30 Nannies Share The Horror Stories That Made Them Say “Nope, I’m Out”

In high school I babysat, and children liked me, so I was asked to come back often. There was one family with a couple of little boys, nice kids, and the mother was friends of another family who had hired me, so it was a referral. It was just one time that I sat for them. The husband drove me home, and he had liquor on his breath. When he pulled up in my driveway, he leaned over to kiss me goodnight. I slipped out of the car before he connected and ran inside. I never agreed to sit for them again. I never told anyone or my parents either.

I was not a live-in nanny, just a full time babysitter going to the home of a wealthy single mother who only had one son. I was only 12 going on 13, did not know her before being hired, and this mother trusted me to live in her house all day with her 5 year old son when she went to work 8 to 5 five days a week. It was the summer and I was off school. I walked about 40 minutes each way to get to her house. I got paid next to nothing of course in cash, still being a child myself. I think the legal working age at that time was 14 years old. One day she gave me some money to take her son to the zoo by public transit. I bought him some kind of junk food treat - but at home he never had junk food, so this was a one time thing and I thought it was OK. Everything else went fine.

The mother went ballistic when I told her everything that happened and she fired me on the spot, gave me cash for how much I worked, and I never went back. After totally reaming me out, she said with a sneer “and you’re not even defending yourself!” Yeah - because I was terrified and immature and scared of contradicting an adult. I wasn’t the best babysitter or nanny, but I was only 13! What did she expect? Mary Poppins? I was immature, inexperienced and practically a child/crazy teenager myself and this is who you hire to take care of your child? Don’t be so cheap and hire an adult who is mature and responsible. That totally turned me off from any ambitions I may have had being a nanny or full time babysitter. Ugh.

Another babysitting story - I forget if this was the same summer when I was 12/13 or 13/14, but I got hired to be a full time babysitter for a married couple of 2 small toddlers. It was a lot more work than the other job because the toddlers made messes constantly all day long. Anyways - I kept getting calls once in a while - back then there was only landline phones and no way of screening calls. I would answer and this guy said he was a doctor and kept asking me creepy questions like if I wear a bra and what bra size I wear. I did wear a bra, was fully developed and looked like I was 20. Nothing bad ever happened, but that guy knew the phone number, knew I was at home alone with these kids, and got his jollies being a creep and pervert. I never told anyone because back then, you never asked for help or told anyone about getting harassed or bullied.

I babysat because it was one of the only ways to make money as a teenage girl and just about every dad I babysat for did something creepy and inappropriate with me and I was too young and scared to stand up for myself. As soon as I could earn money working for a proper employer legally, no more babysitting for me! I can’t believe how many parents would entrust me with their home and children being a young, clueless and sometimes irresponsible teenager - and just pay a buck or two an hour.

I was not a nanny. Just 14 years old babysitting neighbours two kids, they were a handful. Something like 6 to 8 years old. Boy and a girl.

F-this, F-that and FU. Their parents didn’t care about their language and were as foul mouth as the kids, or even worse.

I made them a snack before bedtime and the oldest boy had a wonderful idea and took a knife and slashed me in stomach.

Superficial wound and I was just shocked.. that what provoked the attack.
I smack him in the side of the head and he fell, dropped the knife and I took all of them to their room.
I told that if I tell this to police you will be in jail. He went to bed instantly.

I really thought that F-this and almost left back home but my other cousin begged me to stay and not tell anyone since the situation in that house was shit to begin with. Some tissues and duck tape and I was ok but there was blood on my shirt, that was hard to explain.
The story came out anyway, since the boy had a bad conscience and confessed this even to his parents.

We were not in speaking terms afterwards. Even today. This is an old story. Almost 40 years ago.

I was tired of always smelling of onions, and my feet were tired of standing at a register all night. I decided to leave fast food and do something completely different.

I don’t know if they still do, but my local paper published a “Nanny Wanted” section in the classifieds. I found an ad that piqued my interest; it was a single father of two (Boy, 7 and Girl, 5) who needed someone from 7:30 am until 5 pm. It also said “good pay”. I called the number in the ad, spoke with the father, who asked me to come meet his kids and bring references. I admitted that I hadn’t nannied before, but that being 9 years older than my youngest brother, I had spent a lot of time learning how to take care of a child. I’d also been given the job of Nursery Caretaker at my church, which I did every Sunday night during prayer service. (I was paid, too, but barely enough to fill my gas tank.)

The dad asked me to bring a letter from the church pastor and a list of people/phone numbers who I’d babysat for while in high school. I got the necessary stuff together within a couple of days and then went to meet the kids.

It really couldn’t have gone better. Girl liked me immediately; she was outgoing and goofy. It took a while for Boy to be comfortable with me; he was shy and never seemed to have much to say. He played with Girl and I, though, bouncing a ball to us (Girl insisted on sitting on my lap on the sidewalk) and running to fetch it when Girl’s tosses went wildly out of control. I really liked both of them.

