Do You Ever Let DCP's Borrow Your Things?

[momofboys]

Last night, dcm was stuck at work, so she had a friend come to pick up dbc. She asked if she could borrow one of my car seats because her friend did not have one. Of course, I said yes, I would not knowingly let a child leave without a car seat. The friend said I would have it today.

DCM shows up 45 minutes late today, (no call/text) without the car seat, and tells me that she will bring it tomorrow. I was planning on taking the kids to this awesome recreation outlet place for free play since it's so rainy and stormy here this morning. Well, that's a bust, since now I don't have enough car seats.

Would you have let a DCP borrow your extra car seat? THIS is what I get for trying to be courteous and nice... stuck in the house on a rainy day

I would have made her take her OWN car seat out of HER car & made her lend it to you! You don't happen to live in Ohio, do you? This AM I only had my own child (childcare-free day!!!) & we went to the Rainbow indoor Recreation center in Powell. Awesome free play time!

[kayla]

I do not loan anything, made this mistake a couple times with sippy cups etc, and I have never ecieved the items back....

[PitterPatter]

Last night, dcm was stuck at work, so she had a friend come to pick up dbc. She asked if she could borrow one of my car seats because her friend did not have one. Of course, I said yes, I would not knowingly let a child leave without a car seat. The friend said I would have it today.

DCM shows up 45 minutes late today, (no call/text) without the car seat, and tells me that she will bring it tomorrow. I was planning on taking the kids to this awesome recreation outlet place for free play since it's so rainy and stormy here this morning. Well, that's a bust, since now I don't have enough car seats.

Would you have let a DCP borrow your extra car seat? THIS is what I get for trying to be courteous and nice... stuck in the house on a rainy day

BTDT I have 2 spare seats just in case. I had to go pick the car seat up months later from another family member. :confused:

I have loaned out a few things over the years and had problems but this was the worst so never again.

[nannyde]

Well, the carseat could malfunction. If that happens they will ask about the history of the carseat. They will look to the owner of the seat and try and find out possible causes of malfunction -- was it in an accident, is it expired, was it stored properly when not in use, was the seat ever damaged by misuse or improper installation, was it inspected for cracking or warping recently, was it properly maintained and assembled. The possibilities really are endless.

That will come back to the car seat owner.

This

also you have to think about who should install the seat. The parent or person who picked up may not think YOU should have installed the seat and the kid in the seat but their insurance company might.

I don't even allow car seats in my house. I don't want to be in that cycle.

[daycare]

several years ago I recall reading a story about a DC provider that gave this little girl a candy necklace. The little girl wore it home and DCP were stupid enough to put her to bed with it on and she strangled her self to death with it on...GUESS who it came back on????

YOu hire the right attorney I think that almost anything is possible....LOOK at OJ simpson.

[nannyde]

Oh, I get that part of it but what I am not understanding is how anyone can think that daycare providers are responsible for things parents choose to do or not do once they leave my property.

I don't allow car seats to be left on my property and I do not have or borrow out seats I also do NOT transport children. EVER.

If I KNEW a parent did not have a car seat, I would absolutely report it just as I would if I thought a parent was unsafe to drive or under the influence .

If a parent has a child buckled in a car seat when they leave, then NOTHING that happens after that fact is my liability.

Just to be sure I asked my DCD (who is a State Trooper) and he said he finds it hard to believe that I could be held liable in any of those situations unless there was proveable evidence that I acted in a manner that would have caused something to happen. He said he thinks people are too quick to blame anyone for something they should be responsible for themseves.

Car seats are removed and reinstalled all the time by parents for various reasons and NONE of those have anything to do with me so I still stand my ground that I am not responsible or liable. With the exception of NOT reporting something I knew....but again, they would have to prove I KNEW or actually saw no car seats......

I agree with you on almost everything Black but not this one. I think you may be right that ultimately you are not responsible but being right won't stop you from being sued. Being sued can devestate a provider financially for the rest of their life. Even if you win... the cost of defending something like this would be astronomical AND the ultimate outcome could come down to "experts" or "opinions". I don't want to be in the hot seat with my fate hanging off the words of a car seat expert or a crash expert.

And one other thing... I think the idea of proper car seats IS them staying fixed. I don't allow seats in my house in part because I don't WANT them taking the seat in and out every day.

[Breezy]

I agree with you on almost everything Black but not this one. I think you may be right that ultimately you are not responsible but being right won't stop you from being sued. Being sued can devestate a provider financially for the rest of their life. Even if you win... the cost of defending something like this would be astronomical AND the ultimate outcome could come down to "experts" or "opinions". I don't want to be in the hot seat with my fate hanging off the words of a car seat expert or a crash expert.

And one other thing... I think the idea of proper car seats IS them staying fixed. I don't allow seats in my house in part because I don't WANT them taking the seat in and out every day.

My dcps only have one base and two cars so every day they unhook the base and bring both the base and infant seat in and take up a ton of room and then dad picks up and straps it in and they switch in the morning. Drives me batty!!!

