Son broke Mum in Law's ornament- help please?

Kaz2904

We all went to Mum in Law's for a snack earlier and my nephew and DS were winding up my niece and DD. Mil has a shelving unit in her halway that has glass ornaments on it. I've always worried about it cause it's always looked a bit rickety. Anyway DS and nephew were in hallway and nephew came back in. Then we heard a chink and DS came in, in tears, with an ornament in his hands saying "It was an accident- it fell...".
We told him off (a real *ollocking because I get upset when they break things). One of the others came out and asked what was the matter and I said that DS had broken an ornament. Mil said "Well it's not just an ornament, it's a Swarovski...."
I knew she was upset. DH & I have been together for 11 years and it's been there since before then (one of the reasons I've always hated it being out since the kids were born).

As soon as I was home and got the kids to bed (DS is 4) I went on ebay to try and find a replacement. I can't find one. DH says he thinks it's called Lovebirds so I googled it. It turns out that this piece is worth around £2600+. Having worked my way around google, the only items I can find are in America for $3001+. Now I know that MiL wasn't upset because of the price. None of us knew how much it was worth. I would say to try and claim it off the insurance to get another. BiL says she won't get that much and DH and he both think that we should never tell her how much it is worth. DH says that we should try to get it repaired and look to spend a few hundred ££££s doing so. Personally I think it should be replaced with a mint item if we can get one.

Either way, repaired it will be worthless and replaced it will be sentimentally worthless. What the heck do I do? We mentioned the insurance to BiL when we rang him but he said that she wouldn't get that amount.

Another issue we have is that we don't have any purchase proof for it as it was "slightly warm" when it arrived at MiL's.
Obviously I can't won't say who it was from but I think that the sentimental value far outweighs the monetary value on this item. However, I can't ignore the monetary value on it as it was my son who broke it. I know she never bought it and as she said (despite being very upset) karma comes around eventually.

What would you guys do? I'm really upset, 1 because MiL has lost something she really loved, 2 my son did it, 3 it's going to cost us an absolute fortune to replace, 4 it looked like a piece of tat, 5 it was warm, 6 BiL and his wife (when hearing how much it was worth both gasped and said "that's an inheritance" tongue in cheek I hope).

My main problem is how upset she will be about it's loss. My kids have broken nearly all of my jewellery when they were tiny due to being able to get to it and I wanted to cry. It's not replaceable so I hope it's repairable.
I know DH could have tried to buy new of the same thing but it wouldn't have meant the same. If I'd known it was worth the amount this ornament was then would I have felt differently?
Trouble is, jewellery is jewellery. I would know it was repaired but you couldn't tell. Crystal can't be repaired that easily can it?


OMG what a long rambling post! I suppose what I really want you all to say is don't worry Kaz, it was all a horrible nightmare. The worst of it is that it was fluke that it was DS not my nephew. Then I could be sitting at home feeling all smug about how my children had never caused that amount of damage!

DS bit me today too little !!!!!! on my btm and left teeth marks. He's not bitten since he was little and suddenly started doing it in the last couple of weeks since he's been at school. Think I shal have a word with his teacher on Monday. (To think- he was the quiet one!)

foxxymynx

Don'tr really know what to say but didn't want to read and run. In nicest possible way though, if it meant so much to hear, it shouldn't have been where the children played - little children break things. I respect that it's her home but surely some common sense tells you to put away breakables from little ones?

I really hope that you get it sorted.

Maybe ask your MIL what she would like you to do?

InDebted2U_2

Does she have contents insurance? It ought to be covered.

Unfortunately accidents happen and are bound to happen where small children and ornaments are concerned. Things of sentimental value are best out of reach/sight when kids visit, if at all possible. Other than apologising and offering to replace item if not covered by insurance (on the understanding that such items will be placed somewhere safe on future visits), then there isn't much else you can do.

Might also be a good idea for all concerned to try to look on the bright side - at least it was just an ornament that got damaged and not a small person.

Kaz2904

That's the thing, I've never liked the ornaments or even the shelf being there because I've had visions of the whole lot coming down on one of the littlies and all of it being broken.
We all used the back door but in the last year Mil has started us using the front door but it has this shelving unit in it. The unit is glass too.. very wobbly and I've always worried about it.

