child injured due to the inattention of a caregiver - what would you do?

[Anonymous]

How do you know he was swinging too high? Were you there? How did she respond to the accident? Did she get your child proper care quickly?

Difficult because you're angry that your kid broke his leg doing something that children do - swinging on swings at the park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do you know he was swinging too high? Were you there? How did she respond to the accident? Did she get your child proper care quickly?

Difficult because you're angry that your kid broke his leg doing something that children do - swinging on swings at the park.

There was a witness who told me what happened. She also admitted he was swinging too high.

I would never allow kids under my supervision to do something that could put them in danger.

It's a question of imagination.

[Anonymous]

And again, I ask, did she get your child proper medical care quickly? How did she respond to the accident?

I'm a nanny to an almost three year old boy. He sits in his booster seat at the table for meals and I sit directly beside him. I've told him time (and time and time) again not to put his feet on the table and push himself back because he could tip backwards and get hurt. Two weeks ago after breakfast, he did it anyway. I was sitting at the table right beside him and he fell straight backwards. Luckily, he wasn't injured beyond a small bruise on his back. I was supervising him properly AND had warned him multiple times about what might happen if he continued to push back from the table in such a manner. So had his parents.

Like I said, kids don't always heed grow-ups requests. And accidents happen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't want to to sue her. I am just mad.

And I am surprised she didn't offer any help - like coming on weekend and taking care of DS.

100% not her responsibility. That would be like expecting a preschool teacher to come to your house over the weekend and care for your kid if he was stick with a stomach bug he caught while at school.

You sound like a pretty difficult MB. Maybe you should quit work and stay home and care for your child yourself. And I'm not saying that to be mean, I'm saying it honestly.

Difficult because I am mad she allowed DS to break his leg...??

You cannot compare PK teacher and stomach bug with nanny and injury than happened under her supervision. She allowed him to swing WAY TOO HIGH.

Nanny is responsible for kids safety. It's part of her job.

Swinging to high is like saying he ran to fast, jumped to high. The swing will only go so high. He fell, it was an accident. Hopefully your son learned a lesson. If your mad at the nanny you should be just as mad at your child. Because swinging to high is BAD and WRONG. At 4 I let kids swing as high as they want. I let them play.

[Anonymous]

wow you expect her to offer to come in and work for free because this happened on her watch? you are absolutely insane. seriously. that is a ridiculous request.

[Anonymous]

Op you're a nut. Seriously. Kids fall and break bones on playgrounds across the country every single day and live (and love) to it sucks, tell the tale. This is one way kids learn their limits. It happened. Yes but despite your claims of perfection, or could have happened to you.

[Anonymous]

Accidents are bound to happen sooner or later to each and every child.

It is par for the course.

I wouldn't consider letting your nanny go because of this unless you have proof that she was intentionally negligent on the job.

Was she texting or talking on her cell phone when the incident occurred? Was she talking to someone thus taking her eyes of your son for more than a minute?

If so, then yes, I would send her off w/her walking papers. However, if he hurt himself while being properly supervised, then I wouldn't make a big deal of this.

Ask any parent around. ALL kids get hurt, even in the presence of their own parents. To expect the nanny to be super-human is just not logical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And again, I ask, did she get your child proper medical care quickly? How did she respond to the accident?

I'm a nanny to an almost three year old boy. He sits in his booster seat at the table for meals and I sit directly beside him. I've told him time (and time and time) again not to put his feet on the table and push himself back because he could tip backwards and get hurt. Two weeks ago after breakfast, he did it anyway. I was sitting at the table right beside him and he fell straight backwards. Luckily, he wasn't injured beyond a small bruise on his back. I was supervising him properly AND had warned him multiple times about what might happen if he continued to push back from the table in such a manner. So had his parents.

Like I said, kids don't always heed grow-ups requests. And accidents happen.

You were NOT supervising him properly. "Warning" a 3 year old is not enough, you need to PREVENT him physically from getting in dangerous situations. You can't explain away a child getting hit by a car by saying "I TOLD him to not play in the street, I was right there watching him." just like you can not explain away your failing to supervise that child that fell out of his chair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And again, I ask, did she get your child proper medical care quickly? How did she respond to the accident?

