What would you do in this situation?

[2binak]

It is? Really?
I've had a couple of kids in daycare and I can remember nothing close to ' All of your childs possessions are our responsibility, if anything becomes lost or damaged, we will gladly be held responsible...."

Exactly. Yes, I'd be annoyed that my DD's coat was torn, but it's daycare and I would just fix it myself and move on. I would not expect you to pay for it or fix it.

My rule is: don't send DD to daycare with anything we don't want ruined. These kids spend all day painting, eating, playing on the playground, etc. Clothes are bound to come home with stains and rips. I don't blame the teachers, I don't blame my 22 month old, I don't blame the other kids and I don't blame myself. It's the nature of the beast.

Even though our DD's clothes are clearly marked, she came home with someone else's pink coat a couple of times in the beginning of the Fall. The teachers were just learning which coat belonged to which child and there were a few mix-ups. No big deal.

 

[shrubber]

Is a daycare teacher responsible for all of the little darlings things?
QUOTE]

Umm, this is the point of daycare - being responsible for the little darling and her things.

Jane

As I mentioned earlier
I've had a couple of kids in daycare and I can remember nothing close to ' All of your childs possessions are our responsibility, if anything becomes lost or damaged, we will gladly be held responsible...."

And again,
If it is in fact the teachers fault, as so many have said, why not demand that the teacher repair or replace the coat? Would that not be fair?

 

[nutterbutter2010]

As I mentioned earlier
I've had a couple of kids in daycare and I can remember nothing close to ' All of your childs possessions are our responsibility, if anything becomes lost or damaged, we will gladly be held responsible...."

And again,
If it is in fact the teachers fault, as so many have said, why not demand that the teacher repair or replace the coat? Would that not be fair?

Yes, if the parents of the ripped jacket child make a fuss, I believe its the day cares responcibility to take care of it. As a parent, we drop our children off at these places with the knowledge that they will be in good hands. IMO, mixing stuff like this up isn't being responsible in the least. The daycare has known about the "similar jackets" for some time now since the mix up has happened in the past, so the teacher/day care should have been more careful. And if you yourself are a daycare operator, and say that it wouldn't be your fault, but the parents, who were not even on the property at the time, then I don't think I would want my child in your care, you have to be able to take responcibility for your own mistakes. JMHO

 

[jx3smom]

I wouldn't do anything, it clearly was the teachers fault.

 

[Jenvenza]

It is? Really?
I've had a couple of kids in daycare and I can remember nothing close to ' All of your childs possessions are our responsibility, if anything becomes lost or damaged, we will gladly be held responsible...."

I guess it always is somebody elses fault......sigh

Yes, in this case, it is someone elses fault. It certainly isnt the mothers or the childs.

I cannot understand how you can think this is the mothers fault and her responsibility.

 

[ChrizJen]

Thanks for all of your replies.
I think I've come to the conclusion that I will talk with the other mom, apologize for the torn coat, and ask if there's anything I can do. It seems like the grown-up thing to do.

That said, I honestly don't see where it's my fault. My responsibility was to make sure that my DD's things were properly marked with her name. I did that. Beyond that, I don't see what else I could have done to prevent this from happening. I can't stay at the daycare all day to make sure that my DD's things aren't mixed up with another child's. So I have to assume that the teachers who put the coats on the children will take the few seconds that it takes to make sure that each child has her own coat. If the tables were turned and it was my DD's coat that was put on another child and got torn, the last person I would hold responsible would be the other child's parent. But I would also just shrug it off, fix the coat, and move on. And it's entirely possible that the other mom intends to do just that. I guess we'll see...

 

[shrubber]

Yes, if the parents of the ripped jacket child make a fuss, I believe its the day cares responcibility to take care of it. As a parent, we drop our children off at these places with the knowledge that they will be in good hands. IMO, mixing stuff like this up isn't being responsible in the least. The daycare has known about the "similar jackets" for some time now since the mix up has happened in the past, so the teacher/day care should have been more careful. And if you yourself are a daycare operator, and say that it wouldn't be your fault, but the parents, who were not even on the property at the time, then I don't think I would want my child in your care, you have to be able to take responcibility for your own mistakes. JMHO

So by that reasoning, if the little girl had ripped her own jacket the daycare would be responsible too then right.? After all, they are dropped off with the knowledge that they would be in good hands. And kids certainly are known to tear and break things, so it would only be responsible of the staff to make sure that did not happen.
Or is it more logical and common sense that little kids tear things up, and if they tear something up that belongs to someone else, the parent out to make things right?

 

[shrubber]

Thanks for all of your replies.
I think I've come to the conclusion that I will talk with the other mom, apologize for the torn coat, and ask if there's anything I can do. It seems like the grown-up thing to do.

Good for you.

 

[nutterbutter2010]

So by that reasoning, if the little girl had ripped her own jacket the daycare would be responsible too then right.? After all, they are dropped off with the knowledge that they would be in good hands. And kids certainly are known to tear and break things, so it would only be responsible of the staff to make sure that did not happen.
Or is it more logical and common sense that little kids tear things up, and if they tear something up that belongs to someone else, the parent out to make things right?

Oh my goodness. OFCOURSE it is "common sense that little kids tear things up" but if Child A tears up Child Bs coat BECAUSE THE TEACHER PUT THAT ON THEM then its the teachers RESPINCIBILITY to take blame for the damages. If Child A rips his/her own jacket, then tuff luck for Child A and his/her parents.

 

[shrubber]

Oh my goodness. OFCOURSE it is "common sense that little kids tear things up" but if Child A tears up Child Bs coat BECAUSE THE TEACHER PUT THAT ON THEM then its the teachers RESPINCIBILITY to take blame for the damages. If Child A rips his/her own jacket, then tuff luck for Child A and his/her parents.

