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Nurseries

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum. For more guidance on early years development, sign up for Mumsnet Ages & Stages emails.

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Original poster

Paying for broken window at nurery

153 replies

pauamcg · 25/01/2008 19:03

Hi I would appreciate your views/advice please.

My 4 year old son broke a window at his nursery last week by throwing a train across the room. I believe he was having a bit of a tantrum, but he didn't aim purposely at the window.

When the manager called me to tell me what had happened I questioned whether she expected me to pay for the replacement glass but she said 'No, don't be silly'. When my husband went to pick my son up (before speaking to me) he offered to pay 50% of the cost (mainly because he was embarrassed our son had been naughty) and the manager said 'we'll see'.

Well today we have received an invoice for 50% of the replacement cost.

Do you think I should have to pay this ?
Wouldn't the nursery be able to claim off their insurance ?

Its not really the amount of money & I don't want to fall out with the nursery, its just the principle that I feel that I pay then large enough fees anyway, that I shouldn't really have to pay. my 4 year old was in their care when the accident happened.

My other concern is - shouldn't the window has been fitted with some sort of safety glass so that it shouldn't have broken so easily and put the children at risk ?? Does Ofsted have any guidelines ??

Sorry this has turned out to be a long post, but any views or advice gratefully received.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

bobbysmum07 · 27/01/2008 14:20

If three and four year olds routinely threw things like that in nurseries, nurseries would be very dangerous places to be.

Lulumama · 27/01/2008 14:21

just wondering why you are not answering my question , bobbysmum?

if my four year old broke something accidentally, i would not offer to pay

if it was done on purpose,i would absoutely offer to pay, be it at a nursery, CM or friends house

why is it disgusting that parents would not pay to repair accidental damage at a nursery?

NKF · 27/01/2008 14:21

The thing is lots of four year olds don't throw stuff around like that. My children both attended nurseries and in both cases, it was always the same children in the fights or chucking sand in eyes. So the idea that they all do it isn't quite true.

Buckets · 27/01/2008 14:23

I would also assume that most settings would have a policy on who pays for damages.

Lulumama · 27/01/2008 14:23

no, lots don't

some do

and here, we are talking about an accident.

NKF · 27/01/2008 14:25

The complication here is that the OP's husband offered to pay. Should they then pay? I'm sure they don't have to legally but having offered to, should they?

Lulumama · 27/01/2008 14:25

i think you cannot retract the offer once made, but the nursery could have politely declined .. but making the offer did complicate things

ChristmasShinySnowflakes · 27/01/2008 14:26

Bobbysmum quite frankly it concerns me that you own a nursery given your attitude

NineUnlikelyTales · 27/01/2008 14:27

Yes of course they should pay if they offered to. Don't flaming offer to do things you don't want or intend to do. Unless you want the opportunity to look lovely and a really kind, sweet person whilst actually harbouring resentment and quietly seething that people have done what you asked them to do.

bobbysmum07 · 27/01/2008 14:30

lulmama - what question?

spicemonster · 27/01/2008 14:32

I think you have to pay up as you've offered. But I don't think you should have done.

bobbysmum - I would pay a friend if my DS broke something at their house. I wouldn't dream of paying my nursery. They have insurance and should have built in wear and tear to the building into the fees. Stupid of any nursery not to.

ChristmasShinySnowflakes · 27/01/2008 14:33

RE: the OP. If you offered to pay and they said no then you reoffered then they accepted then IMP you should pay.

However, the consensus seems to be that you should not have been expected to pay as the nursery should be covered for such things.

To be fair to them though; they didn't expect you to pay- but given that you offered several times I would imagine they felt that since you wanted to so badly they would accept your offer which would avoid them having to make an insurance claim. From what you've said they have behaved quite normally in that they didn't take you up on your offer initially.

Unfitmother · 27/01/2008 14:34

I cannot bobbysmums runs a nursery!
What a terrifying attitude.

Lulumama · 27/01/2008 14:34

i posted if you would expect parents to pay for ripped books or snapped crayons or chipped plates?

TheBlonde · 27/01/2008 14:42

just rescind your husband's offer

NKF · 27/01/2008 14:42

The OP wasn't expected to pay. But if you insist and people take you up on it, then it's odd to start thinking it's not fair.

bobbysmum07 · 27/01/2008 14:46

No, of course not. But it's different because the behaviour behind it isn't dangerous.

To be honest though, there aren't many four year olds in my nursery who would rip pages out of books. Two year olds, yes. But you expect it.

I think if this was an incident that had happened in a home, it would be different. But in a nursery, behaviour like that is dangerous. And I would cerainly struggle to class it as an 'accident' - which is presumably why the parents offered to pay in the first place.

Desiderata · 27/01/2008 14:50

So you think a four year old child willfully, deliberately, and in the midst of a tantrum, threw a train at a window with the express (pardon the pun) intention of breaking it?

NKF · 27/01/2008 14:52

Just one last question. Why did you and your husband make offer and then change your mind? Did you not expect it to be accepted?

Lulumama · 27/01/2008 15:23

i didn;t mean 4 year olds specifically ripping books etc...

so, once a child reaches a certain age, if they behave in a certain way, they should be held responsible, and their parents bear fiscal responsibility for that behaviour

and dangerous behaviour ? 4 year olds are not that au fait with common sense or sense of danger.. they don;t throw things to deliberately break windows.

so, if a child is bitten at a nursery it is ok if a 2 year old is biting but not a 3.5 year old? biting is dangerous. hitting. pushing, scratching etc can all surely be classed as dangerous? will the nursery compensate parents for marks on their child ? or the parents of the biter will have to compensate the bitee?

i think working with small children, you have to accept a certain amount of 'dangerous', thoughtless and damaging behaviour

ChristmasShinySnowflakes · 27/01/2008 15:32

What about children with additional/SE needs then Bobbysmum?

Do you charge them an additional 'damage limitation' fee?

NKF · 27/01/2008 15:40

To be fair, they weren't charged until they offered to pay.

Lulumama · 27/01/2008 15:40

agree NKF, but i thikn the discussion is now more general than this particular OP

NKF · 27/01/2008 15:42

Luluma, I think it's become a bit more specific actually. More along the lines of "how could you Bobbysum?"

Lulumama · 27/01/2008 15:46

yes, specific questions have also been addressed to bobbysmum, as a nursery owner.

and it has been about accidental v deliberate damage and other things

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