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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Should I pay for carpet cleaning?

61 replies

PrairieOyster · 08/01/2010 14:13

My son is 3 years old and still has some potty training issues. Recently some of his poo fell on a carpet (well a large rug really) at his childminders which she then got cleaned at a cost of £120. She has now presented me with the cleaning bill.

Should I pay it completely, or say that it is part of the reasonable expenses that a childminder should expect when they join the profession, or pay something towards the cost as a goodwill gesture, say. Or what?

Any ideas?

OP posts:

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Tori27 · 08/01/2010 16:33

How ridiculous! She chose to open her house up to children and therefore should have ensured that anything valuable was nowhere near your child - what if he sudden fell ill and was sick everywhere? This really is not your responsibility as you did not choose her decor! How horrible for you to experience this.

Most importantly, remember that your child is HER responsibility while in HER care (that's what you pay for).

I have considered childminding and have taken the initial course - I would never do this to a client!

Hope it gets resolved xxx

Hando · 08/01/2010 16:49

Cheeky bitch. I wouldn't pay, in fact I'd not have been able to stand there without laughing in disgust if she even asked me to pay, or come to an agreement. I'd have to give notice and find someone else as I couldn't bear to talk to someone who had treated me like this. If you pay then she's going to be thinking you're a mug and a pushover!

Like someone said, it's like the garage charging you for your car leaking oil on their floor. Crazy thinking.

Evpen if your child did it on purpose it's tough. Different if it were a teenager, but 3 yr olds do things like that. You pay her to be responsible for him, she choose to use her home as her workplace so has to suffer the cost of wear and tear.

FabIsGoingToBeFabIn2010 · 08/01/2010 17:22

Actually when I was a nanny my car did leak oil all over the boss' drive and while they were not happy - it had just been done - they didn't ask me to pay to clean it up but I did buy them a bottle of wine to say sorry. Also, when their phone broke in a lightening storm and I was on it they don't ask me to buy another one.

HSMM · 08/01/2010 17:33

Will you have to pay when he crayons on the wall, or breaks a shrub in the garden with his football? I think not. She should not have a precious item in the same room as the children.

xoxcherylxox · 08/01/2010 18:15

i dont think she should be asking you to pay but then remember its her house so she may have brought her children up to respect her belongs and other peoples for an early age therefore is hoping the mindees are the same so she therefore leaves valuable things in her livingroom. personally i would just have wiped it and hope that it looked ok surely a parent wouldnt expect a perfect stain free, clean carpet in a childminder house although there is a difference in a slight mark and a completly dirty carpet

BlueKangerooWonders · 08/01/2010 18:15

is she registered? Just asking as I'd assume a registered childminder would have adequate house insurance to cover just such situations. I'd tell her to refer the matter to her insurance broker!

lisad123wantsherquoteinDM · 08/01/2010 18:21

No i wouldnt pay, she should have more sense than to leave a special rug where children and potties are, daff moo.
Tell her to claim on house insurance but tell her that you would think something like this would happen to her items as a CM, and therefore its not your problem. How do you know it was your child?? can she prove it? LOL

rainbowinthesky · 08/01/2010 18:22

I would be very at my childminder if I were asked this. How odd. I certainly wouldnt pay.

TheFallenMadonna · 08/01/2010 18:24

A bit at the idea that "respecting other people's belongings" is going to have an effect on a potty-training child's accidents...

FabIsGoingToBeFabIn2010 · 08/01/2010 18:27

He hasn't disrespected her home. He had a toilet accident fgs.

xoxcherylxox · 08/01/2010 18:27

was just refering to people talking about valuables

clumsymum · 08/01/2010 18:34

If she expected you to contribute to the cost, she should have asked you BEFORE getting it cleaned.

I too think £120 is unreasonable. I would find out what her insurance policy excess is, and then consider offering to pay HALF of that,

Blimey, no for an accident like this, no way should she sting you for the bill.

cat64 · 08/01/2010 18:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

littlestarschildminding · 08/01/2010 18:43

No way I would pay anything.

If it is that precious it shouldn't be on the floor.

As a cm though I can't get accidental damage insurance...so don't assume she can claim it on her insurance!

HSMM · 08/01/2010 19:00

What 'BlueKangaroo' said - I have childminders contents insurance.

ThePrisoner · 08/01/2010 19:18

Having my house trashed is the downside of childminding, but is something that I totally accept as part of my job.

Part and parcel of our allowable expenses is 10% of our earnings for "wear and tear", so replacing furniture or re-attaching curtain rails is in my job description.

If I had a cleaning bill for £120 solely because of one poopy accident, I would put that in my expenses in its entirety. If it needed a bit of a clean in the first place, then maybe just a percentage of it could be put through expenses.