Dad saw the way we all interacted and offered me the job, contingent on his conversations with my references. He called me a day later and asked when I could start.

After my two weeks notice was up at my fast food job, I started on a Monday. Dad told me about his kids’ schedules (Boy, all day 2nd grade. Rides the bus. Girl, kindergarten, half-day, afternoons. She also rides the bus.) Once I had the basics regarding breakfasts, lunches, and after school snacks, Dad left for work and my short career as a nanny began.

I worked for Dad for five months before I’d finally had enough. He told me at the beginning that there might be nights when he needed to go out, and he wanted me to stay and watch the kids. He promised he would tell me at least a day ahead so I could be prepared.

This guy turned that into an expectation more than a request, and on more than one occasion, he failed to let me know ahead of time. The last straw for me was on a Monday evening. I had plans to have dinner with a friend I hadn’t seen in a couple years. Dad came home that evening and told me he’d be back around 9 pm. I was outside, monitoring the kids, and I couldn’t help it; I started to cry. I didn’t want to miss seeing my friend, and I was sick of him taking advantage by not giving me any warning. After I told him that, I said, “I really like your kids, but I need to quit.”

LSS, he tried to talk me out of it, and got me to agree to finish that week and then come the following week to watch the kids for the first week of Christmas break (Dad’s girlfriend would have them after that).

A couple of months later, I was back working fast food. He called me at home and practically begged me to babysit the kids the next night. I agreed because I needed the cash. When I got to their place, the lights were off and no one answered the door. I walked back to my car; just as I shut my door, Dad and kids roll in. I got out of the car to see what the deal was and Dad had the audacity to say, “Babysit? Tonight? No, I don’t think so.”

I said goodnight, walked back to my car, and never accepted a phone call from him again.

I was 13 years old, had just started babysitting and it was 1968. I often babysat for the neighbors who lived 2 doors up from us. They had a 2 year old boy and 5 year old girl. Back in those days parents didn’t always leave phone numbers. We didn’t have 911. We called 7 digits for help. I put the 2 year old to bed. Since it was still light out, I went out in the yard and played some games with the 5 year old and some of the neighborhood kids. (This was back in the days of “Come home when the street lights come on”) I went in to check on the 2 year old every few minutes. The second time I went in to check on him he was lying still in his bed, eyes open, lethargic, and looked a little flushed. There was an opened package of band aids on the nightstand with some band aids out. Ok he was playing with band aids-not so strange. Then I took a closer look. There were open bottles of prescription drugs and pills on his nightstand. This was in the days before child proof caps became standard. Why are there pills there? That’s not a good idea. How did they get there? Did his parents leave them there? Did he go and get them? I shook him and shouted his name. He just stared blankly at me. I called my parents and they came immediately and rushed us all to the hospital. The sister said they were “cold pills” and “poison ivy pills.” They gave him syrup of ipecac and he vomited up a handful of pills. Meanwhile the parents arrived home and figured out where we were and rushed to the hospital. The little boy was going to be just fine. I didn’t want to accept payment but my father insisted I take it because I certainly earned it that night. Next time I babysat, they had attached a rope to his doorknob and tied it to another doorknob so he couldn’t escape as he kept leaving his room. Fire hazard people, but back then no one thought of that. The older sister said, “I hope he gets into the pills again and we get to go to the hospital because that was fun.” I wanted to smack her but I didn’t of course. That little girl was a hellion and used to spit in my face. I hated babysitting for them. They didn’t pay well and the mom had the worst gag worthy halitosis ever. I started turning down jobs from them and found better clients.

I was babysitting a baby girl in 2009 (she's 16 now; I was doing 3 years of babysitting with her). I’m 15 years old girl, and it was my first job.

I put her to bed, read her a story, gave her a cuddle, then went down to watch a movie and ended up falling asleep on the couch in the living room.

I don't know how much later it was, but I woke up to something grabbing my ankle. My eyes shot open, and I shook my leg as hard as I could. Bad idea. She'd managed to unfasten her door, climb over two different baby gates and get down the stairs without doing herself an injury, all to ask me if I could read her another story.

We don't tell her mother about the time I almost dropkicked her daughter across the living room.

