As any parent will tell you, kids can be nightmares when it comes to misplacing items - especially when they've been staying at a friend's house or just happen to have dropped something somewhere, with no idea where it might have gone.
But one mum online has been left fuming after her daughter came home from nursery with just one of her shoes, after it transpired that nursery workers had been having a "huge clear out" in which they must have accidentally thrown away the other shoe.
And while the workers themselves were happy to fund a new pair of shoes out of their own pockets to apologise for the mishap, the mum believes it's the nursery who should pay.
In her post on Mumsnet, she explained: "Our one-year-old came home from nursery with only one of her two very first shoes. The nursery was expecting Ofsted the next day so had had a huge clearout. They have subsequently searched high and low and emailed all the parents.
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"They're a lovely nursery, our baby is happy there and we're really lucky with our baby's key workers. They have both contacted us and offered to buy her a new pair together, which is really kind.
"However, we emailed the nursery, concerned that they appeared to be having to do so out of their own money, when we thought it was something that the nursery should pay, as a company, rather than what would be an hour's wage for two of their employees. Especially as one is very junior and the other is pregnant."
The mum has since received a reply from the nursery stating they would not pay for the shoes as it "isn't their policy" - leaving the mum frustrated that she now has to buy a new pair herself.
She added: "Nursery have replied, telling us to clearly label our baby's clothes and that it isn't their policy to pay for missing property, as it isn't with other nurseries or schools.
"I get that with schools when the children are responsible for their own things and I would never assume so with clothes, bags or coats etc, but shoes? I also don't really see how labelling would have helped in this case.
"I'm just sad we've lost one of her very first shoes, sad that we might have to buy more unnecessarily given our financial situation, and frustrated that it doesn't feel like the nursery is valuing their staff or responsibilities."
The post sparked debate in the comment section, with other mums split on what they would do in a similar situation.
Some said agreed that the nursery should replace the shoes that they lost, but others noted that young children are prone to losing or ruining shoes and clothes, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that a shoe was misplaced in the first place.
One person said: "They lost the shoe and should replace it!"
While another added: "The nursery should pay, not the staff. I wouldn’t be asking for a new hoodie every day but [not paying for] a pair of shoes when they admit they were tidying up for Ofsted is wrong."
But someone else disagreed, stating: "Send your child to nursery in things that you won't be bothered if they're stained or lost. It's not great they lost the shoe, but I wouldn't expect them to replace it."
"Honestly they grow out of shoes so quickly at that age I would have just brought a new pair without even considering that the staff or the nursery would pay for a replacement pair", a fourth noted.
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