Nannies: What do you do if your car doesn't start?

[navyeyelasH]

Hey everyone, just a quick question for you all. This morning I had to call my MB and let her know that my stupid car wouldn't start and that I would be late in as needed to get a taxi/bus. Or they could drop baby to me whilst we wait in for AA man.

As it happened today was a good day for this to happen as it is babies first birthday so MB is at home. So she was really nice and just said not to worry about coming in for the morning but try to come in for the birthday tea this afternoon.

So whilst I sit here waiting for AA man to arrive can anyone tell me what they have done in this situation? Is it just one of those things you can't really have a contingency plan for?

I had the very same thing happen to me as a nanny and I called and said as soon as I knew and jumped on a train to get to them
they were all at school so they were dropped with a neighbour with kids at the same school and they sorted them out. I arrived later and carried on my normal jobs.

If they had been a baby I would have done the what you did and offer to have them at home while waiting for the aa man or go in late depending on what the family wanted.
I think as long as your reliable most of the time then its fine and I certainly would understand as your boss.

There's not much you can do really as long as it happens once in a blue moon I think its ok

It's something that has worried me a bit too.

I need the car at work as the children's schools are not walking distance or on a bus route.

it's a tricky one isn't it? The only problem with coming to mine is the lack of cot, I might just get a travel cot incase anything similar happens again. Nbee84 does your MB have a car you could use? That sounds like a very precarious situation.

No MB uses her car for work too.

I think she would have to take children to a friend/s that could take them to school/nursery and I would have to wait for AA and hope that my car was fixed in time for nursery run.

Fingers crossed it doesn't happen!

only happened twice - years ago

i rang mb and said car wouldnt start,she then waited for me to get there after rac - think was about 8.30 instead of 8

2nd time in diff job, again years ago,mb put child in car and brought to me, i used their car anyway, and we waited for rac to come and then at end of day, she drove me home

guess it is up to mb what they want to do - ask them what is easier

i wouldnt have the children here for insurance reasons... they would not be insured if there was an accident etc (not covered by house OR nanny insurance)

i only live a mile from work anyway so i could walk (but we would be late for school run that i do in my car)... they live right by a main line train station and also have everything on our doorstep so we could just about get by without a car, but miss our 'groups' etc

One of our ex-nannys was plagued with car troubles - from flat batteries, stolen spare tyres, and car being 'stuck in a muddy patch'. My preference would be that she took a taxi to us (which I was happy to pay for) and then used our car, and sorted out her car after kids were at school/playgroup. Sadly, she wouldn't do this but would stay with her car until it was patched up so I/dh ended up taking at least 1 day a month emergency leave from work to look after the kids.
We also lent her my car for 'a few days' which turned out to be 2 weeks, whilst she shopped around trying to find a friend of a friend who would fix her car on the cheap..during the time she borrowed my car she got it dented/scratched twice....arghhhh...
Anyway, glad to hear all you nannies would persevere and look after the kids despite car break down...
We 'got rid' of the ex-nanny (the car stuff was only the tip of the iceberg).

nannyl - good point about insurance. Wouldn't my insurance cover it? Need to look into that me thinks.

Millarkie, your ex nanny sounds horrendous; I'd hate for my bosses to describe me in this way hence the reason for starting this thread

im pretty sure my morton michel covers me taking care of the children everywhere except my house...

to be insured here, im pretty sure i would need to tell my home insurance that i was working from home, so would be uninsured that way as well

This happened the other day to me.
Threw the kids in a taxi to go to school.
Attempted to repair it myself, get neighbours to jump start it..didnt work.Turns out that MB/DB are not with AA or RAC or anyone. Convinced the DB to join. No car for a day but all fixed now.
You just have to improvise. Use public transport or carpool if possible.
I hope it all wokred out for you though

i have told me home insurance that i sometimes work from home (if kids get dropped off/i pop back etc) and they said not a problem

sure my mm insurance says i am covered as i said i temp as well as have perm job and therefore can be in different houses