Sometimes in life, stuff just happens

Dear Amy: My young daughter recently had a slumber party.

One of her friends was playing on my husband’s iPad, and she dropped it and shattered the screen.

My husband jokingly said, “You break it, you bought it.” I think this scared her. She went into my daughter’s room and hid under a blanket. She cried for a long time. Because I was out taking another child home, I was not home when it happened.

I texted the child’s father (our neighbor across the street) to tell him she accidentally broke the iPad and that she was inconsolable. When she finally emerged, my husband told her that he wasn’t mad at her and that we like her very much.

Since then, we have not been contacted by the parents or received an apology.

My husband would like them to replace the iPad screen, but they have three children and not a lot of money. Still, it would be nice if they would offer something.

My husband can be very grumpy, and in the past, has had some negative interactions with this family.

My daughter is afraid that if he says something, her friend won’t want to come over anymore, because she is already afraid of my husband.

I do not want to cause problems with their family, either.

What are your — Wondering

Dear Wondering: You don’t say how old these children are, but your husband was in charge of the group while you were gone, and so I’d say that when an adult hands a child an iPad — or doesn’t take it from her — then: “If she breaks it, YOU bought it.

Your husband already “joked” his way into scaring this girl. I give you all credit for working hard to comfort her.

The lesson here — for all of you — is that, in life, stuff happens. thoughts?

Readers can send email to askamy@amydickinson.com.