Child making hole in cot

[KatieFS]

Hi ladies and gents. Put babies down for their nap and heard wailing a few mins later. Went in to check, one of the little darlings has managed to pick a hole in the netting of the travel cot and pushed a hand through it. All fine, lo not injured but obv will advise parents. Luckily I have another cot so quickly popped that up. I was worried about the child continuing to make the hole bigger, strangulation risk etc.

What do I do now? I will need to replace ( not sure how I'd repair it...?)
I feel uncomfortable charging the parents, but perhaps I should as its only these babies -twins - who have used these cots for 3 months.

Has anyone charged parents to damage to property? How did you go about it?

[bunyip]

Frustrating, I know. I have a similar problem with lo's quietly picking/poking holes in my pushchair's rain cover.

You can ask parents for recompense, but I'm not sure we can demand it. The children, and anything they do, are legally our responsibility whilst in our care.

[rickysmiths]

Firstly how old is the lo? I would say possibly if they have started the whole then they are too old to be in a cot. Or was a small whole already there that you hadn't noticed that the baby made bigger?

Yes I would get rid of the cot. They don't last forever anyway.



I have in my Pacey Contracts that if a child willfully breaks or damages my property the parents will be charged on their next invoice.

Then there is the question if the child is small enough to be in a travel cot are the able to 'willfully' damage something and understand that is what they have done? I think my view would be no they can't.

I think I would ditch the Travel Cot and not say anything to the parents. Thoroughly go over the cot you are using now and keep a beady eye on the child. Or I would consider sleeping them in a lie back buggy where they can't do any damage.

[tess1981]

Do we not deduct 10% of our income for wear and tear? I would replace cot and would never dream of asking a parent to pay for the new one. But that's just my opinion.
I have to ask parents to provide travel cots and get them to sign to say they have done so unless I provide a cot. It's the new standards

[hectors house]

I bought my travel cot 2nd hand from another childminder who was giving up, mine has been repaired from where a child picked a large hole in the netting, the childminder was brilliant at sewing and has done a good strong job of darning the hole - I do check it regularly but after nearly 5 years it's still holding up well.

I wouldn't charge the parent for a new travel cot, I always worry when I put them in the travel cots upstairs that I may find that they have picked off the wall paper - but that's the risk we take and that's why we should check on sleeping children regularly. I wouldn't have thought that babies could pick a hole in netting, I think there must have been a small hole there already and they have just made it bigger.

[KatieFS]

Yes maybe there was a small hole initially. Yes agree I didn't feel comfortable asking for money for damage. All the equipment here are things I've brought not from the parents. Yes quite right there is wear and tear tax reimbursement - although I think that us for buildings and decorating. I didn't think it was for equipment?
The child is 16 months. Her twin loves to take things apart so think he started off the job and the other has made a bigger hole!

Ill look to replace. Just annoying as having to run my business lean over nxt couple of months as got holidays /school holidays coming up and was hoping not to spend any more on equipment

[tess1981]

Car boot sales and local buy and sell pages might have a travel cot mine was only £10

[Ripeberry]

Put it down as a business expense. Part and parcel of the job

[Rick]

I would say it is wear and tear otherwise what's the 10% for?

[hectors house]

I would say it is wear and tear otherwise what's the 10% for?

The 10% is for the damage (wear & tear) of carpets, sofas, tables & chairs surely not for actual childminding equipment like buggies, cots, high chairs?

[tess1981]

When items naturally need replacing like toys high chair for whatever reason we don't ask parents to pay for it just because their children were using them. If a cm asked me to pay for things when my child was there I would have left thinking I pay enough without this added on. But as I said just my opinion I am not saying anyone is right or wrong

[KatieFS]

Fair enough! Good to get different views...

[JCrakers]

I have a certain child who is now 21m who constantly breaks things. He also has picked a hole in the cot and made a huge hole in the raincover.
He has also ripped books that have flaps, pulled the dial off my weighing scales, picked stickers off toys and has pulled the door off the play washing machine.

One day he broke two things in the space of about 5 mins.

He likes to pick and will sit for ages picking a scab or picking fluff off his jumper....

I'm going to sew my cot and hopefully mend the raincover with some sort of tape

[tess1981]

Fair enough! Good to get different views...

Now this is what this forum is for. I have seen other bite the head of one's for their opinions.

[KatieFS]

Crackers we could be talking about the same child! It drives me crackers pardon the pun.. He just seems to enjoy pulling things apart, inside our, tipping boxes out, pulling off stickers the list is endless!!!!!!! Hey ho

Tess I quite agree this is what forum is for, good to get range of opinions. I didn't feel happy charging but wanted advice before I made my decision, I know the child didn't deliberately damage anything and not going to rock the boat for a small issue..

[rickysmiths]

Yes maybe there was a small hole initially. Yes agree I didn't feel comfortable asking for money for damage. All the equipment here are things I've brought not from the parents. Yes quite right there is wear and tear tax reimbursement - although I think that us for buildings and decorating. I didn't think it was for equipment?
The child is 16 months. Her twin loves to take things apart so think he started off the job and the other has made a bigger hole!

Ill look to replace. Just annoying as having to run my business lean over nxt couple of months as got holidays /school holidays coming up and was hoping not to spend any more on equipment

Can you order things from Kiddicare in NI? I buy these ones and have now been using one just about ever days for 4 years with no problems.




Kiddicare Kip Travel Cot Black | Kiddicare


Sorry the link is clearly not allowed anymore on this site sorry. Just Google 'Kiddicare' and then enter Travel Cots in the search box. Their own are currently £24.99

[wee_elf]

How frustrating xx

[funemnx]

I've sewn one of my travel cots netting and it's probably stronger than the netting now

No I wouldn't charge a parent for something like this - children break things, it's a downside of the job. This morning two 7 year old boys pulled the head off a doll - I was upset due to their age and asked them why but hey ho I think I can fix it...

[KatieFS]

It's a hauck one, my best one! I'm not a sewer but know an auntie who is...

[loocyloo]

I have a certain child who is now 21m who constantly breaks things. He also has picked a hole in the cot and made a huge hole in the raincover.
He has also ripped books that have flaps, pulled the dial off my weighing scales, picked stickers off toys and has pulled the door off the play washing machine.

One day he broke two things in the space of about 5 mins.

He likes to pick and will sit for ages picking a scab or picking fluff off his jumper....

I'm going to sew my cot and hopefully mend the raincover with some sort of tape

Can you create some sort of Velcro toy for this child? A board or cushion with things velcro'd on so he can rip and tear to his hearts content?

Or a cheap book of stickers stuck to his 'special' book that only he can use and it being the only book that he is allowed to rip etc?

Xx