Nursery has lost DD's shoes

[KatOD]

They went missing when she was visiting the next room up (which we didn't know she was going to do so was mildly irked by this too). They've been missing since Thurs and we're making do with wellies and canvas pumps (not ideal in this weather).

What's the form for dealing with this? I'm pretty annoyed as they're Clarks and were meant to last the winter. Is it reasonable to request they pay for new ones if they don't find them? (They are labelled btw). Advice welcomed.

Sorry, before I get told that dd shouldn't have lost them, she only turned 2 this week so I wouldn't expect her to look after them that well yet.

I think unfortunately things go missing at nursery, I certainly don't think you can expect them to pay. I would ask them if they could have a really good look for them though and stick a note up incase they have been picked up.

This is why I always went for cheap clothes for DS for nursery so that it wouldn't matter if they got lost or damaged.

I have no idea if it's reasonable or not, but I would be asking them to pay for new ones.
At nursery age there's no way a child can be expected to be responsible for their own things

Did they have her name in them?

If so then I'd be wanting some of the cost of them back...

Surely 2 year old aren't putting their own shoes on?

I think it's one of those things to be honest. Have you looked in lost property yourself?

I'd ask them to put up some notices asking if anyone has found them/accidentally taken them home. Agree it's probably a good idea to get some trainers from Next or somewhere for nursery too.

kat this is very annoying. It happens at my DDs nursery all the time, its the nature of the beast I'm afraid.
As sirzy said its best just to send them to nursery in cheap and comfy clothes and shoes.
The nursery should make every effort to find them though. I bet they cost about £30.

I have learned my lesson to never send DD to nursery in items I wish to see again

I disagree that sending in cheap shoes is the thing to do in case they are lost. Fine for clothes, but if your child spends significant time in nursery wearing shoes, then I would want them to be good quality and professionally fitted. If they remove her shoes, they are responsible for putting them back on if they are labelled.

I would be really cross. As I was when DS's previous nursery let him go in the paddling pool wearing leather start rights. There were some crocs in his bag as well.

The get pairs cheap in the sales at clarks/startrite if it means that much. At the end of the day children take shoes off and hide them, things go missing. If you choose to send an expensive item into nursery you have to accept there is a chance it will go missing, or paint will be spilt on it, or they will tred through mud and play dough (and so the list goes on)

You really can't be precious about things which go into nursery!

They will turn up.
Might not be for a while but they will.
Things get lost all the time in nurseries.

Thanks everyone! I do send her in "nursery clothes" as I expect them to get trashed tbh, for some reason I just thought it would be harder to lose shoes!! Hey Ho, you live and learn.

It seems there's a split in opinion (the same split that DH and I keep wavering across), so thanks for the sanity check!

Annoying, hugely annoying.

I would ask them to have another look for them. Before taking it further.

Does the nursery have a FB page or such like for parents to post directly onto. If it does, then I would put up a message explaining that your DD's shoe are MIA and please could everyone just double check to make sure DC haven't picked them up or hidden them in a backpack. This will also give the nursery a very public kick up the butt and hopefully they will be found no doubt in the dressing up box

Chances are the children have either hid them in a toy unit and the staff haven't looked hard enough to find them

Or

Another child has gone home wearing them, often 3 children will have the same style Clarkes shoe and in one room they may all be the same size, and even when labeled some people don't realise!

I'd ask for a note to be put up asking parents to check their bags and own childrens shoes incase there's been a mixup and keep mentioning it to the staff to check they've pulled all the rooms apart looking.

It is common for things to go missing and shoes are one of them, but they always turn up! :) I work in an under twos room and the little darlings are amazing at hiding things!!

Hope they turn up soon!

They're probably in the dressing up box

The nursery isn't a black hole. If they can't find a pair of shoes tbh I would be worried about their overall competence. Definately tell them you expect the cost to be deducted from your next bill and if and when they 'find' them then you can pay the bill in full.

Thanks for those who posted. Shoes have still not been found (despite the best efforts of DD's key worker who climbed in a dumpy bin to have a look!). Manager found me this eve to say that they'll pay for new ones, without me having to say anything.

I'm quite impressed tbh.

Good on the nursery - a gesture like that can go a long way

I would put money on someone having taken them.

We had stuff go missing from preschool all the time. I used to send dd2 in in old clothes and stuff I bought off eBay. She had a new jacket this year and had only had it a couple of weeks and it vanished. We looked everywhere and I even put a notice up in reception asking people to look out for it but it never turned up.

The preschool manager said they eventually lose all their spare clothes. Kids go home in stuff and it never comes back. She said she wouldn't mind if people offered to pay if they liked something. I gave her a bag of old clothes, all nice things that I wanted preschool to have. She said it had all gone.

And this is from a naice, oversubscribed, Ofsted-outstanding-rated preschool. Wherever you go, people are bloody light fingered.

Someone with the same style and size will have taken them home. Someone who only comes in once or twice a week and hasn't been back yet.

This happened once or twice with DS. Then I got some shoe labels and started buying DS more unsual brands - even something like M&S.

at M&S being unusual.

I mean M&S being more unusual for kids shoes than Clarks. Everywhere I go where my DC need to take their shoes off, there are usually many pairs of one or two styles of Clarks, but I have never had "shoe twin" probems with M&S shoes. Before DD was born I used to get DS nice European brands, but it was getting a bit spendy.

Ooh might have to give them a look. We've got a lovely independent kids shoe shop near us but when pairs of shoes for a four year old are thirty to forty quid things start getting a tad expensive.

Nursery for a two year old is a paid fir service. It is not school. You are a customer. You are expecting an excellent service, I hope.

School rules do NOT apply. Your baby is not responsible for her shoes. Staff are.

They should find or replace them. End of.