Ah, but your premise is wrong,
The little girl did not tear the coat because the teacher put it on her,
The little girl tore the coat by 'snagging on the playground'

 

[nutterbutter2010]

Ah, but your premise is wrong,
The little girl did not tear the coat because the teacher put it on her,
The little girl tore the coat by 'snagging on the playground'

I believe that you are wrong. Lets just agree to disagree.

 

[RadioNate]

Yes, in this case, it is someone elses fault. It certainly isnt the mothers or the childs.

I cannot understand how you can think this is the mothers fault and her responsibility.

It may not be the mother's fault but it IS the child's. The child DID rip the coat while she was wearing it.

Now, should she have been wearing the wrong coat? Of course not. But we can't go back and make sure the DD has the correct coat. So now we have to deal with the coat that the daughter DID damage.

It absolutely was an accident but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. Accidents happen all the time and the responsible party doesn't get out of if just because they didn't mean for it to happen.

I really think this isn't a big of a deal as is being made. But if it were my DD's coat ripped while another student was wearing it, I'd hope that the other family would offer to replace the coat. I would decline but I think they should take responsibility and at least offer.

And I'd still get my DD a different coat.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

Your child ripped the coat of another childs.
Accident? Of course.
But you are responsible. Not the 2 yr old and not the teacher.
Tell the other parents how sorry you are and ask how you might amends.

I disagree. The coats are labeled and the teachers know that however they still can't manage to put the right coat on the right child so I say the teacher is responsible. The child doesn't know if the coat is the right one and this parent wasn't there.

 

[ChrizJen]

So by that reasoning, if the little girl had ripped her own jacket the daycare would be responsible too then right.? After all, they are dropped off with the knowledge that they would be in good hands. And kids certainly are known to tear and break things, so it would only be responsible of the staff to make sure that did not happen.
Or is it more logical and common sense that little kids tear things up, and if they tear something up that belongs to someone else, the parent out to make things right?

I think there's a difference here. No one is saying that the teacher made my DD tear the jacket. The act in itself was an accident. Period. There was nothing the teacher could have done to prevent that from happening. BUT...the jacket that got torn would have been my DD's jacket had the teacher taken the time to check to make sure she was wearing the right one. Then, as I said before, I would have fixed the coat and gotten on with my week. No harm, no foul. But due to the teacher's failure, she was NOT wearing her own coat.

So, I guess what others are seeing here is that I'm not blaming the teacher for the accident that could not have been prevented. That would be silly. I am only saying that the accident could have happened to my DD's coat instead of another girl's, had the teacher taken the time to make sure the coats were right. Then we wouldn't have an issue.

 

[shrubber]

I disagree. The coats are labeled and the teachers know that however they still can't manage to put the right coat on the right child so I say the teacher is responsible. The child doesn't know if the coat is the right one and this parent wasn't there.

So the teacher should pay or fix the coat then right?

 

[nutterbutter2010]

I think there's a difference here. No one is saying that the teacher made my DD tear the jacket. The act in itself was an accident. Period. There was nothing the teacher could have done to prevent that from happening. BUT...the jacket that got torn would have been my DD's jacket had the teacher taken the time to check to make sure she was wearing the right one. Then, as I said before, I would have fixed the coat and gotten on with my week. No harm, no foul. But due to the teacher's failure, she was NOT wearing her own coat.

So, I guess what others are seeing here is that I'm not blaming the teacher for the accident that could not have been prevented. That would be silly. I am only saying that the accident could have happened to my DD's coat instead of another girl's, had the teacher taken the time to make sure the coats were right. Then we wouldn't have an issue.

I just want to clarify that the quote you took there was NOT written by myself, but by shrubber. I do not feel that way in the least.

 

[nutterbutter2010]

Ok, the Disboards are really screwed up today!!!!! LOL

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

So the teacher should pay or fix the coat then right?

In this case if the other parent insists then yes. It was the teachers mistake in putting the wrong coat on the wrong child. They were on notice that this was happening and still did it so yes they should make restitution if the other parent wants. However like the OP I would make the offer to pay the other parent to avoid hard feelings even though i would feel no obligation to do so I would do it because thats the kind of person I am.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I have a hard time blaming the teacher here (I still think it was no one's fault really). Having worked for many years on the toddler room at a preschool I can tell you it is VERY hard getting all the little ones into their coats (and possibly other things like hats, gloves, etc) and out the door. YES, the teachers should try to look at the names on the coat--but they really have to pay attention to the kids and their safety and comfort (the first kid into caots acn be sweltering before you getout teh door if you do not hurry) and sometimes things like names in coats can be easily and understandably missed.
The teachers should be trying extra hard to notice since they know there is an issue with the coats being mixed up. However, the parents (both sets) should also have tried to make the coats more easily identifiable (even to the little girls) once they knew there was a problem. Sewing a patchon or even just tying some right ribbon into the zipper pulls, would go a long way toward resolving the issue once and for all.
I want the teachers paying attenion to the KIDS not their names in a coat and I will do whatever I need to to help facillitate that.

 

[disykat]

So, I guess what others are seeing here is that I'm not blaming the teacher for the accident that could not have been prevented. That would be silly. I am only saying that the accident could have happened to my DD's coat instead of another girl's, had the teacher taken the time to make sure the coats were right. Then we wouldn't have an issue.

If you don't have faith in the level of care your child is being given, I think it's time to switch daycares. I like to think that I haven't left my child in the care of anyone I wouldn't give the benefit of the doubt that if something like not doublechecking the names inside a coat got overlooked it was because they were busy taking care of other priorities that involved the children's well-being. It sounds like you simply don't have this level of trust with this provider.