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Paid childcare

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Advice needed fast please

36 replies

PinkChick · 25/09/2008 16:42

dd! and mindee (6) have just broken our huge toy unit by BOTh climbing up it, despite being told umpteen times not too as its made for storage boxes NOT people....came up to toilet and hear a crack, dd in tears, cant understand..finally get out of her SHE'S broken it..tell her to go in living room while i think/make it safe..mindee starts crying, im thinking its in sympathy for dd...come back in and ask mindee what happend..she begins well your dd told me to...i said NO , do not blame anyone else, what happend(didnt think she HAD done anything!)..turns out BOTH of them were climbing bouncing on it..so so annoyed theyre old enough to know better...both in tears because they feel guilty, i have told them im very annoyed and dissapointed with them (no shouting)and wonder why i buy nice things for them when this is what happens (mindee also 'accidentally' broke another small toy yesterday)...dd is now NOT coming shopping tonight (she gets treats and sees nana when we go) but what to i say to mindees mum!, i am annoyed, but what to say!?..shell be here within 15 mins and i need to be calm and explain instead of being annoyed!..help!

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PinkChick · 25/09/2008 20:03

well dad picked up and i told him and he said......"oh...what are you like"!..and his dd giggled and went on their merry way!!![shokc]..i could have bet on mum ringing me leter to apologise...but she didnt!..am still stotting

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JenniPenni · 25/09/2008 16:54

Yip, as OFSTEDoutstanding says.... nip it in the bud!

OFSTEDoutstanding · 25/09/2008 16:52

I always feel the same I think it is because you can never tell how parents react however you are in the right to say something especially as she broke something yesterday as well you don't want it to become a regular occurance

PinkChick · 25/09/2008 16:50

why do I feel like a witch?..i feel bad about telling mum that her dd and mine broke something??

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OFSTEDoutstanding · 25/09/2008 16:49

Dont worry about looking bad she shouldnt have done it! As you say they are old enough to know better. If she cries in front of parent tell her to stop as she knows what she has done is wrong...maybe have DD standing nearby as well so that both mindee and parents realise she is also in the wrong?

PinkChick · 25/09/2008 16:49

they go to school together so i 'know' mum..i was only in kitchen fixing their snack!..theyre 5 and 6..the babies need watching 24/7 yes but these two!

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PinkChick · 25/09/2008 16:47

dont do diary for this one, shes6 and only here 2 hours after school, there was neevr time to fill in as well as doing snacks and inbetween breaking furniture!

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PinkChick · 25/09/2008 16:47

but then she'll start crying again and ill look bad..dont like making LO cry..but its just guilty tears as when i said to ehr too stop as she ahs done something wrong and that tears dont work, she stopped! straight away!

what makes it worse is that dd took her nintendo ds into school today, i said she could so she could play it sat down in playground..she took it out as we were walking in as she couldnt wait and dropped it straight away on floor!..BROKE!
sigh.........

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JenniPenni · 25/09/2008 16:46

I agree with cece. Pop a note re breakages in her daily diary too.

OFSTEDoutstanding · 25/09/2008 16:46

I would just explain the facts as best as you know them, do you have a policy for breaking furniture/ toys through improper use. Mine says that if anything is broken purposefully either through mallicious damage or through misuse the parents are to replace the item. As it was a mindee and your DD maybe you could suggest they pay half? Are they the sort of parents that would understand or will they say that you should have been in the room with them?

cece · 25/09/2008 16:44

Just stay calm and explain it as you understand it. Perhaps have the mindee standing and listening so she hears you tell her mum.