Replacing broken, damaged and lost items

[Anonymous]

Have any nannies been asked or made to replace any items that were lost broken or damaged while you were working? I had a mb once who withheld 87 from my paycheck because I couldn't get a stain out of her shirt. I tried and tried but she was convinced I had ruined it.

[Anonymous]

MB here. I've never asked the nanny to replace anything she broke. The only thing I was ever upset about was a broken mug that had sentimental value because my brother gave it to me when we were children. It wasn't her fault that it broke but I was more annoyed that she didn't tell me it broke and I looked for it for a week before I asked her if she knew where it was and THEN she admitted that she broke it.

[Anonymous]

I personally haven't (I'm a nanny), though I do think there are circumstances where it may be called for. In extreme situations where the nanny has showed very poor judgement or goes against direct instructions, I think it's fine. So things like letting DCs play with an ipad even though MB has specified that they are not allowed to, or the post a while back about losing the stroller, replacing/contributing towards those things is acceptable. But smaller every day stuff- a forgotten sippy cup at the park, a child spilling grape juice on a white shirt- I think is to be expected of young kids.

Your situation is interesting though. The stain is on MB's shirt? Were you the one that stained it? If so how did that happen? Or were you just tasked with doing her laundry and couldn't get the stain out? Unless you sprayed a bottle of red wine all over MB's closet I really can't see how you're at fault for this.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand why you are responsible for the shirt unless you wore it..lol.. If it got stained in laundry I would never do her laundry again..If she had a problem with that she can always fire me..

[Anonymous]

Nanny here and NO. Little things have gotten lost in the park or damaged in the wash - but I'd never accept being docked for those items.


To the nanny with the MB's stained shirt - another reason to do baby related chores only.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand why you are responsible for the shirt unless you wore it..lol.. If it got stained in laundry I would never do her laundry again..If she had a problem with that she can always fire me..

Her shirt had a stain, I washed it and tried to get the stain out but unfortunately the stain was still there and I thought it was gone so I put it in the dryer and then it was set in. So she said I ruined it. I never wore her shirt.

[Anonymous]

Funny. Just today I burnt some food I was cooking (got distracted with kids and came back too late). I worried that I might have ruined the non-stick coating on the pan and offered to replace it, but MB insisted not to worry. Glad I have a boss who is understanding!

[Anonymous]

OP, your situation is a textbook example of why us nannies should only focus on childcare duties ONLY. I used to nanny for a toddler and the mother considered me washing the toddler's laundry part of my duty. While I disagreed, I complied because I was a newbie and didn't know any better. Fast forward three mos. later and I went to put the toddler's laundry into the dryer. Well the dryer wouldn't turn on. I pushed and pushed button after button, but it wouldn't budge. When MB came home, she was upset the clothes were still damp but more upset when I told her the dryer didn't turn on. She mentioned non-nonchalantly, "That's weird, because I used it yesterday and it worked perfectly fine." Well I went home worried sick and rightfully so. The next day she told me a repairman had to come out and fix it and that I would have to pay 1/2 the cost of repair since she suspected I had pushed one of the buttons too hard. I knew I didn't, but I paid her anyway and then quit because I knew I was being scammed.

Now as a nanny, I do not do anything but care for the child. I know many nannies believe that laundry duties are part of the job, but I disagree wholeheartedly on that.

OP, caring for a small child is stressful enough w/out having to do the laundry as well.

Shame on your MB for deducting your pay.
Laundry should not have been your responsibility anyway.

They should have hired a separate laundress for goodness sake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, your situation is a textbook example of why us nannies should only focus on childcare duties ONLY. I used to nanny for a toddler and the mother considered me washing the toddler's laundry part of my duty. While I disagreed, I complied because I was a newbie and didn't know any better. Fast forward three mos. later and I went to put the toddler's laundry into the dryer. Well the dryer wouldn't turn on. I pushed and pushed button after button, but it wouldn't budge. When MB came home, she was upset the clothes were still damp but more upset when I told her the dryer didn't turn on. She mentioned non-nonchalantly, "That's weird, because I used it yesterday and it worked perfectly fine." Well I went home worried sick and rightfully so. The next day she told me a repairman had to come out and fix it and that I would have to pay 1/2 the cost of repair since she suspected I had pushed one of the buttons too hard. I knew I didn't, but I paid her anyway and then quit because I knew I was being scammed.

