You tell your child not to play with their Hot Wheels on a host's coffee table. Host says it's ok. You explain that their table will get scratched, host says no it won't. Your child puts a huge scratch in the table and the host want you to replace. Fair?

My aunt had everyone over for Easter and my five year old son brought his Hot Wheels and a few other toys to play with. I told him he can play with them on the carpet or on the tile, but not on the tables or any of the hardwood.

He wanted to play with his cars on my aunt's coffee table. It's a new live edge/epoxy table which he thought looked like a river through the desert. I told him please play on the carpet or tile or pick something else to do. My aunt said he can't hurt the table so just let him play. I told her that he will scratch and dent her table, which I know is expensive. I asked if it was ok for him to play on the carpet and tile instead, and she said it was, but if he wants to play on her coffee table that's ok too. I told him please play on the tile and she went over, picked up his cars, and played with the Hot Wheels on the table with him.

I told her that as long as she understands I'm now stepping away from all responsibility for her table. She said I was being dramatic, and I said I'm just letting her know that I know that table is expensive and if my son scratches or dents it, I have no way of repairing or replacing it so I'd rather he avoided playing on it. She said she told me that he can't dent or scratch it and if he wants to play on HER table in HER house, he can. She said let him play on the table because he's a little boy and the table won't be scratched or dented. I asked her if there was another thing he could do but she didn't want him doing a puzzle or colouring (too messy). She doesn't like him playing on his iPad or on electronics either.

Well... He put two deep scratches in the table from flipping his cars upside down and pushing them through the "river".

My aunt got mad and said I should have been watching him. I was, but he quickly flipped over the cars and I was putting my niece's hair in a braid. I said this is exactly why I didn't want him playing on the table. I already told him wheels only on the table and if he's going to flip the cars upside down, he needs to play on the carpet, but right before he scratched the table, my aunt said no no it's fine, he can't scratch the table and let him play.

My aunt wants me to pay for the table but I said I don't have that kind of money. I told her this is why I said what I did about him playing on the carpet. She says that it's my responsibility as a parent to pay for things my kids ruin.

I told her I completely understand but... She gave him permission to play on the table after I told him not to. I warned her that he could scratch or dent it and I didn't want that, but she said he couldn't scratch or dent it. She was the one who encouraged him to play on the table. I said this is why I told her that I would be stepping away from all responsibility if the table got damaged. She doesn't agree and thinks I need to reimburse her anyway. I said kindly, I'm sorry, and I don't have that kind of money. I can buy scratch filler and that's about it. I don't have the ability to pay for refinishing or whatever repairs need to be done.

What do you think?