None of this excuses the fact though that my son has broken an ornament which is so valuable both sentimentally and financially.
Maybe 1/2 my issue isn't it that I'd never have had something that precious where the kids could even see it let alone touch/break it? Although I clearly have for them to have wrecked my jewellery- maybe I've learnt the hard way by having lost precious stuff when then kids were small?

Don't really want to get on the defensive about it, just wondering the best way forward. The horror of the price still sticks in my throat. I wanted to go and wake him up and tell him it was worth more than both of our cars but DH pointed out that it wouldn't really mean anything to him

Thanks for the replies, keep em coming!

Mutter_2

I take it then you are still up and fretting.
I was fretting alongside you till I got to 4 and 5 and then it really was rotfl.

Honestly, if that happened to a piece I loved, the thought of my family replacing it at that cost would make me so furious and embarrassed.

Would the lack of receipt matter in an insurance claim? After all, it could have been a gift. Mind, the thought of it being warm, maybe it was Karma.

Just noticed your son is only four! MIL should have put the ornament out of harms way. Let's face it, the glass (probably not safety if old) shelf could have come down on him. That would have been serious.
Hope your bottom is soon healed btw.

Magenta

What a terrible situation.
I think that I would do as Foxy suggests and asl your Mil what she would like to do, and I feel that its best not to tell her the cost of the item (it might make thing even worse).
All the best.

rchddap1

I'd ask MIL too and then go by what she says. But as other's have said with a 4 year old running about and a wobbly unit something was going to happen sooner or later. Important / valuable things should be taken out of harms way.

Perhaps for her birthday / xmas you could get her a sturdy unit instead. One with glass doors perhaps? Might be cheaper than buying another ornament. But then you'd know that everything else on the shelves were safe.

kazwookie

Sorry for your problems, but I am sat here laughing, and I am truely sorry to admit that, there reason being there is so many people starving / homeless etc and your MIl leave a 'slightly warm Swarovski on a ricikety shelf with small children running around.........what does she expect, I am sure the child did not mean to break it, apologies and have done with it.

If you really cannot do this , get a photo of the broken Swarovski, then contact the Swarovski office / shop locally and get them to identify it, to check it is this lovebird, and ask them how much a new one is.

Claim on MIL insurance after all that is what it is for, and replace it.

Next

Child biting~~ I would suggest you sit and have a calm talk with said child and find out what is bothering him, as it is not normal behaviour, is he being bullied at school, is he unsure of what is happening at school / his teacher etc. / has something changed at home.

Good luck with it all

morganb

Kaz2904 wrote: »

None of this excuses the fact though that my son has broken an ornament which is so valuable both sentimentally and financially.

Kaz, don't worry - he didn't pick it up and throw it, it was an accident. It could have been anyone. MIL has to take responsibility for leaving something so precious within children's reach, etc. I would be gutted but I would be more relieved that no child was harmed. And I would have had the good sense and foresight to remove such valuables out of temptations / harms way. I distinctly remember doing a 'sweep' of my Aunt's house when I first took DS1 there, and he was toddling ... I picked up all her precious ornaments and told her to put them away so that I could relax and she wouldn't hate me forever if anything got broken!!

The real issue sounds as if it is the display cabinet itself; perhaps you could look into finding something more sturdy and that could be your way of saying you were truly sorry, here' hoping it doesn't happen again?? And can DS send a little card saying sorry with his scribble on the bottom?

I wouldn't try to replace the item at all, because it sounds very expensive and I for one would not want anyone forking out that amount of money just to replace something, but perhaps you could find a smaller swarovski or other crystal piece which could become something precious to her instead?

Jaxt

Just looked on ebay and there is the one you are after its got a day or so left starting bid is £699 says its a retired piece from the 80s. Don't know what it will go for but might be worth a bid at who knows in this recession boding climate.Good Luck if you have the spare money to bid.

Jaxt

Just read through the description and it says its slightly damaged but not noticably so and that why its the lower price.