This incident occurred a few days before Christmas, but my friend still hasn’t spoken to me, so I’m trying to determine if I was truly in the wrong.

I invited my friends to go on a winter hike. The location is not far from our home and offers stunning views of the mountains. Five women were going, including two who brought their children: Jane, who is 12, and Alex, who is 13.

When we all arrived at the parking lot before the hike, Alex’s mother insisted that he bundle up. He was wearing shorts, crocs, and a hoodie, claiming he wasn’t cold. I believe he was trying to impress Jane. Initially, I didn’t care much about the situation until we were halfway into the hike. There was a designated sitting area where we planned to eat lunch. At that point, everyone could sense that Alex was freezing, and it was also snowing lightly.

His mother was frustrated with him, reminding him that she had told him to wear a coat. She took off her coat and wrapped it around him, but he shrugged it off, saying , “I’m not wearing a pink coat!”

Again, I didn’t really pay much attention to their argument. I’m not a parent, and it wasn’t my business. Then, the mother said, “OP, Alex wants to wear your coat because it’s black.”I had the most gender-neutral coat there I suppose. It also goes down to my ankles, and since Alex and I are roughly the same height, it would have covered him. I said no. I waswearing warm clothing (thermals and a sweater), but if I removed it, I would have been cold. She was upset and said “He’s a child! Are you going to let a child sit here and freeze!”

I suggested that they walk back to their car and go home. There was a shortcut right where we were that would have taken them directly to the parking lot in just 10-15minutes. The other people at the hike kept giving me disapproving glances and even said, “Oh, just let him wear it,” all the while not offering their coats. Eventually, Alex and his mother left. The rest of the hike was filled with awkward silence. Later, in our group chat, Alex’s mother posted a lengthy rant about how rude I was and that I would never understand what it was like being a mother. I thought that after a few weeks, she would have moved on, but she hasn’t.

Was I in the wrong?