Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Original poster

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

186 replies

QueenEagle · 25/08/2007 12:06

2.5 year old ds is put in a travel cot for his afternoon nap. The other day he pulled off his pull up full of poo and covered the cot in it, getting it in the mesh and on the fabric. Minder says it is impossible to clean therefore unusable.

She wants me to replace it and says she has no insurance to cover such a loss.

Am I liable??????

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
onlyWotz · 25/08/2007 13:20

Im not good with my own dds poo, let alone others!

LazyLinePainterJane · 25/08/2007 13:19

at pooper vests

JeremyVile · 25/08/2007 13:18

I'd say being ripped off by someone you ALREADY pay to do their job is a fairly big deal myself....though I do have cracking PMT today!

MyTwopenceworth · 25/08/2007 13:17

Take it, stick it outside and train a hose on it! 15 minutes of water under high pressure being aimed at it, will clean it very well.

And she's got insurance, that's what it's for - to replace things! She's got a nerve, frankly!

onlyWotz · 25/08/2007 13:16

Really life is too short to worry about some poo, just either offer to clean it yourself or go 50/50. 30/70 or whatever!!

There are far more important things in life to worry about who is right and wrong here.

Its poo after all.

fawkeoff · 25/08/2007 13:12

yes i think you should

Original poster
QueenEagle · 25/08/2007 13:12

fawkeoff - shall i tell her that?

OP posts:
JeremyVile · 25/08/2007 13:11

I really think you should not even contemplate either replacing it or cleaning it yourself.
So far on this thread you have plenty of answers to any reasons she might come up with as to why its your responsibility.
Its understandable that you want to keep a good relationship and dont want this to sour things, but you have to take a step back and realise that if this spirals, it is NOT down to you. You are not being at all unreasonable... She is, and you shouldn't have to go above and beyond whats reasonble in order to placate someone who is absolutely in the wrong.

She may be a great childminder but she is taking the piss. Surely when a CM works out their rates these things are considered and it may not be worth her while to claim on insurance but that is HER issue to deal with.

fawkeoff · 25/08/2007 13:10

and ds did this to his travel cot but i just got a bowl of warm soapy water and used a bit of elbow grease...she is a cheeky tightfisted mare

fawkeoff · 25/08/2007 13:09

i get the 18-24 months from tescos or asda and they have loads of room and are really stretchy.they are £5 for 7

MerlinsBeard · 25/08/2007 13:07

of course its not worth her while to claim. she would get more if you paid her!

its only poo, it comes off...trust me! ds1 did the same thing when he was younger.

fawkeoff · 25/08/2007 13:07

popper....god i am really stooopid sometimes

Original poster
QueenEagle · 25/08/2007 13:04

Have asked about her being covered on insurance. She mentioned something about it not being worth her while to claim as she would pay an excess.

Do you mean vests with poppers under the crotch? Do they do them that big?

OP posts:
dustystar · 25/08/2007 13:00

Persoanlly i can't believe she is expecting you to pay for it. Accidents happen and when you are minding you should have insurance to cover this. I certianly do. It may be that she has to pay the first £50-100 of a claim but thats really not your responsibility. We get all sorts of tax breaks to cover this sort of thing and TBH I think she's got a cheek to ask you for anything towards it let alone expect you to replace it.

meandmy · 25/08/2007 12:58

tell her you wont replace it but will clean it!
i hav scrubbed poo off one it does come off!

fawkeoff · 25/08/2007 12:52

pooper vests sorry

fawkeoff · 25/08/2007 12:51

i think she is over reacting, she could get a brand new travel system for £25-£30.It's not your fault that ds smeared poo all over it, if i wher you i would buy some pooper vests for when he is there so he doesnt smear anything else while he is in her care

WanderingTrolley · 25/08/2007 12:50

She's wrong about it being uncleanable.

If you do end up replacing it, make sure she gives you the pooey travelcot so you can sell it on ebay. And replace her mum's with a second hand one if you must.

Bonkerz is right - she should be insured.

Sorry, not sure how to go about talking to her about it. Maybe ask her what her insurance covers?

LazyLinePainterJane · 25/08/2007 12:47

Sounds to me as if it is not her travel cot and she knows she cannot return it in that condition.

Her fault, not yours.

Original poster
QueenEagle · 25/08/2007 12:46

She says it was from her mum's house (?) and she is now a cot down. ds wears pants in the day and a pull up for naptime only. He had been for a wee at 12.30 when he was then put down to sleep. I have no issue with her not watching him - it was half an hour before they checked him again - which is fine with me, I put him to bed and only see him again 2 hours later when I wake him up!

It was just an accident. And god knows I pay her enough each month to cover stuff that might get damaged and/or broken!

OP posts:
bonkerz · 25/08/2007 12:44

ask her to check her insurance. Im with morton mishel and im covered for upto £100 of mindees property so if she wnated to she could say it was a mindees cot that has been damaged! I claimed for my mindees parents mobile that cost £120 when a mindee put it in a glass of water! Didnt change my premiums either!

EscapeFrom · 25/08/2007 12:38

Plus if she insists she WON'T have it if it has had poo on, she should have insured herself against this event.

It's silly to mind nappied children and expect poo to never leave the confines of the nappy. This was an accident, and really not your problem.

I would offer to clean it out of good will, given that your little tyke did besmear it, but would NOT even think of offering any money for it.

EscapeFrom · 25/08/2007 12:36

Hospitals manage just fine, as do nurseries, residential homes, and everyone with children. they don't bin bedding or chairs, or any other item (bar maybe pants if irretrievable) just because someone has soiled them. I would not bin a £50 item because of poo, and I don't think anyone running a business would unless they really CANNOT have it looking stained - which is why I suspect it's not hers.

WanderingTrolley · 25/08/2007 12:33

I think you need to have a good look at the contract to see what it says about accidental damage.

And ask her why it's so hard to clean. Seriously, it's odd. It needs a good scrub and a wipe with Dettox. I've cleaned travel cots - it's not beyond the scope of Kim and Aggie!

LIZS · 25/08/2007 12:30

Can you offer to clean it for her - biological washing power perhaps ? ?

Swipe left for the next trending thread