I do not think that you should pay this bill, but have no idea how you say that to your childminder!

nannyl · 08/01/2010 19:38

agree... no way should you be expected to pay and imo u should refuse

Tanith · 08/01/2010 19:47

I thought that was why we had that 10% allowance for wear and tear. I've also got insurance for this kind of thing through the NCMA.

I look after a child with a bowel problem. In that time, I've had a playmat ruined and had to disinfect and clean a rug several times. I've also had to replace my sofa. We are talking about 4 or 5 days worth of liquid faeces, so not the average pooping accident. I wouldn't dream of charging the parents, and they have offered. I claimed on my insurance for the sofa, no problem, and they didn't even ask to see the evidence .

mummyofexcitedprincesses · 08/01/2010 19:53

I am quite shocked- how can a childminder not expect mess? What if a child threw up or spilled juice. TBH i would refuse to pay and give my notice.

xoxcherylxox · 08/01/2010 20:05

you replaced your sofa my god i wouldnt be happy having to do that firstly i would not have the money to pay out for it even if you can claim it as an expense. yes expect mess but to the same extend as your own children would.
I think giving notice is a bit extreme shes only asking for money. she didnt do anything else wrong as far as we are aware the child is happy there was no problems and the parent was happy that she has a good childminder she trusts with her child

LynetteScavo · 08/01/2010 20:14

Do not pay.

This comes under wear and tear, which she should allow for from the fees she charges.

I would seriously consider using the services of a childminder with this attitude.

Tanith · 08/01/2010 20:45

xoxcherylfox, I claimed for it on my insurance, so got most of the money back for it. The insurance is specially for childminders and childminding accidents. We can't refuse to take a special needs child just in case he ruins the furniture! I can hear OFSTED now

Hando · 09/01/2010 01:36

xoxcherylxox - I don't think it has anything to do with respecting her property. I don't think the potty training 3 yr old pooped on her rug out of disrespect - do you?

You wouldn't be happy to replace your sofa? Are you a CM? Surely this is a risk you take with have mindees and probably potty training children in your own home as your place of work.

You said "yes you expect mess but to the same extent your children would" - Have your kids never had an accident on the floor or sofa? I thought most had weed/pooped somewhere in the house when potty training. Why would you expect the same from mindees, all kids are different, will have different needs and capabilities. So if your kids are spotless but a mindee spills paint on your carpet, then you'd want to charge the parent? Plus as Tanith said this child has a bowel problem, she can't refuse to take him becaus eof the mess.

Persoanlly, I think your posts make little sense.

xoxcherylxox · 09/01/2010 10:25

yes a am a childminder but at the same time a mum who want a nice house for my daughter, yes my daughter occasionnally peed on floor when toilet training but never pooed. i also lived in a private let house where the carpet was laid by the landlord and all the wall were cream and i had to ensure that i get the house as i would if it was just my family. i nver had any marks on my carpet the occasional bit on dirt at the front door. painting was done in the kitchen where i had lino on the floor and at weekend my house was spotless for my family that you wouldnt know that i childminded.
my answer the the child with bowel problem whether unfair or not would be the affect on other children, the extra attension he would need, time cleaning up mess and possibilty of a baby crawling through his mess. like any parent i buy my furniture to last a long time then i decide to change it.
however for all the above reasons i moved to a bigger house and now have a playroom downstairs for the children and my livingroom is upstairs where the children are not allowed.
if the playroom gets a mess its a playroom its allowed to ppl expect it to be a mess where as visitor dont really expect a mess in your livinging room.
plus i would feel terribly bad and embarassed if my daughter did anything like that any at ones house.

xoxcherylxox · 09/01/2010 10:28

yes a am a childminder but at the same time a mum who want a nice house for my daughter, yes my daughter occasionnally peed on floor when toilet training but never pooed. i also lived in a private let house where the carpet was laid by the landlord and all the wall were cream and i had to ensure that i kept the house as i would if it was just my family. i nver had any marks on my carpet the occasional bit on dirt at the front door. painting was done in the kitchen where i had lino on the floor and at weekend my house was spotless for my family that you wouldnt know that i childminded.
my answer the the child with bowel problem whether unfair or not would be the affect on other children, the extra attension he would need, time cleaning up mess and possibilty of a baby crawling through his mess. like any parent i buy my furniture to last a long time then i decide to change it.
however for all the above reasons i moved to a bigger house and now have a playroom downstairs for the children and my livingroom is upstairs where the children are not allowed.
if the playroom gets a mess its a playroom its allowed to ppl expect it to be a mess where as visitor dont really expect a mess in your livinging room.
plus i would feel terribly bad and embarassed if my daughter did anything like that at anyones house.

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