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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??????

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onlyWotz · 25/08/2007 12:29

To keep good realtionship, I would suggest you go half with her as she should have been watching him afterall. Not nice to think he was left in a soiled pull up anyway.

Maybe buy a second hand one off ebay or from a mnetter.

WanderingTrolley · 25/08/2007 12:26

You're right - her equipment, her responsibility.

I have lost count of the number of objects I have cleaned poo off, she's talking, er, crap. It might stain, and look less pretty, but you can clean it to a hygienic standard.

EscapeFrom may have hit on something - that, or she just doesn't want to clean it.

Oh, and ime poo-painters do it in silence. I wouldn't worry about the care he receives on this evidence.

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

How do I tackle this without souring our relationship?

OP posts:
LIZS · 25/08/2007 12:24

I'd have thought it could be cleaned with a steamer if not by hand. Yucky job though. For the sake of £30-40 is she really expecting you to fund a replacement when your ds won't be using it much longer himself. If he'd broken a toy or plate would you have to replace it ?

FairyOnTheChristmasTree · 25/08/2007 12:23

She is paid to look after your son and watch him at all times, even when he's sleeping as toddlers do wake up and get up to mischief doesn't she know? I think SHE is being totally unreasonable asking you...it's totally her fault when your DS was her responsibility.

Original poster
QueenEagle · 25/08/2007 12:17

Apparently the cot has got poo in the mesh fabric surrounding which she is saying is impossible to clean to a hygienic enough standard for using again.

Btw I must say I have no problem whatsoever with her care, she is excellent. ds was put down at 12.30 and checked at 1pm when they found he had taken the pull up off full of poo. He is in the habit of doing this lately I must admit.

I don't want to cause bad feeling as we have a very good relationship with her and the kids lover her and she provide fantastic care for the boys.

I would have thought that any equipment she uses, toys, cots, highchairs etc are her responsibility. And of course ds didn't deliberately do it.

OP posts:
LadyVictoriaOfCake · 25/08/2007 12:13

no you arent.

KerryMumbledore · 25/08/2007 12:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

EscapeFrom · 25/08/2007 12:11

I would suspect, given her panicky attitude, that it isn't her cot and she shouldn't have been using it for your ds. Does she have other little mindees?

EscapeFrom · 25/08/2007 12:09

She can clean it with a scrubbing brush and a bucket full of disinfectant. Not a nice job, but a lot of child related jobs aren't nice.

Something a 2 year old did while under her care is her problem, IMHO. It's her cot - she has the option to clean it or replace it - but you can't expect a child that age to know better, you were not in a position of responsibility at that time.

WanderingTrolley · 25/08/2007 12:09

Hmmm....I think she should pay.

You'd have to check your contract to see what that says about being liable. I don't think you should be.

Sounds a bit cheeky of her tbh.

And why is it impossible to clean?

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