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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

or is dp about payment for damages?

42 replies

cosysocks · 15/08/2010 20:12

Mum was babysitting ds few weeks ago when he kicked her laptop. She is now saying it is broken however it still works but screen goes white if you move its angle.
She has asked for us to pay repair costs, I think fair enough not happy but my child has caused damage.
Dp thinks we shouldn't have to pay as he was in her care and tbh she has a history of laptops breaking.
So who is being unreasonable? As we can't seem to agree. Oh ds is four.

OP posts:

sapphireblue · 16/08/2010 08:33

if it were me and my mum, I would offer to pay and she would decline. She would realise that it was her own fault for leaving her laptop where the DC's could get at it!

lifeas3plus1 · 16/08/2010 08:58

I would offer to go halves.

My half because it was my child who caused the damage (albeit, accidently)

Mum's half because she shouldn't have left it on the floor with small children around.

loveulotslikejellytots · 16/08/2010 09:40

If it's an apple product depending on age, all Apple products have a garuntee with it. If you google apple genius bar you can make an appointment to take it to a store and they will have a look for you. They will then tell you 1 - if they can fix it and 2 - how much it's going to cost, if anything.

I took my mac book in there last year because it died, and it needed a completely new hard drive. Mine is 6 years old and they did it for free.

It's worth a try. And they really are helpful, mine would have cost me about £200 to fix myself if i'd listened to DH! I didn't even have an appointment either, they just slotted me in.

ilovemydogandMrObama · 16/08/2010 09:49

How old is MacBook? It may still be under warranty? But guess if it was kicked, then the warranty would be invalid anyway.

If she is asking you to pay for the repair, then fair enough, but she was incredibly stupid to leave it on the floor anyway. And if you do end up paying for it, then you need to make the rules in future including no laptops around DS.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 16/08/2010 10:36

If she has left it on the floor then it's her own lookout, sorry. No way should she be trying to get you to pay.

Orangerie · 16/08/2010 13:17

Pay... keep your brownie points going with your mum. If your Dh goes and tell her is her fault she would think "You're right, I shouldn't be babysitting in my house as your child doesn't respect other people's property"

She wouldn't be telling it to your face but I expect that offers for babysitting will start to be a little bit more scarce. Not worth it over the price of fixing a computer TBH.

You have not said if the kicking was an accident or not. I know a 4 year old that would break things during tantrums, if this was no accident... well it is clear is not her fault.

Original poster

cosysocks · 16/08/2010 15:15

Ilovemydog thanks for that info.
TBH I think I am going to take it to get repaired, if it's a fault then hopefully under warranty, if not just suck it up and pay.

OP posts:

SummerRain · 16/08/2010 15:20

accidents happen even without kids being involved. My dad broke my very expensive camera by knocking it on the floor and i wouldn't even consider him paying for it as it could as easily have happened to me.

Leaving a laptop on the floor around kids is just idiotic and it's not surprising it got broken tbh

thisisyesterday · 16/08/2010 18:27

i am sorry, but i will disagree with the majority and say that a 4 year old knows bloody well NOT to kick a laptop, regardless of whether it has been left on the floor.

unless it was an accidental kick, which you haven't specified yet.

at the end of the day i don't expect people to be as careful with their things around my children as I am, because many of them aren't used to having children and just don't think of all the eventualities

she was doing you a favour. your child broke her laptop. you should pay

StarlightMcKenzie · 16/08/2010 18:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

thisisyesterday · 16/08/2010 18:33

and it isn't like she is asking for a replacement. just repair costs

mumbar · 16/08/2010 18:46

just come back to this and realised the op says

'a few weeks ago'. So the laptop was kicked a few weeks ago and mum asks for money now saying its broken?? Surely if ds kicking it broke it then it would have been broken immediatly and she would have asked for payment on your return??

TBH op if your ds kicked it on purpose then the fact it was strupid to leave it on the floor is imo irrelevant. I don't see how tbh something against a wall can be kicked accidently.

BUT be clear that this is not something that has just cropped up and she is blaming ds kick to get out of paying for repairs herself.

OP do you mind clarifying whther it was deliberate or accidental the kick?

Orangerie · 17/08/2010 02:03

Yes Mumbar, go and offend the mother further by implying that it was not the child that damaged it.

musicmadness · 17/08/2010 04:04

If it was leaning up a wall i doubt kicking it was an accident, i'd consider that an out of the way place in regards to accidently tripping over it etc. From your info it sounds like the 4yo kicked it deliberately so yes you should pay for it (also has the added bonus of keeping the free childcare happy!).

Mumbar: She might not have noticed a problem if it is the screen playing up, she wouldn't have noticed until she next turned it on.

HecateQueenOfWitches · 17/08/2010 08:07

I've always had the view that anything that is broken by my children, even accidentally, it is my duty to replace. I think it teaches them about taking responsibility. I just feel that the last thing we need in this world is even one more person who bleats "it wasn't MY fault!" I think that something does not have to be done deliberatly for it to be your responsibility to sort out. If you accidentally break something - you still broke it! Who should be responsible for that? And "they shouldn't have left it there / done x / been y..." arguments (defences) are really not the point. imo. I know it's not a popular view

If I don't pay attention to what I am doing, or don't look where I am going, or don't take sufficient care in my surroundings, and I have an accident that damages someone elses property - that's my fault. If my children do it, that's their fault, but as their parent I have to take responsibility for everything they do.

Just my take on it.

Original poster

cosysocks · 17/08/2010 14:35

The situation was... she moved it out off his way (as he was having a tantrum)down the side of her swivel chair. Now he went on the chair and kicking and screaming and kicked it then. I wasn't there so can't clarify if it was on purpose or accident. She hasn't said it was on purpose but during a kicking and screaming episode.
My mum only babysits when she wants him without me around so it's not really a case of free childcare, I pay someone to babysit (not my mum) if I need to be somewhere.
I have spoken to mum and we are going to take it to apple store together to see if it is a fault or 'damage'. If it is damage I will have to pay costs.

OP posts:

FindingMyMojo · 17/08/2010 16:09

How old is your DS?

If she was in charge and she left a laptop where a toddler or young child can kick it, it's her own fault. Same if she left it in middle of floor where older child could inadvertantly kick it. Laptops are rather fragile & need to be looked after & used/kept in safe places.

If your DS kicked it deliberately and is old enough to know better then you should pay.

Oh just see above he's screaming/having a tantrum so presumably toddler - she should keep it out of his way then so he couldn't damage it.

Offer to go halves?

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