Now as a nanny, I do not do anything but care for the child. I know many nannies believe that laundry duties are part of the job, but I disagree wholeheartedly on that.

OP, caring for a small child is stressful enough w/out having to do the laundry as well.

Shame on your MB for deducting your pay.
Laundry should not have been your responsibility anyway.

They should have hired a separate laundress for goodness sake.

Really? Doing a toddler's laundry is too stressful for you? Some of you nannies are just making the whole profession look ridiculous at this point...

[Anonymous]

PP, why should a nanny have to do laundry?

That has absolutely nothing to do w/childcare! How do I know this?

Because you never see daycare workers doing laundry, do you? Or teachers??


Families just assume that just because a nanny is in the home, she might as well do laundry. And load the dishwasher. And feed the cats. And vacuum the floors. And take out the trash.


Being a nanny is childcare ONLY. Get it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, why should a nanny have to do laundry?

That has absolutely nothing to do w/childcare! How do I know this?

Because you never see daycare workers doing laundry, do you? Or teachers??


Families just assume that just because a nanny is in the home, she might as well do laundry. And load the dishwasher. And feed the cats. And vacuum the floors. And take out the trash.


Being a nanny is childcare ONLY. Get it?

Your example don't make any sense. You can't compare a nanny who DOES work in a home to teachers and daycare workers who don't. A nanny shouldn't have to take care of pets, vacuum or take out the trash but doing children's laundry is related to child care. If you don't want to do that then that's fine, I'm sure you can find jobs where you don't have to but there are enough amazing nannies out there who have no problem doing the children's laundry so I would not hire you. I'd rather spend my time at home playing with my children instead of doing load after load of their laundry.

[Anonymous]

It is common and expected that nannies perform child related housekeeping. This includes cleaning up areas used by the child during the day, cleaning child's toys, cleaning dishes used during the day, and, yes, child's laundry.

They may need to vacuum or take out trash if the course of the day made a mess. But not regularly, unless agreed to in the contract.

No, a nanny should not have to feed pets, load dishwashers with parent's dishes, or do parents' laundry.

Of course, nannies who are willing to do more make more money. So, nannies need to be clear about their boundaries and be very clear upfront to get the best fit job.

[Anonymous]

There is no hard and fast rule regarding nannies and doing laundry.

One cannot state that it is typical for a nanny to do a child's laundry.

Sure there are nannies that do children's laundry and there are some that do not.

There are nannies that cook the family dinner and some that do not.

There are nannies that walk dogs and some that do not.

I could go on and on, but I will not.


The one hard and fast rule of being a nanny is childcare.

After that, everything else is up to the parties involved.

If a nanny doesn't do children's laundry, that doesn't make her any less of a nanny compared to one who does. To believe such nonsense is crazy.

That's just like saying one chef who cooks only vegan meals is less of a chef than one who cooks both vegan and meals with meat.

[Anonymous]

There is no hard and fast rule regarding nannies and doing laundry.

One cannot state that it is typical for a nanny to do a child's laundry.

Sure there are nannies that do children's laundry and there are some that do not.

There are nannies that cook the family dinner and some that do not.

There are nannies that walk dogs and some that do not.

I could go on and on, but I will not.


The one hard and fast rule of being a nanny is childcare.

After that, everything else is up to the parties involved.

If a nanny doesn't do children's laundry, that doesn't make her any less of a nanny compared to one who does. To believe such nonsense is crazy.

That's just like saying one chef who cooks only vegan meals is less of a chef than one who cooks both vegan and meals with meat.

Yes, one can say it is typical for a nanny to do child related tasks, including laundry. It is said all over these boards by both nannies and MBs. You can refuse to anything you don't want to do, but you will be a less attractive nanny candidate than one who does do child related tasks and at least two of us posting here would not hire you.

[Anonymous]

Everyone is getting off topic here..The topic is about the stain shirt and reimbursements of $87.
I think you should do like my dry cleaner once did when they ruined my dress I had only wore once..Receipt...They would reimburse when I presented it. I would make her give me the receipt just incase she was presenting what the shirt was worth and not what she paid for it and also to be a little smartass. I th e n would tell her nicely why I would no longer feel comfortable doing her laundry, because I would feel terrified something could bleed in the entire wash...Then no matter what she said I would no longer do her laundry..