Broken toy

[samb]

My little mindee is only 16 months and he broke a toy today. :( It wasn't deliberate - he wouldn't have known he was going to break it. It was a push along toy with a thick plastic handle. He climbs everywhere and on everything and when the handle was on the floor he stood on it and it snapped!

I sort of see it becoming regular as like I say he doesn't know he is going to break something and just climbs all the time. Anything could break really if a child stands on it. Any tips?! Oh and I didn't mention it to Mum - should I have?

[jaswinder bedi]

Ofcourse, i would speak to mum :mad: unexpectedily toy is broken because child has climbed on it, main thing is child was ok!!!

I had a child he dint mean to break things but always happened. One day he especially broke my daughter's expensive toy i was really upset, which he did it delibrately and smiled at my daughter :angry: i did mentioned it to mum so that she can have a word with her son, and mum did not even offer to pay for it!!! It does make you angry but had to let go and move on dint want to loose business!!!

[sillysausage]

I wouldn't have mentioned it to mum especially as he is very young and it was an accident. I have in the past mentioned when older children have broken things, especially when it's been deliberate, just to emphasize that I won't stand for that sort of behaviour.

[hectors house]

I seem to throw things away on a daily basis, sometimes it is wear and tear (a plastic bucket broke in garden today - brittle), sometimes children have broken something sort of in experimental way - last week 2 boys pulled off the velco end of the target darts (prob not realising it was permanently broken), sometimes too many toys out and things get stood on, books get ripped even if they don't mean to. Annoying even when it only comes from charity shop as it means you and they have lost a toy.

I don't generally mention to parents unless I see that it was an act of pure vandalism.

[PixiePetal]

I wouldn't have mentioned it to mum especially as he is very young and it was an accident. I have in the past mentioned when older children have broken things, especially when it's been deliberate, just to emphasize that I won't stand for that sort of behaviour.

the same here - I would then re assess which toys are out for them to minimise damage until they stop climbing on things - got one like that myself at the moment. :rolleyes: I am getting a lot of use from my plastic stepping stones though :thumbsup:

Older children I would mention, if damaged with purpose

[LittleLegsCM]

This is the part of the job I really dont like!

Ive had a few things that have been damaged over the past few months and its so frustrating as even when Ive told the parents it really is like they couldnt care less :angry:

Last week, the schoolies were playing in the garden while I was in & out making dinner. I asked them quite a few times to keep the balls low as I didnt want them going over the fence. Just before they went home, 2 of them started whispering to each other so we questioned it and finally found out a ball had gone over the fence and one was going to pass it to the other as they walked round the to the car park.
I went out the back to get it but it turned out because the ball had gone over the back fence (into the street car park) and left for so long, somebody took it! I then found out that they had actually stopped playing with the mindee basic footballs and had found my son's astro turf football sitting in his trike down the side of the house- that was the one they had lost!
I've still not even had an apology from the kids let alone the parents so Ive now decided that from now on breakages/losses will be invoiced for and have now added it to one of my policies!

[marian]

I wouldn't tell parent - it was an accident not a deliberate act, but just be aware to keep the floor area around his 'climbing resource' clear.

Marian x

[singingcactus]

I wouldn't tell mum either. Toys do unfortunately get broken. Like someone else said, it's just a case of adjusting what you have out while he is here and aiming for the most robust toys you can. If you can take his shoes off for play he might be more inclined to take notice of what he stands on....might be.

[Mouse]

I don't tell parents when children break toys, unless it's an older child & it's deliberate.

I think you learn to put away the toys that might get broken by particular mindees and get out things you know they are OK with. At the moment I have a lot of chewers, so I put away anything that can't be bitten, eg. the foam building blocks that end up with chunks taken out of them!

Accidents still happen though and, annoying as it is, it's just one of those things.

What I sometimes do though is contact the manufacturer, especially when a toy has broken that I don't think should have. I have had toddler toys get broken by toddlers and don't think they should. If they're designed for that age they should stand up to the hammer they get. It doesn't alwasy get me anywhere, but I have had some toys replaced that way :thumbsup:

[tas]

I wouldn’t say anything to the parent unless it was a deliberate act.

It is annoying but it is also part of the job I would just reassess what resources to put out keeping “special” toys back for when you can offer one to one time and if possible put some cushions and a step down for a climbing area.

My pet hate is chewing on books :mad:

[JCrakers]

My 8yr old mindee stood on my brand new ikea play cot. I was cross and told Mum.

I told her because I had specifically asked the older boys together and individually NOT to stand or sit on it as it wasn't strong enough for anything other than a toy.

The worst thing about it was he had broken it in half and then gone into the other room without telling me :eek:
So I was more cross about the lying when I asked him.

His Dad has taken it to work to get it mended.

I wouldnt be worried if a younger child broke anything because things do get broken every now and again. Toys aren't made as well as they used to be :mad:

[samb]

Thanks for all the responses. I think I agree that to mention it when it was delibarate and from an older child is right or if it was a regular occurence. I have stopped getting out my toy garage (much to the annoyance of the older ones) and have to tip out the boxes and put them away as he climbs on them. I didn't think it was unsafe to have this particular toy out as it is desgined for toddlers who are walking around to use. I just didn't think he would stand on it in the place he did. It was one of these (but the old style) ...
http://www.elc.co.uk/Push-Along-Puppy/130941,default,pd.html
I would definitely think twice about what I am getting out and how much and yes all the children take off their shoes inside so you would have thought it would deter him from standing on things! We had some Little People toys out today and he pushed the fire station over and went to stand on it! Agh! Nothing is safe!

What are the plastic stepping stones? I could do with something for climbing safely.