Nanny damaged food processor

@Blondeshavemorefun - caramel, I was 17, family had gone away and I was house and fish sitting. I had made caramel in a tin with condensed milk at home dozens of times. Was making it at family’s home and tin exploded forcing pan lid up and saucepan jumped off stove onto the floor. It wasn’t a heavy enough pan and electric hob instead of gas so got too hot I think. I spent 4 hours cleaning it all up and still missed bits, it flew everywhere, I bought a new ceiling tile and fitted it and told MB that I would replace the tile, she said she hated the tiles and was a good reason to get Lino! I’ve made it many times since, never happened since.

Flooding, I was 19, working for a widowed father looking after a 2 year old and a baby, mum died 3 months before. It was a harrowing job, the 2 year old was very hard work for obvious reasons, screamed for hours when dad left, wouldn’t eat for me, refused to talk to me. One day about 3 weeks into the job he came in to the kitchen where I was running the tap to do the washing up, took my hand and pulled me to the stairs, I picked up baby and went up with him, he sat on his bedroom floor and said ‘play with me, please’ so I did! I hadn’t turned the tap off fully and 2 hours later came down to a flooded kitchen.

Did virtually the same thing 2 weeks later but where water was flowing through the overflow before, some of the sealant had peeled away so when I came back down 5 minutes later, the bottom cupboards were soaked, nowhere near as much water the second time and I got it cleaned up before DB got home. I did tell him about the sealant though. Thankfully DB was forgiving! Was there for almost 6 years.

The children are now 33 and 32 and I spent the day with them yesterday.

@redstapler - the sink, I was standing to the left of the sink and dropped the potato masher over the edge into the sink and it cracked, it’s not like I hit it with a hammer. The floor tile and saucepans was the same accident.

But you may be right, given my mum has a terminal neurological disease, it could well be something in that.

Although I haven’t broken anything in the last 11 years.

Accidents happen op, my cleaner can be a bit heavy handed and gas broken a few things, and I once had a cleaner who actually pulled my daughters shower screen clean off the wall, she also cracked a floor to ceiling window, when hoovering, as she hit it so hard.

She didn't pay, yes she apologised, but I wouldn't have dreamed of making them pay, because it was an accident and accidents happen.

Blimey, in years of employing nannies, I've never heard MB! How odd. (Thanks Blonde)

Sorry to derail. Re the OP, absolutely don't charge her. Accidents happen and you've no proof it was deliberate. She's working her notice anyway. Are you sure you don't want her to go sooner?

Mb Mum boss

Db dad boss

Dc darling charges

Nanny talk

What's an MB ?

Car accidents happen. I’ve had two. One my fault. Misjudged driveway and scraped whomlengyh of car

Other car coming towards me And didn’t stop and hit me

But the caramel everywhere and flooding of kitchen. How did that happen

sorry @Callaird not Calllaird!

@Calllaird I broke a mug 20 years ago and nothing since then. One every three years including damage to floor tiles, saucepans, a cracked sink and flooding? That's way out of the normal. If it is getting worse you might want to consider seeing your GP to see if there is a pathological/neurological cause.

How much of her notice period is remaining?

Accidents happen, she didn't do it on purpose.

Do you really need a mixer which costs £300? What's the difference between a Kenwood which costs £100/£150 and a £300 one?

@Callaird what a clumsy nightmare you sound

OP - I hear you and get it. An apology would have been nice

@redstapler - I think 10 major accidents in 32 years isn’t terribly clumsy.

@Callaird you sound very clumsy!

I’ve broken so many things belonging to my employers during my 32 years as a nanny, I have never been asked to pay for repairs or a replacement.

Wrote off 2 cars (although I wasn’t in one at the time!)
Broke 2 wedding vases (different families)
Flooded the same kitchen, twice.
Covered the entire kitchen in boiling caramel and embedded the saucepan lid in the polystyrene ceiling and melted the saucepan to the carpet tiles (it was a very long time ago!) MB found concrete caramel all over the place when she moved out 8 years later.
Broke a christening bowl.
Cracked a butler sink.
Lots of day to day crockery.

All silly accidents, I didn’t mean to do it. But I did apologise profusely and said I’d replace everything/pay insurance excess on the cars. My employers always said, don’t be silly, accidents happen and refused to take any money from me.

I think the 2 vases hurt MB’s the most but to be fair they were left in places where they were easily knocked off/over.

This is so annoying, as it's a significant sum of money but very unlikely to be worth claiming on hour house insurance - cheaper and you wouldn't be so fussed, more and the insurance would pay. You'll have to write it off.

It would have been bode for her to apologise. But you can't ask her to pay. Accidents happen, and to expect somebody on a nanny's wage to cover that is unreasonable. If you are asking somebody to regularly complete tasks in your home, I think you have to accept there might be occasional accidents.

Do food processors move? I don’t own one

Accidents happen but yes would have been nice to have said so sorry

I once damaged the lid and went on spareparts and just bought a new one.Does your nanny have a nanny insurance?

Nip to the loo
Answer the door
Collect the post
Put a wash on
Fetch something from the utility

...honestly, the distractions are endless. You think ‘oh I’ll only be a minute’ & in that minute either you get distracted or the kamikaze mixer hurls itself at the floor

Shit happens.

I’d be really pissed off at her not apologising though.

I’m a bit shocked by this. How on earth would you expect a low paid nanny to pay for repairs to something which was damaged accidentally. ? Good god !

Cant get the staff.

Nothing you can do.

You're unreasonable. She's a human who got distracted. Would you be expected to pay for a breakage at your work? I certainly wouldn't.

OP said twice her DC were at school.

It's just one of those things.

We had a babysitter who blew up the microwave by leaving it on max for 5 mins

I never thought to ask them to pay, just glad the house did not catch fire