I'm a nanny to an almost three year old boy. He sits in his booster seat at the table for meals and I sit directly beside him. I've told him time (and time and time) again not to put his feet on the table and push himself back because he could tip backwards and get hurt. Two weeks ago after breakfast, he did it anyway. I was sitting at the table right beside him and he fell straight backwards. Luckily, he wasn't injured beyond a small bruise on his back. I was supervising him properly AND had warned him multiple times about what might happen if he continued to push back from the table in such a manner. So had his parents.

Like I said, kids don't always heed grow-ups requests. And accidents happen.

You were NOT supervising him properly. "Warning" a 3 year old is not enough, you need to PREVENT him physically from getting in dangerous situations. You can't explain away a child getting hit by a car by saying "I TOLD him to not play in the street, I was right there watching him." just like you can not explain away your failing to supervise that child that fell out of his chair.

I'm not sure how to prevent a child from putting his feet on the table and pushing himself back. Soft restraints would probably be frowned upon. His mom was also standing there when it happened. Do you think she failed to supervise him properly. Are you OP? I feel really sorry for your nanny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And again, I ask, did she get your child proper medical care quickly? How did she respond to the accident?

I'm a nanny to an almost three year old boy. He sits in his booster seat at the table for meals and I sit directly beside him. I've told him time (and time and time) again not to put his feet on the table and push himself back because he could tip backwards and get hurt. Two weeks ago after breakfast, he did it anyway. I was sitting at the table right beside him and he fell straight backwards. Luckily, he wasn't injured beyond a small bruise on his back. I was supervising him properly AND had warned him multiple times about what might happen if he continued to push back from the table in such a manner. So had his parents.

Like I said, kids don't always heed grow-ups requests. And accidents happen.

You were NOT supervising him properly. "Warning" a 3 year old is not enough, you need to PREVENT him physically from getting in dangerous situations. You can't explain away a child getting hit by a car by saying "I TOLD him to not play in the street, I was right there watching him." just like you can not explain away your failing to supervise that child that fell out of his chair.

I'm not sure how to prevent a child from putting his feet on the table and pushing himself back. Soft restraints would probably be frowned upon. His mom was also standing there when it happened. Do you think she failed to supervise him properly. Are you OP? I feel really sorry for your nanny.

I can't believe I have to explain this to a nanny but here goes.... If the child you are in charge of is putting their feet up on the table and leaning the chair back and flipping themselves over then you should move your chair next to them so they can't do that anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And again, I ask, did she get your child proper medical care quickly? How did she respond to the accident?

I'm a nanny to an almost three year old boy. He sits in his booster seat at the table for meals and I sit directly beside him. I've told him time (and time and time) again not to put his feet on the table and push himself back because he could tip backwards and get hurt. Two weeks ago after breakfast, he did it anyway. I was sitting at the table right beside him and he fell straight backwards. Luckily, he wasn't injured beyond a small bruise on his back. I was supervising him properly AND had warned him multiple times about what might happen if he continued to push back from the table in such a manner. So had his parents.

Like I said, kids don't always heed grow-ups requests. And accidents happen.

You were NOT supervising him properly. "Warning" a 3 year old is not enough, you need to PREVENT him physically from getting in dangerous situations. You can't explain away a child getting hit by a car by saying "I TOLD him to not play in the street, I was right there watching him." just like you can not explain away your failing to supervise that child that fell out of his chair.

I'm not sure how to prevent a child from putting his feet on the table and pushing himself back. Soft restraints would probably be frowned upon. His mom was also standing there when it happened. Do you think she failed to supervise him properly. Are you OP? I feel really sorry for your nanny.

I can't believe I have to explain this to a nanny but here goes.... If the child you are in charge of is putting their feet up on the table and leaning the chair back and flipping themselves over then you should move your chair next to them so they can't do that anymore.

EXACTLY !

