14 Unresolved Nanny Stories That Keep Us Guessing

Babysitting sounds easy—just snacks, cartoons, and bedtime, right? But sometimes behind those cozy suburban doors lurk secrets, lies, and moments that change everything. These 14 dark nanny stories will make you think twice before saying “Sure, I’ll babysit!” again.

• I was babysitting a 5YO girl and took her to the park. When it was time to leave, she suddenly screamed, “Don’t take me home! My mom is not my mom!” I held her hand, she was having a meltdown.
  Terrified, I called the police, and after a short investigation and contacting the parents, it turned out that the girl was holding a grudge towards her mom for not buying her an expensive trendy toy. This way, she was trying to “ground” her mom for not fulfilling her whim. Just another age crisis, these kids may drive you crazy sometimes.

• I was watching a little girl one night, and she came to me while I was making her dinner. She asked me why the man in the closet was crying. She kept insisting there was a man in the closet until I opened the closet door, and it was empty.
  She then asked the question that still gives me the creeps till this day. “Is it because mommy’s sick?” I turned to her and said, “Sorry?” She replied, “The man in the closet, is he crying because mommy’s sick?”
  Now I had just seen her mom an hour earlier, she looked fine. I dismissed it as a weird form of her imagination, but a few weeks later her mom was diagnosed with stage 2 liver cancer. © Cadence / Quora

• So, I used to babysit for this sweet couple who had all the latest baby gadgets. You know, the kind of house where even the nightlight has Wi-Fi.
  The baby finally fell asleep, and I was zoning out when I suddenly heard a man’s voice through the monitor. “Who’s there?” I whispered, frozen. The baby giggled, then the voice said, clear as day: “Peekaboo.” I nearly threw the monitor across the room and was two seconds from calling 911.
  Turns out, the dad had linked his phone to the monitor earlier and decided to test the two-way audio from work. I’ve never felt so terrified, and so stupid, at the same time.

• I was 13 or 14 when some friends of a family I babysat for asked me to watch their three children. I said I wasn’t ready for infants and didn’t do overnight stays, but the mother assured me there were no babies, and it would just be dinner and a movie.
  When I arrived, the kids were watching TV and dinner was ready, but in the middle of serving, I heard a baby crying. The oldest girl explained it was her 12-year-old brother with hydrocephalus, whose body hadn’t grown beyond that of a one-year-old, making him effectively an infant. I had my first diaper change that night, complicated by his contractures, with the sister calmly guiding me on care and feeding.
  I realized that children can be remarkably mature when circumstances force them to be, and that not all adults tell the truth. When the parents returned, I told them I wouldn’t babysit again unless they had explained and prepared me properly, and though I later wondered if I’d been harsh, I stood by my decision. © Dorothy Mortenson / Quora

• Last summer, I was babysitting for a family with one of those huge, shadowy backyards that always looks like a horror movie set after dark. Around 10 p.m., I glanced out the window and froze. A woman was standing by the trees, completely still, just staring. My heart nearly launched itself into orbit.
  I killed the lights and watched her silhouette, ready to bolt with the kids if she moved. Five agonizing minutes later, I realized it was a mannequin, the mom’s art project she’d left outside to dry. I texted her: “Next time your creativity looks haunted, maybe give the babysitter a heads-up?”

• I was babysitting a toddler who slept like a little angel, until that one night. The baby monitor suddenly went completely silent. No breathing, no static, nothing. My stomach flipped, and I sprinted to the nursery, already imagining every worst-case scenario.
  The crib was empty. Then I saw her: on the floor, fast asleep, clutching the unplugged monitor like a teddy bear. She’d apparently decided her “pillow friend” didn’t need to stay connected to the wall.

