10 Times Nannies Realized the Kids Were the Least of Their Problems

You think nannying is boring? Adorable kids, snack time, a bit of finger painting? Please. These nannies have seen things—wild, weird, what-has-just-happened things. We’re talking toddlers vanishing, parents with more secrets than a reality show, and situations that are so outrageous, you’ll swear they were scripted. But nope, every bizarre twist actually happened.

• Watching a family and had just put the kids to bed. I was watching TV and heard the garage door open, so I knew the parents had just arrived. The door opens from the garage, and in walks a 6’3″ man. I froze and was thinking that the kids and I were in danger. I guess the oldest kid was still awake and came downstairs and yelled out, ’Darrell!’ and went and hugged him. Apparently, this guy was living in the basement, and the parents forgot to mention it. When they did get home, they apologized profusely and gave me extra money. © Awdra / Reddit

• I was a nanny for a year. I should have seen the red flag when I realized I was the 5th nanny for a 2 1/2-year-old girl... Doesn’t say much about how long the others stayed. Honestly, it wasn’t the child’s fault. She had two parents who had kids as accessories or because all their friends had kids.
  I had to keep a log of the “devil child’s” activities—how many tortellini she ate, how many minutes of TV time or outside time she had, how many ounces of milk the baby boy drank, when I changed his diaper, and what was in his diaper... you get the hint. The mom wanted to feel involved without actually being involved.
  I wasn’t allowed to use the word “no” because it was too negative. I wasn’t supposed to use negative phrasing such as “don’t throw that on the floor.” Instead, I was instructed to say, “Leave that on the table.”
  I couldn’t send the child to her room because it was supposed to be a happy place. I had to place her in timeout, but, of course, what 2 1/2-year-old sits in timeout? So, I had to sit in timeout, too. Lots of fun when you also have a 6-month-old to care for.
  The parents refused to go anywhere or do anything unless both of them were available, but I got to do the groceries with both kids in tow. I had to do “mommy and me” gymnastics with the little girl while the baby was strapped to me in a carrier. © Annami316 / Reddit

• A few years ago I worked for an influencer (not that big, I think around 500k followers). The family had two kids and I loved working for them. They were really nice and would get tons of free stuff from brands trying to be promoted, so she’d always give me a bunch of free stuff too. The thing is that she was kind of a mommy blogger and acted as if she didn’t have a nanny on social media, lol. Like people would comment, “You’re so amazing for getting so much done while parenting 2 under 2” and she never said a word about having a nanny. I worked 50+ hours a week. © Unknown Author / Reddit

• At work, I had an affair with my boss, met his 9-year-old daughter from his first marriage, and quickly found a common language with her. The 3 of us went to museums and concerts, like a real loving family. He introduced me to his mother, his daughter and I became friends, we made plans for the future. But all my dreams were buried when on his birthday he introduced me to his friends and his new girlfriend as a nanny to his daughter. © Overheard / Ideer

• The kid was already sleeping for a few hours, I was watching a movie. At midnight, I heard something scratching at the door.
  First I ignored it, got scared and checked again. Then I saw glowing eyes through the window: they had a dog, and they didn’t tell me. © 97Kelly / Reddit

• I was babysitting for a couple who seemed nice, but their house always smelled weird. I ignored it. One day, I heard the dad whisper on the phone about something in the basement and that the nanny couldn’t find out. I got curious and went down there when the kids were asleep. I was in complete shock when I found stolen electronics and a notebook with strange codes. That’s when I realized this wasn’t a normal babysitting job. I took pictures, left a note for the police, and left fast. The next day, the family disappeared. Turns out, they were part of a big burglary ring. Moral: Trust your gut—weird smells can mean big trouble.

• I had a phone interview with a mom that went well, so we met in person for a second interview with her husband and 4 children. It went well until she explained her nanny was fired for having an affair with her husband and how their new nanny needed better morals and to limit her interaction with her husband (who was sitting there the whole time with us).
  I’ve never felt more awkward in my whole life as she told me that I’m pretty but thankfully not his type as he just nodded his head. I just find it irritating how it’s the nanny’s fault when her husband also had the affair, and how the nanny needs morals when her husband doesn’t. So yeah, definitely not accepting this job! © thisisdevon- / Reddit

• I was babysitting for a seemingly normal family. The parents were polite but kept their distance, and the kids were sweet but quiet. One afternoon, while tidying up, I stumbled upon a locked drawer in the living room. Curiosity got the better of me, and I found a key hidden under a flowerpot. I opened it, and inside were dozens of old letters addressed to the mom from someone signing off as “Your secret.” To my shock, they were full of apologies and hints about a hidden past. Later, I overheard the mom whisper on the phone, “I never wanted them to find out.” That’s when I realized I’d uncovered something she desperately wanted to keep secret. I didn’t tell anyone. But from that day on, I understood why the family seemed so guarded—and why the quiet kids had stories no one talked about.

• I used to nanny for a family. At the interview they seemed totally normal, even the first day wasn’t too terrible. I quickly realized that both parents were abusive, mom had severe anger issues (and was medicated for some condition related to it), dad was a borderline sexual predator who constantly talked about how gross looking his wife was and how if she didn’t stop being a bitch, he’d divorce her. Their kids were just as bad, one of them was also medicated for behavioral issues. I found out later that the reason they were hiring a nanny opposed to day care was because their kids had been kicked out of the daycares in the area. © Unknown author / Reddit

• I was watching 3 kids at the time, one girl and two boys. We were all playing a game, and I turned around for just a second. When I turned back, the youngest boy (5 years old) was gone. I found him in the living room trying to take all of the framed pictures off the walls. © heh88 / Reddit

• When I was in high school, my best friend and I used to babysit these two kids together (1 and 5). The baby was asleep, and the older one was allowed to stay up until 9 (it was almost 8). He was a great kid, but my friend and I (we were best friends) wanted to watch TV and hang out, so we came up with this grand idea to change the clocks so that they all said 9, and he would think it was time for bed.
  It was easy moving them forward, but it was not so easy turning them back! Just picture us slinking around in the dark, trying not to wake the 5-year-old who wasn’t tired, just to change the clocks back. I think we finally got it all back to “normal” after 10. © sdeflor2 / Reddit

When it comes to caring for kids, some nannies don’t just do their job—they become heroes behind the scenes.