I went to Canada to be a nanny for a family and it was a nightmare. Not only did I not know I needed a working visa as I was from the states and I was also like 17 I can't remember maybe 18 . So when I first got there they pulled me over, questioned me when I got off the plane told them why I was there and they stamped my passport and put a note in there because I wasn't supposed to work there. Anyways the family gets me and was like you weren't supposed to tell them you are working. (I had no idea) anyways it seemed fine the first few weeks. Light chores and things and lots of baby time. We'll eventually I was pretty much just a maid. Baby time got to be like 2hr a week and I spent my 8 hrs days cleaning EVERYTHING ! The husband didn't even rinse his sink out from his shavings that morning and toothpaste spit 🤢. They had a huge thanksgiving party one night and I went to guest house for the night , next morning they left their whole disaster for me to clean ! Leftover turkey left put, countertops icky , drinks and cups everywhere . It was so gross . There was also this time called “family time”. Sound cute and all oh I'm a part of the family now .. well after 5 I'm off work BUT since I'm “part of the family” haha work does not stop . I have to stay and help cook, clean up dinner, and have family time… we drove to the cabin some weekends and “family time” for me was spent cleaning their cabin 🤣 no baby time for me because it was family time and the parents were there . So anyways I was supposed to stay a while I only lasted 3 months and told them to buy me a ticket early back home . Of course they gave me poop about that too, the mom was even crying, but I was fed up and done . Not to mention was only making $10 an hour to be a slave … never again .

I once worked for a family that I felt hungry very often. I was shy when I first moved to the States and I didn’t feel comfortable asking my host family to buy more food or snacks for me and they felt like they didn’t need to. The host mother would always pay me late. They would go on trips on some weekends and only leave two slices of bread and a bit of milk in the fridge and take most of the food with them and I had no money to buy more things to eat as they paid me late. I would end up eating rammen noodles, ham and cheese sandwich (that was my lunch almost everyday) or whatever I could. I did not know how to cook well back in 2008 and I was also shy to cook in their place. It was a family that never made me feel comfortable in their place, they were very cheap and stingy people. Specially when it came to food. One time they took me to a drive-in to watch movies with them and their kids. After the movies they were talking about going to eat real food somewhere, the wife said “don’t forget we got one more mouth to feed” like I wasn’t even there or didn’t understand English. Maybe she knew I understood and wanted me to hear that. I have always felt like a burden in that family even though I used to eat very little back then and was shy most of the time. Being hungry most of the time with that family, getting paid late and having the host mother think I was supposed to work for her 24/7 was one of my worst experiences working as an au pair/babysitter for that family.

My girlfriend worked for some time as a nanny for a rich family. It started out pretty weird from the very beginning, because these people wanted a nanny while on vacation. Apparently, taking care of their own kids was an absolute no-go during holidays. (The thought alone !)

They also insisted that my girlfriend sleep in, so that they could party till very late, and essentially ignore their children in the morning. (Who were these people ?)

One time, they invited a bunch of friends over for dinner — cooked by a caterer (making dinner yourself — the thought alone !) — and they had asked my girlfriend the day before to join them. But when the guests were there, she was kindly asked to go to the kitchen, and stay there.

She could have some food, but was not to mix with the upper class Übermenschen such as themselves. (The thought alone !)

At that point, while being locked up in the kitchen, she decided that she would not take this BS anymore, and that she would present them the biggest F-that thinkable in their uptight upper class Übermensch world —

Starting next morning, they would have to take care of their own children.

(The thought alone !)

Yes! I am answering anonymously just in case the slim chance that they would ever see… although if they did I guess they would know it was me anyways from the story…

I was working for a family who was very successful, the mother a doctor and a father who worked months out of the country. It was summer and I have been with them for about a year at this point, the youngest now being a year and a half and the oldest being 3 and a half. I started when they were 6 months and 2.5 years old.

I rarely saw the father as mentioned before that he worked out of country. I came to work and worked the entire day, it was around 2pm and little did I know that the dad was sleeping upstairs the entire time, he came out and then decided it was a great idea for us to all go out for an ice cream as it was a hot summer day. We then proceeded to go for an ice cream. There was no car seats for either children as they were in the mother’s car… The father told me that it would be okay because it was only a 10 minute drive each way. I did not feel comfortable as I once read most accidents happen within the first 20 minutes of leaving the house but again it was his children and his choice, not mine.. He told me it would be safer for his daughter to sit on my lap in the front seat so that she couldn’t move around the back as she was a toddler but then he allowed his 3.5 year old to not wear a seat belt either, and this made me very uncomfortable for both children and the entire situation of safety concerns.

We then get to the ice cream place and we all had an ice cream together, he insisted on buying me an ice cream cone as well which I thought was nice. The father ran into a friend and asked me to go find a seat for us and the kids. After I found a seat and we were all sitting eating ice cream together and he said it was his children’s first time having ice cream and was happy I could be there to experience it. I thought it was a bit odd, then the next thing I know that friend of the fathers that he ran into in the ice cream shop, came outside and said to the father wow your wife is so beautiful and so is your family! I was so confused as I was the nanny not the wife, then his friend walked away to his car. When I asked the father what his friend meant by me being the wife he proceeded to tell me that he did not hear that when I know that he did because he smiled and said “thanks man” .

I quit that job shortly after as the whole working relationship was not the same after and I was also making min wage, underpaid for a nanny caring for two toddlers plus cleaning etc and I was also offered a higher paying job with another family.

I only saw the family once after that, and it was awkward.