Am angry with nanny - AIBU?

[lobsters]

I know I posted about nanny problems when she first started, overall things have improved massively. The arrangement is working well and has made going back to work easier. So I don't know if I'm over reacting to this. Nanny was complaining today about period pain and how she was taking Nurofen all day, I made lots of sympathetic noises. After she's gone home I was in the kitchen with DD when I spotted DD playing with something small and white and about to put it in her mouth, it was a Nurofen tablet which had fallen on the floor. I'm angry that DD could have put it in her mouth, surely when you are taking tablets around small children you should be careful about how many you take out of the packet and either take them or dispose of them safely if they fall on the floor. I know I'm a bit paranoid about it, and if I'd drop one would be on my hands and knees looking for it. Looking where the tablet had landed it shouldn't have been too hard for her to spot.

Would I be being unreasonable to ask her to take all tablets in the bathroom (as DD doesn't really play in there) or over the sink, or can I just give her a bit of a rollocking as I will never be able to check where she takes her tablets. Or am I being unreasonable?

DD is 11 months so putting lots of things in her mouth, most of which don't bother me

Nope yanbu, mention it to her tomorrow.

Difficult.
It is a 'there by the grace of God go I' situation where everyone has probably left/done/mislaid something a toddler could be harmed by.

But - I would mention it in a kindly fashion. No doubt she will be mortified so I wouldn't be too heavy handed as I'm sure she will punish herself first for being fcukwitted.

Most probably a genuine mistake, but, .

As Rain said, she will probably beat herself up more thinking about the potential disaster that could have occured had your DD found it and swallowed.

I would take the calm (but firm) aproach, and tell her what happened and Please Take Medicine out of DDs reach.

If on the other hand you think she is generally scatty and that this was just laziness on her part not to look look and look again to make sure she hadn't dropped one, then that's another story altogether and will need to be addressed seperately.

Just to add NO YANBU to ask her to take them over a sink/bathroom or wherever.

It was probably just a mistake, but it seems a little careless when you're just taking 2 tablets out of the packets, surely you'd spot that you'd dropped one, I'll have a little word tomorrow and see what happens.

Talking of losing things, anyone know where i've put the xmas cards i bought?????

YANBU to ask her take them somewhere DD can't reach them and YANBU to expect her to search for any tablets she has dropped.

However, as others have said, she will probably punish herself for potentially putting your DD in danger and it could well have been an honest accident/mistake where the foil was slightly loose on one tablet and it just slipped, so not one she dropped out of her hand, therefore she didn't notice it.

That's worth mentioning. HOwever, my mother, who has been an absolute GODsend to me, once let a sleeping pill fall out of her pocket and onto the sofa. Not only was she minding my baby 8 months old, but also my friends toddler. I shuddered when I thought of what might have happened if either of them had eaten a sleeping pill. The mind boggles. I told her off, but I had to be mindful of the fact that it only happened because she was helping me out. OF course, I wasn't paying her, so it is different.

ps, i found the sleeping pill myself, after my mum had gone, so both children had had plenty of opportunity to eat it. I was so lucky they didn't.

YANBU

i dont carry any tablets in my bag ever (knowing that i am more than welcome to help myself to my bosses paracetamol / nurofen any time i want them (which isnt that often)

that is seriouse, but probably a genuine mistake.

I think she needs to be informed (and hopefllu she will realise herself what the consequences could have been.

Could you have a policy that all pills etc live in your bathroom cupboard and simply all her to use yours?

NannyL - in this case the nanny used an over the counter medicine for period pain, I CANT use the over the counter stuff it's a effective as a glass of water for me. So I think it's unfair for any employer to tell their nanny to use ONLY the stuff in the medicine cabinet.

Does not take away the fact the OPs situation needs to be addressed.

It's not unfair in this case if the OP has Nurofen in her medicine cabinet as that's what the nanny was taking.

If nanny needs prescription meds then she should bring that up when the rule is discussed and an arrangement put in place. I can't use over the counter painkillers either but if an employer ever said that to me I would just explain and expect them to take that on board.

magicofchristmas...
sorry but i was not talking about YOU... i was talking about the OP...

they dropped an ibuprofen.... if they were allowed to help themselves to the medicine cupboard then this would not have happened.

Quite clearly if you are having presciption only medication then it needs to come to work with you.... (but doe not need to be liwing around where children can reach it)

(and yes when i was taking prescription medication, as i was for 2 months after a car crash, and a few sets of ABs, then they were kept well out of reach... when taking them long term i kept a smallpack of them IN the medicine cupboard (bosses both Drs so no worry of confusion about what they were!)

was very easy, (same true of hayfever stuff where i also kept a small blister pack in their cupboard)

I also make a point when taking my presciption only tablets of telling the children how yucky they are, but that they make me better!
Wouldnt want then to even think about wanting to try one in the event they ever found a tablet anywhere!

oh dear lobsters

sure it was a guenine(sp) error and sure if you mention it to nanny she will be mortifed

def nbu to ask her to make sure any medicine is taken in bathroom