• My friend asked me to babysit for him because he had to work, and since the family lived near my parents, I thought it would be easy. The first time, the husband was out of town, and the wife seemed happy I was there; I fed the kids, played with them in their empty 5000 sq ft home, put them to bed, and got $25 an hour.
  The second time, the wife left, and about two hours later the husband came home, asking where “Dave” was. I explained that Dave had asked me to babysit, and the kids were fed, bathed, and ready for bed. The husband said he didn’t know me and asked me to leave, giving me $50.
  When I tried to tell my friend what happened, I learned he’d been fired for being caught having an affair with a customer that night. It turned out he was having an affair with the wife, and by babysitting, I had unknowingly enabled it—I felt awful for the family. © Allison Burgueno / Quora

• We were walking back from the park when five-year-old Lily froze mid-step, pointing at her mom waiting by the car. “That’s not my mom,” she whispered, trembling. My blood turned to ice. The woman waved, calling her name.
  Lily screamed and hid behind me. After a minute of chaos, the “stranger” walked closer: same face, same outfit... except different hairstyle. Her mom had just gotten bangs that morning. Lily didn’t recognize her own mother with a fringe.

• The kids were asleep. I heard footsteps pacing upstairs: heavy, slow. I grabbed my phone, heart hammering. But the parents’ dog, usually silent, started barking at the ceiling too.
  I called the dad. He laughed: “That’s the Roomba upstairs. It’s scheduled for 10 p.m.” I almost grounded a robot.

• I was babysitting a 3-month-old as his mom was still in school. She did her courses at home so she was there. Now, living in Florida, it’s hot mostly year round. I was also required to walk her dog for a mile when the baby slept.
  I wore shorts & tank tops to keep me cool while outside. One day, she tells me, “Don’t wear a tank top anymore” while she is standing there in a tank top. When someone tells me what I can & can’t wear, I draw the line.
  I finished the next day there and then told her exactly what I thought of her by a text, blocked her number & never went back. I had another employer during the same time who never once criticized anything I wore to her house. © Suzanne Al**** / Quora

• I was babysitting twin boys, and suddenly one of them went completely mute. For an hour, he just stared, gestured, and occasionally glared at me like I was the problem. Tears were involved—mostly mine.
  Finally, I discovered he was furious that his brother had eaten the last slice of pizza earlier. Silent protest, apparently, was his “weapon of choice.” I ended up brokering a peace treaty... with extra pizza as leverage.

• I was babysitting a 9-year-old, and we were just playing video games when she suddenly said, “Mom’s tummy is bigger, but Dad doesn’t know why.” My jaw literally hit the floor. Her mom was secretly pregnant, and the kid had just noticed.
  She looked at me like I was the only adult she could trust with this breaking news. Babysitting quickly turned into accidental insider reporting. I spent the rest of the evening tiptoeing around questions I definitely wasn’t prepared to answer.

• During a small pajama party with a 12-year-old, she suddenly leaned in and whispered, “Mom sells stuff online, but Dad thinks she’s just shopping.” I blinked, trying to process that. Apparently, her mom was quietly running a side business, preparing for a possible divorce so she wouldn’t be left with nothing.
  The kid had stumbled onto the secret by accident. She looked at me like I was part of the conspiracy now. I spent the rest of the evening trying not to ask questions and failing spectacularly.

• I was babysitting for a nice family I met through the agency. The parents worked night shifts, so I stayed with their 3YO and 5 YO overnight.
  Then at around 3AM, I heard faint sobbing coming from the basement. The kids were asleep, but the crying wouldn’t stop. I called the dad, whispering, shaking. He paused for a moment, then said, “Don’t worry—check the dryer.”
  I was still horrified, and puzzled, but I did check the dryer. It was the talking doll the youngest had put through a wash cycle. It was saying, “Mama... Mama...” in a demonic gargle. I’m still traumatized, to this day.

Life doesn’t need a script to twist the knife. These are the moments when trust shatters, masks slip, and ordinary people face truths sharp enough to cut. Every story here proves: reality writes the most merciless plot lines of all.