[Anonymous]

I've been a professional nanny for twelve years. In that time, FOUR children I've worked with have broken an arm or a leg. But they never injured themselves while I was watching them. Every single time it happened on a weekend, while with Mom and/or Dad (and once, Grandma). Accidents do happen, and you have said nothing about the incident that makes the nanny sound negligent at all (as others have pointed out, he was just swinging and fell off, there was nothing nanny (or even-gasp- you!) could've done. Honestly the way you are reacting does make you sound like either a horrible MB or perhaps just someone stirring the pot here.


However, as for this three year old tipping over his chair nonsense:
#1 I'm not sure I believe that MB was there since that detail was conveniently overlooked in your first post.

#2 Even if MB had been there, if you were on the clock, preventing serious injury is your job.

#3 yes, you got (in your own words) "lucky," but something like a three year old falling backwards in his chair onto a hard kitchen floor could result in a serious head injury, leading to concussion or even worse complications! If you cared about your charge at all you would've stopped it from happening beyond simply reminding him not to, because...

#4 despite what you say this situation (unlike the "falling off the swing" scenario this thread is about) was totally foreseeable and preventable. As mentioned above you could've moved your chair closer, or you could've moved him further from the table (at age three he likely has a booster seat with tray he could use?), or, I don't know....you could've actually been watching him closely like you're paid to do so the second he starts tipping his chair too far you can catch him or grab his chair so he doesn't sustain a concussion?? You could've also told him he isn't allowed to put his feet up on the table in the first place; I would've nipped this in the bud pretty quickly with something like "We do not put our feet on the table while we are eating, if you do that again then you're telling me you're all done with your food and are getting down." etc

This situation could've been handled MANY different ways. Just waiting until he actually fell over (and taking a chance on how badly he got injured) should not have been one of them.

[Anonymous]

I would do nothing and let it go. Kids break bones all the time.

[Anonymous]

OP here. She took her eyes of my son for more than a minute.

I believe she wasn't supervising him properly.

Like someone mentioned before : you have to prevent a kid from getting in dangerous situations.

If he was swinging too high she should have told him not to do it. Simple.

It was easy to forsee he would fell off the swing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been a professional nanny for twelve years. In that time, FOUR children I've worked with have broken an arm or a leg. But they never injured themselves while I was watching them. Every single time it happened on a weekend, while with Mom and/or Dad (and once, Grandma). Accidents do happen, and you have said nothing about the incident that makes the nanny sound negligent at all (as others have pointed out, he was just swinging and fell off, there was nothing nanny (or even-gasp- you!) could've done. Honestly the way you are reacting does make you sound like either a horrible MB or perhaps just someone stirring the pot here.


However, as for this three year old tipping over his chair nonsense:
#1 I'm not sure I believe that MB was there since that detail was conveniently overlooked in your first post.

#2 Even if MB had been there, if you were on the clock, preventing serious injury is your job.

#3 yes, you got (in your own words) "lucky," but something like a three year old falling backwards in his chair onto a hard kitchen floor could result in a serious head injury, leading to concussion or even worse complications! If you cared about your charge at all you would've stopped it from happening beyond simply reminding him not to, because...

#4 despite what you say this situation (unlike the "falling off the swing" scenario this thread is about) was totally foreseeable and preventable. As mentioned above you could've moved your chair closer, or you could've moved him further from the table (at age three he likely has a booster seat with tray he could use?), or, I don't know....you could've actually been watching him closely like you're paid to do so the second he starts tipping his chair too far you can catch him or grab his chair so he doesn't sustain a concussion?? You could've also told him he isn't allowed to put his feet up on the table in the first place; I would've nipped this in the bud pretty quickly with something like "We do not put our feet on the table while we are eating, if you do that again then you're telling me you're all done with your food and are getting down." etc

This situation could've been handled MANY different ways. Just waiting until he actually fell over (and taking a chance on how badly he got injured) should not have been one of them.

Thank you for taking more time to explain this to that nanny. You said what I would have said if I wasn't so lazy!