eaten and used.
Nothing in the reports suggests the girl’s mother had booked a paid activity or asked for childcare. Her daughter had been invited over to spend time with another child. That was the whole arrangement.
The Host Defended Beads, Snacks and Juice
The hosting mother stood by the bill. She argued she was only trying to be fair, since having an extra child over can add up. She also claimed the girl had “used a lot of beads” and said, “most parents are happy to contribute.”
“Exactly and it all adds up. Hosting isn’t free,” she reportedly told the other parent.
The other mother wasn’t buying it. “Neither is having friends, apparently,” she replied.
Radio Hosts Said the Bill Came Too Late
On 2DayFM, hosts Nath Roye and Emma Chow questioned billing a parent after the visit was already over. Roye said a charge might make sense for a bigger outing.
“If you’re going somewhere, if you’re going to a theme park, if you’re going to the movies, sure, take your money like you’re going on an excursion like through school. But if you’re just going over to play Nintendo Switch…,” Roye said.
Chow finished the thought. “Yeah, and have some nuggies and veggie sticks for lunch… are you kidding?” she said.
Roye also warned that springing a charge on someone afterward could hurt a friendship. If a parent has expectations about money, he said, she should state them before the playdate.
Parents Said a Heads-Up Would Have Changed Everything
Many parents said the money wasn’t really the issue. The surprise was. A $31 request that comes with no warning feels very different from one both families agreed to up front.
The suggested fix was simple. A parent who can’t comfortably cover the cost of hosting can say so beforehand, rather than hit another family with a demand afterward.
Online Commenters Mocked the Itemized Charge
On social media, plenty of people had fun with the idea of itemizing a few hours of kid time. One commenter said they’d send an invoice right back.
“I would send an invoice right back saying my child’s time to keep your child entertained is $32,” the person wrote. “If I dropped my child off, I’d be charged for that. If I stopped to chat, I’d charge her $50 for my time in 5-minute increments. Then I would never see her again.”
Another asked, “Are we living in a parallel universe where mothers charge parents for their kids attending a celebration THEY WERE INVITED TO?”
A third guessed at the motive. “They did that because they knew if they charged people before the playdate, no one would show up,” the commenter wrote.
One more joked about the host’s social life. “Does she also charge her adult friends who come over for a coffee & chat? Probably, & probably doesn’t have any friends anymore,” the comment read.