[daycare]

My dcps only have one base and two cars so every day they unhook the base and bring both the base and infant seat in and take up a ton of room and then dad picks up and straps it in and they switch in the morning. Drives me batty!!!

car seats are gross.... I don't allow them.

[nannyde]

My dcps only have one base and two cars so every day they unhook the base and bring both the base and infant seat in and take up a ton of room and then dad picks up and straps it in and they switch in the morning. Drives me batty!!!

Yes I used to allow that but I made a decision to not allow them in the house.

I hope they just stop making the removeable seats. It's going to take a lot of infant deaths inside the seats OUTSIDE of the vehichle to get manufacturers sued enough to quit making them.

[PolarCare]

Not really.

I don't like to borrow things from people, and I don't really like to loan my things out either. I have a few family members that I am close with that I loan things to, but nothing that I will miss. I'm talking movies, books, things that if I don't get it back...oh, well. Not a biggie.

Not the day care family that I have now, but my previous daycare family...they were a little different. Anyway, this thread reminds me...once DCM asked me at pickup if we were going out of town for the holiday weekend. We weren't...we usually go out of town in the off season because our family is huge and it's a hassle to start with...so she asked if she and her family could borrow my motorhome! I thougth that was a little presumptuous. I told her no, of course. She acted like she was totally offended!

[Childminder]

If you lend the seat and if they get in an accident on the way home and if the child is hurt, believe you me that it will some how, some way, come back on you that the car seat was improperly installed or something and you will be held responsible in some way. Hello lawsuit.

I know it is comparing apples and oranges but my friends daughter was seriously injured in a head on with a drunk motorcyclist. The lawsuit included the man that loaned the drunk his helmet that hit her in the face. They sued the bat, the bartender, Harley-Davidson, his friends for letting him drive, etc... You will get sued by the parents of a child harmed in YOUR car seat. It is just the nature of the beast.

[Blackcat31]

I agree with you on almost everything Black but not this one. I think you may be right that ultimately you are not responsible but being right won't stop you from being sued. Being sued can devestate a provider financially for the rest of their life. Even if you win... the cost of defending something like this would be astronomical AND the ultimate outcome could come down to "experts" or "opinions". I don't want to be in the hot seat with my fate hanging off the words of a car seat expert or a crash expert.

And one other thing... I think the idea of proper car seats IS them staying fixed. I don't allow seats in my house in part because I don't WANT them taking the seat in and out every day.

Nope, we are actually on the same page......because I do know I am right but I still don't want to be sued so I took your advice last year and no longer allow car seats to be on my property AT ALL.

Not left to be swapped with another parents or pick up person, not used for carrying an infant in or out and most definitely not anywhere where I have anything to do with them......because I do NOT want the liability...especially for people who view everything as someone else's responsibilty first and foremost before looking to how they could have had any role in it.

I also agree that ideally, car seats should be a permanent fixture in a car, which is probably the biggest reason our police and fire departments will gladly help you properly install your car seat. ONCE. because it isn't meant to be taken in and out.

Looking back on this last year or two, I have had all sorts of rule changes and new policies (No meds, no attendance after imms, no scarves, etc etc)simply because I no longer wish to assume ANY responsibility for things that COULD be an issue for anyone, especially in this day and age of sue happy people and over flowing court systems where anyone can be held liable for the most rediculous things.

[SunshineMama]

I would have made her take her OWN car seat out of HER car & made her lend it to you! You don't happen to live in Ohio, do you? This AM I only had my own child (childcare-free day!!!) & we went to the Rainbow indoor Recreation center in Powell. Awesome free play time!

Yep I'm in Powell. I was going to take them to Recreation outlet for free play, 9-11. Is Rainbow recreation the same thing as recreation outlet? (Maybe I am calling it the wrong name?) The place where they sell the play structures and trampolines but let the kids come and play on them...

She called this morning and said she would be 3 hours late. UGH- because AGAIN, I could have gone somewhere this morning but couldnt because she had the car seat

Lesson learned. I will not let her borrow it again, not only for liability reasons, but because she borrowed one of my car seats and took 2 days to return it.

[MrsB]

Well maybe if you are one who is willing to loan, but worried about liability, have them sign a waiver relinquishing all liability.

[My3cents]

Nope, we are actually on the same page......because I do know I am right but I still don't want to be sued so I took your advice last year and no longer allow car seats to be on my property AT ALL.

Not left to be swapped with another parents or pick up person, not used for carrying an infant in or out and most definitely not anywhere where I have anything to do with them......because I do NOT want the liability...especially for people who view everything as someone else's responsibilty first and foremost before looking to how they could have had any role in it.

I also agree that ideally, car seats should be a permanent fixture in a car, which is probably the biggest reason our police and fire departments will gladly help you properly install your car seat. ONCE. because it isn't meant to be taken in and out.

Looking back on this last year or two, I have had all sorts of rule changes and new policies (No meds, no attendance after imms, no scarves, etc etc)simply because I no longer wish to assume ANY responsibility for things that COULD be an issue for anyone, especially in this day and age of sue happy people and over flowing court systems where anyone can be held liable for the most rediculous things.

This is such good advice from both of you. Thank you-