We were invited to a friend's house for drinks and dinner, and to stay the night, so we took the things we needed—our bedding, the portacot for our almost-two-year-old, and our drinks—and went to our friends' for the night. They had also invited other people they know. No big deal; we have had dinner and drinks and stayed there a lot and never had an issue with anyone they know. We hadn't met everyone who was coming this time, but hey, it's a night out, right?

Well, one of the people we just met pulled out a bag and started to roll a smoke. I thought nothing of it, as my partner smokes tobacco.

They lit it up, and it was not tobacco, but something else, more of the green kind. We were sitting outside around the table that had the food on it. I thought to myself, "Okay, it's just one; let it go," and tried to enjoy my night. My little one wasn't next to it; he was off playing on the swing we had set up for him. Then the next one was rolled and smoked, then the next, and the next.

I could smell it; the wind was blowing it away from them but towards the house. I did my best to keep my little one away from where people were sitting and kept him playing with the things we brought for him.

It was getting cold and late, so I thought I would put him to bed.

The door to the house was open the whole afternoon and night due to people going in and out to get drinks and use the toilet.

When I walked in, it was like a punch to the face with the smell. I don't smoke, not even normal cigarettes, so the smell was strong to me.

I went to the room we were meant to be staying in, and I could still smell it. It wasn't as strong as outside the room, but it was in the air.

My friend had noticed I wasn't myself that night. I didn't sit at the table; I sat further back, so the wind wasn't blowing it my way. I didn't join in the conversation as I would normally do, and they asked my husband what was wrong, if I was okay. So he told them I wasn't happy about the cannabis being smoked around our son.

My friend came in and said, "Oh, sorry. They said they will stop; they didn't know not to smoke it around a child." He said, "It's okay, it won't happen again. They have put it away. Come back out and have fun; it's gone, and they won't bring it back out for the rest of the night."

I told him I was trying to get my little one to settle and I'd come out in a bit.

I tried to get my little one down, but he was unsettled. Twenty minutes had passed, and he wouldn't go to sleep, so I decided to put him in his pram and go back outside with him, parking the pram near the fire so he would stay warm.

When I walked out, I could smell them smoking. As soon as I got outside, the people who had been smoking got up and moved away; they had a joint in their hand. But the wind was blowing the smoke right towards us, towards the house; they didn't move that far away.

So I went back inside and messaged my hubby, "I'M LEAVING, I'M NOT STAYING HERE!" and started to pack up. He came and helped, and we both started loading up the car again.

As I was loading the car, one of the people smoking asked if we were leaving. I told them yes, I was just going home, and I hoped they enjoyed the night. They asked, "Oh, why are you leaving?" I looked them in the eyes and said, "This environment isn't one I really want my son around. It's not something I do, and it's not something he should be exposed to, even if he is young." and doesn't know what they are smoking, because if I can smell it, so can he. They looked at me and said, "Oh, I'll stop if you like." I told them no, it's okay. They like to smoke and brought it around, so it was easier for us to just leave, as it can be smelt inside the house and I wasn't comfortable staying.

As we were leaving, our friends came over to say goodbye. They asked us to please stay, and I told them, "Sorry, not this time, because this isn't something I want my child around." They asked a few more times, saying things like, "It's too dark to drive; the kangaroos will be out on the road." We wil tell them to smoke it on the other side of the house But I was already feeling like a bad mum for staying as long as we did. I should have left when the first one was lit or spoken up sooner for my son, but felt like it wasn't my house nor my friend's, so it wasn't my place to say anything.

It turned out that my comments to the people smoking and us leaving dampened the rest of the night for them. It's the next morning, and I still feel like a bad mum.

I don't think ita in this story, but I do feel a bit bad that I kind of dampened the rest of the night for our friends.

I will add that I have never smoked or done drugs. I have seen firsthand what it does to families, and it is not something I invite into my life or want around my child.

My friends also don't smoke. One of them did have a puff as his friend kept saying, "Try it."

Also, I am 40 years old; our friends are in their late 50s, and so were their friends who were smoking. I don't know if that information helps. Thanks for reading; it's good to get it off my chest. I'm still pretty stressed about everything that happened, even though it wasn't that bad compared to some stories you read or hear about. So thanks for taking the time to read this.