If a mindee ruined your cot and it was unusable, what would you do?

I've been a childminder for 21 years and have dealt with all sort. It's part of the job, I'd just get on and clean it.

I had a child puke up recently in my brand new car seat, and I mean really puke! I just had to grin and bear it and clean it up, Vomit emoticon!

I'd do the same with a travel cot, but then I wouldn't have a 2.5 year old in pull ups or nappies,( unless special needs of any sort) but that is another contentious point!

A comment today in the paper talks about children starting school unreliable in their toileting habits at 4.5 years old, - well in my opinion people are lazy and leave it far too late training these days.

I have minded over 50 children and all have been dry and clean by their second birthday, including lots of boys. My own DS was clean and dry at night at 18 months old.

There is a window of opportunity at 18-20 months and most parents choose to ignore it as it seems to much hassle.

C/M could have it professionally cleaned at offset the cost in her wear and tear.

IMO although not all children smeer poo everywhere, many do, so many that its considered normal

it is not that odd for a 2.5 year old to smeer poo everywhere, and also obviously you dont watch children while they sleep

To even suggest that the child new he was doing something wrong so the mum shoudl pay is absurd.

Its a normal thing for some 2 year old to do.... and childminder should not ask to pay

some children have major tantrums... some dont
some run off given half a chance... otehrs never do
some children put everything in their mouths for years, others dont
some children enjoy smearing poo, and some dont

ALL completely normal for a child, and just cause some dont do it, doesnt mean that no child should or would cause many normal 1 and 2 year olds do!

my dd1 did this at her creche, and there was never any suggestion that I should clean it up or replace it, they were incredibly reasonable about it. They told me quite a few children do this at some point, but I still felt guilty.

i'd definitely offer to clean it myself, i must say, you'd really have to get a scrubbing brush out and do it in a garden and i'm not sure that i would expect a childminder to do it in her 'off' time. if there's one in kiddicare for £30 then i'd suggest going halfers if you can't get it clean. if she really didn't want to i'd pay the mney and forget all about it. she's a good CM, that's the bottom line. don't let something this trivial spoil that relationship.

JV I agree children are unpredictable, which is why the CM is paid to watch over them

however most children aged 2.5 do NOT take off their nappies when in bed and smear the contents. I know some children do, but it isn't something I would expect if asked to look after someone's elses child without warning. If my child did this, I would warn the CM and try to put them in clothing where it wasn't possible for them to get the nappy off (I know some children are great escape artists). If my 2.5 y o did this unexpectedly I would be mortified and offer to replace the cot.

I've worked with children for nearly 15 years btw. As we seem to be taking childcarers' opinions more seriously than other people's

Thanks beansprout

Fawkeoff no need to be so rude

I would really advise that QE works this out with the CM for the sake of their good relationship. It isn't worth falling out over a travel cot IMO. You people who think the CM is being dishonest - are you not concerned about QE leaving her child there in the future?

I think that all childminders are different - as are all parents.

This happened to me a couple of years ago. I told the mum, who was mortified. She whipped the cot out of my house and tipped it. The following day she arrived with a brand new cot for me. It was HER choice, and I was very greatful.

Surely, this is not about just whether the CM is out of order, but also how the OP reacts to what her own child has done.

This is jusy MY opinion.

Sally x

fair enough i retract the paid bit in my post....but you know its really unfair to be asked to replace something like that

I was one of the CM's that said that the CM should replace it herself, but OMG childminders most places are poorly paid, I dont know any that charge more than the minimum hourly age rate! and yes some do have more than one child, but try looking in the staff room, to see how many of us are struggling, and before anyone jumps on me, Yes I know I am one of the ones that are not.

Hey, don't be so harsh on F&Z, she is just making a reasonable point!

If we aren't allowed to discuss poo smearing on MN in a civilised manner, then what has the world come to?!!

franny you are talking out of your arse.Childminders are not poorly paid at all, and the child is a toddler at 2.5....do people forget the stages that toddlers go through???? they just take their nappy off all the bloody time,it cant be helped its a learning process!!!!,she could have just cleaned the bloody thing instead of using extorsion

F&Z - If poo smearing is an 'unexpected act', then what is expected?

I dont have a 2.5 yo yet so cant comment on whether poo smearing is com[pletely unacceptable (though common sense tells me that its not), but young children by nature are unpredictable, whether its poo smearing, crayoning the walls, drenching the sofa in milk, posting something irretrievably into the DVD unit etc etc etc.

The point is, when someone chooses to be a CM they are opening their home and everything within it to other peoples children and they have to consider all these things as very possible and work that into their prices and their insurance requirements.

That was an aside to the claim that all CMs are poorly paid. Mine earns £33k pa and it is all cash in hand. I'm not insisting that all CMs get paid this amount, as I know they don't, but from my own experience, I would expect my CM to pay to replace this bit of equipment.

In this particular example, I really do think she should try to wash it first!

2.5year olds dont quite grasp that poo-smearing is wrong.

Beansprout you were comparing your wages to your childminder's. I was pointing out that you probably weren't expected to pay for stuff at work that goes wrong, unlike QE's childminder.

JV if a tool of my trade was rendered unusable by unexpected actions of an employer's child, I would be speaking to them about it. She isn't going to be able to claim for it.

No, F&Z, I don't, as my employer reasonably expects equipment to break, wear and tear etc so this cost is not passed on to me.

I don't quite understand your point.

F&Z, several CMs on this thread have already said that this type of incident is entrely within her remit as chilminder, that it is her responsibility.
The cot is a tool of her trade.

I would have thought that sort of accident is the sort of thing that cms have to allow for. Not sure though.

If something breaks at work, through no fault of your own, do you have to replace it out of your own money, beansprout?

My CM earns more than me!! I don't consider her to be poorly paid (42.50 a day and we provide all the food).

You could alternately offer to clean it yourself

It really isn't the kind of job a childminder should expect to have to do in the reasonable course of a day's work

How funny, I don't agree with you at all

I think it is totally reasonable to expect a 2.5 year old to know that it is not ok to take off their nappy and smear poo everywhere (I am assuming however that ds is NT and may be totally wrong)

The childminder won't be able to claim for this small amount on her insurance, so she is basically paying for it out of her own pocket. Childminders don't earn much to start with - buying a new cot is a hefty expense IMO. If it was an accident I would see it differently, but I don't think a 2.5 deliberatly smearing poo all over another person's possessions is an accident, exactly. The thing about the CM should have been watching him is bizarre - what, while he was having his nap??

QE for the sake of your good relationship (you say you are happy with other aspects of her care) I would get a 2nd hand travel cot and present it to her with apologies for the inconvenience. If you really do think she is a grasping cow, and all the rest of the nasty things that people have called her on here, why on earth would you be happy to leave your son in her care?

i keewp reading this as 'if a misdee ruined your coat and it was unusable'

arrgh keep thinking i have done something wrong

pressure wash it in the back garden
clean as a whistle.

I bet she is insured but her premium is more than a new travel cot would cost. I am a cm and have insurance but my premium was put up to £100 when I made a claim a year ago.

Regardless of that though, I agree she could scrub it down quite easily, and if she can't bear to use it again could sell it to fund a new one.

She is being very petty I think, as mntioned here can get a new one for £15. If it were me I would sigh and get the scrubbing brush out - these things happen when you have kids in your home all day evry day.