Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

To be worried that I found my husbands disposable contact lenses in my nanny's wardrobe ?

57 replies

mousemole · 20/07/2008 19:15

I am not sure what to make of this but am a bit concerned.
We have a live in au pair who goes to central London at weekends to stay with her friends. I was putting some washing away in her wardrobe this afternoon and noticed that poking out of a pile of t shirts was a strip of my husbands disposable contact lenses. They had been deliberately hidden. It is very odd to steal someone elses prescription contact lenses is it not ? I cant think of any other way of them getting there except her putting them there. I just dont know what to think, she is the most wonderful au pair but this is all so odd. Help.

OP posts:

emj23 · 20/07/2008 19:32

I agree with TurkeyLurkey. Don't act all suspicious and angry because she could turn it around and demand to know why you're 'looking through' her wardrobe. I know you weren't snooping, but people do tend to go on the offensive.

Also, it's true that it is a fairly innocuous item to have found. If it had been a leather posing pouch it'd definitely be worse

Thisismynewname · 20/07/2008 19:32

Are you absolutely sure they're his lenses anyway? Have you actually checked the prescription and make? They could be hers or a friend of hers.

Even if they are your husband's I'm not sure what you're worried about. If she was going to steal them a) why would she do it and b) why would she leave them where you could find them.

Feel a bit sorry for your au pair actually, you sound a tad paranoid.

nickytwotimes · 20/07/2008 19:32

KatieDD, not all men are dick-slaves!
And not all aupairs are interested anyway.

Some men and some aupairs are (shock) not having sex together!

Original poster

mousemole · 20/07/2008 19:32

I did ask my husband ( as a joke!) why his contact lenses were in his wardrobe and he looked so alarmed it was hilarious. They are definitely his - to be really sad I checked the serial numbers against the others in his box.

OP posts:

potoftea · 20/07/2008 19:34

You are sure that they are your dhs, yeah?

Could they be either her own or belonging to a friend of hers that she has for some reason.

It's too weird a thing to steal, has no resale value, so I think you should do as TurkeyLurkey said and mention it to her as though it's amazingly funny, and see what she says.

Original poster

mousemole · 20/07/2008 19:35

Thisismynewname ( why did you change names?) I am not paranoid. But when you have had money stolen from someone who lived with you for 8 months that you though was totally trustworthy, it does, unfortunately, make you more alert to things than if you had not. I was not looking through her wardrobe anyway, I totally respect her privacy. I was simply putting away a pile of her t shirts.

OP posts:

llareggub · 20/07/2008 19:35

Any poltergeist activity in your house?

Bbbee · 20/07/2008 19:36

I wouldn't worry because it is just so weird - there is no way this could be stealing because it is such a strange thing. It must be a mistake - it just must. I would just ask as I cannot imagine a showdown.

(btw if someone was shagging the au pair would they stash some contact lenses in the wardrobe??!?!?!?! lol!)

Original poster

mousemole · 20/07/2008 19:38

I agree with you all that it is soo weird that they must have accidentally got there. llareggub, no poltergeist, just an active contact lense fairy !

OP posts:

Thisismynewname · 20/07/2008 19:38

But why would she steal a strip of disposable contact lenses? How many were there, 5? 10? That amount would be worth all of, what, £2.50, £5.00?

Has anything else gone missing? It's seems like a very odd thing to steal tbh, and I do feel sorry for your "wonderful" au pair if something like this has you tarring her with the same brush as the last one.

Nighbynight · 20/07/2008 19:41

well, from my long acquaintence with au pairs, I would say they are capable of any daft behaviour, including nicking a strip of contact lenses. it may have been to show a friend, send home to family who couldnt afford them, or something like that.

I would take them out, return them to the box, say nothing to her, and put the box in a different place.
If something similar happened a second time, she wouldn't get the benefit of the doubt.

I never go in my au pairs bedroom btw - any washing thats done with ours, I leave outside the door.

TurkeyLurkey · 20/07/2008 19:41

IS she in now? Go and ask her in a light hearted wasn't it hilarious way and report back to us with her reaction. Go go go woman!

Crap about your other au pair by the way. Can't let one thieving git cloud your view of this one though.

SueW · 20/07/2008 19:41

I take it she doesn't wear lenses?

DD's (11yo) dailies aren't transparent strips - they are in strips of five with blue, white and black foil coverings (J&J acuvue moisture something or the other). I find the packets all over the place - she shoves spares into bags, pockets, etc. They often turn up in the washing machine when neither she nor I have checked pockets before putting luandry through.

Original poster

mousemole · 20/07/2008 19:41

Thisismynewname, I am not tarring her with the same brush - I am on here asking everyone what their thoughts/possible explanations could be for something so odd. As anticipated,I have had some really helpful replies which confirms that they must have got there accidentally.

OP posts:

Thisismynewname · 20/07/2008 19:42

Good for you mousemole, glad you have seen the light

Original poster

mousemole · 20/07/2008 19:43

I wasn't in the shade

OP posts:

Thisismynewname · 20/07/2008 19:44

Why did you have to ask on here then?

navyeyelasH · 20/07/2008 19:45

Maybe she thought they were painkillers or something - took them out of the cabinet in your bathroom then you came home and she thought, "this looks really dodgy I'm standing in their bathroom and they might think I'm up to no good especially after what the last au pair did - quick leg it!" Stuck the lenses in the drawer/cupboard to replace when you weren't around to wonder why she was in your bathroom.

After all that I bet she was miffed they were contact lenses!

KatieDD · 20/07/2008 19:45

Not all au pairs are thieves either.
Was trying to liven up a potentially very boring thread sorry but who ever put the washing away has the answers.

Original poster

mousemole · 20/07/2008 19:48

it did liven it up KatieDD - the thought of DH shagging au pair in the very small wardrobe with the contact lenses made me laugh ! Newname, it's called a consensus.

OP posts:

Nighbynight · 20/07/2008 19:48

thisis - thats really below the belt to ask why mouse had to ask on MN!

to discuss the possibilities of course!!! that is reason enough!

Nighbynight · 20/07/2008 19:49

the picture of dh being terrified is quite funny actually...

Youcanthaveeverything · 20/07/2008 19:49

Does she wear contacts/

If she's run out and they were sinilar prescription she may have sneaked (Ok stolen) some thinking you wouldn't notice.

Although this would technically be stealing, I wouldn't be too worried about it, unless it was regular, or spred to other things.

Could that be the scenario?

It's a real PITA when you run out of lenses.

Nighbynight · 20/07/2008 19:51

APs are so penniless, that I am not surprised by them "borrowing" small value disposable items, and wouldn't sack for this reason.

Original poster

mousemole · 20/07/2008 20:01

no, she has perfect vision.My only neagtive thought (as opposed to it being accidental)was that she might of taken them for someone else, although the chances of the prescription being the same are virtually nil aren't they. Actually DH is blind as a bat ( his glasses even with modern technology are like beer bottle ends) so the poor person would be in a lot of trouble if they wore them !
So, my strategy is to just leave them in the wardrobe. Would it be bad to check in a couple of weeks to see if they have gone ? i guess that would be bad.

OP posts:

Flip

1 2 3