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Yes. I'd probably offer to pay the whole thing, if it would be relatively easy for me and hard for her. I'm a big proponent of keeping nannies happy and feeling valued and like we're on the same team.

ETA - $200 sounds crazy for a parking ticket! I hope she's able to get it reduced/dismissed!

Am I an awful person because I wouldn't pay it? I have gotten tickets before while working and one time it was right after speaking to my manager about work on my cell phone and not paying attention to my speed. It's my responsibility to take care of the tickets. Being able to drive a car is a condition of my employment.

I guess I'm a horrible person but I don't think I would. Mainly because having a nanny would stretch our budget to the max and I don't think I'd have any more wiggle room to pay for the ticket. I mean she parked in a handicap spot, it's her fault.....

@winniebee: I agree...thats why if it is questionable with regard to the marking of it I would chip in...because I get it about how crazy it is with two...I'm scared to even go out with both of them.

But if its blatantly a handicapped spot...clearly marked...I mean come on? In my most frazzled mom moment I dont think I would mess that up!

I had a similar situation.

Parking in my city is crazy-town. I told prospective nannies that they would not be able to park anywhere, so arriving my public transportation is a must. However, I asked a couple of nannies to come to a paid trial half day when i was trying to decide between two. One wanted to drive and I gave extremely detailed instructions about where she could park.

Well, she got the parking instructions confused and got a ticket. My husband didn't want to pay it, because it was her fault that she parked in the wrong place. But I felt like we should pay it, because she was my favorite and I wanted to hire her and it kind of seemed sucky to hire someone after they just got a parking ticket.

She didn't bring up us paying her, but on her first Friday (I asked her to start immediately), I included the extra $$. But it was only $40. I was a teensy bit pissed over it, since I clearly told her "whatever you do, don't park there", and she parked there.

Also, in my case, childcare is about 80% of my salary, so I surely don't like throwing away an additional $40 for something stupid like that.

If she parked in a handicapped space and it was $200, I honestly don't know if I would have covered it. That's more than 25% of her weekly salary.

I don't know, I don't think I would unless I had a ton of extra money floating around - but $200 is pretty significant in our household.

Hopefully she can contest it and problem solved !

@LBee: that's a really good point about employer's liability when the nanny causes damage to someone else's vehicle or property.

Those with nannies that drive your kids, do you require the nanny to show proof of liability insurance? How often do you check if the policy is active?

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: it is required in our state and our nanny knows we require it. We do not double check it because we trust her explicitly

@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: It's required in our state.

@jetsa: It is extremely common for insurance deductibles to be $1,000 to $5,000, depending on the plan. How is it any different? Also, what about the impact it has on her insurance premiums (having had an accident)? How is it any different? Let's say in this scenario your child is crying in the back and she backs into someone, claiming she is frazzled, and expects you to pay it because (1) you paid for the parking ticket and/or (2) she felt flustered? How would you handle that?

I will say that I tend to feel like an asshole in these nanny related posts. I don't buy specific food for my nanny (she is free to eat anything she wants), I don't make her lunch. She is an employee, I pay her a good salary, I treat the relationship as such. I know tons of people with nannies (it's the norm) and most say similar.

If I was meeting with a client and got a ticket because I parked in a handicap spot (even if it was faded), my work would think I was INSANE if I asked to be reimbursed.

@LBee: I do not buy our nanny food either but she is welcome to eat what she wants though she chooses not to and packs a lunch each day. A deductible to me is different because part or it has already been paid by insurance.

@winniebee: I will say our dog once at our nanny's pizza and I did pay for that. She had left it on the counter and had no idea that the dog could get up that high. Just thought I would make sure I don't look like a total ogre.

@winniebee: The harried/frantic factor would get me too. My DH did this recently (pulled into a handicap spot) that wasn't so clear. Fortunately, I was there being the passenger "driver" and told him his error. I can totally see how it could happen if it's not clear.

Hopefully if it's truly not clear she can get it dismissed. If not I'd probably split it with her even though I know my employer wouldn't do the same for me.

I would also pay half. I mean, she wouldn't have been there if it weren't to take my kid somewhere. On the other hand, I feel she should have paid more attention, especially when there's that one spot available around an otherwise full street...that's usually a sign NOT to park there, lol.

I wouldn't, and to be honest, I don't know if it would even cross my mind to pay for it!

I might think to pay a ticket if she was taking my child to an appointment that ran over and her meter ran out. But well marked or not, she made a mistake that isn't your responsibility or was caused by having children with her.