Busy moms often hire a nanny or babysitter to care for their precious little ones, so they can work out of the home or attend to other projects.
But one mother’s worst nightmare came true as a dark reality Lifetime movie of an abusive nanny came to life.
And now she is sounding the alarm alerting other moms on the necessary precautions every mom should take when hiring a nanny.
To start, allowing another adult to take care of one’s own child is the ultimate trust.
For a few hours or even all-day care, a mom is choosing to entrust her most precious asset to another human being.
Many moms refuse to do this for whatever personal reasons they have, and this choice is okay too.
But for those moms who feel as if they have no other choice, daycare or nanny services are often a go to.
To start, every mom should perform necessary reference checks and talk to other families who have entrusted their children into the care of the nanny.
Some families even require their caretakers be CPR certified or have additional training.
If at all possible, select your nanny through a reputable service who provides background checks for all employees.
But what happens if a mom goes through all the necessary steps (screens and runs a background check and hires a trusted nanny) and things till go wrong?
One mom recalls the horror her family experienced when she hired a previous acquaintance as a nanny to care for her daughter.
This mom thought she did everything right – she knew of the woman, ran a background check, and watched her interact with her daughter.
Everything seemed to be going fine, until she started noticing odd behavior in her daughter.
First it was the extreme tiredness. Then she noticed massive anxiety whenever the nanny would come over.
The mom decided to set up a nanny-cam and was horrified at what she found.
ABC News reported:
“I looked over and I saw the camera siting there. And it was facing the wall. I immediately — my heart just leapt in my throat,” she said. At some point, the nanny camera had apparently been discovered, and the lens had been turned to face the wall and not the room. Matney began to watch the day’s recordings, and her worst fears were realized. The nanny was leaving Raylee in the bouncer for two hours, Matney said.
In addition, there was video of Medema spanking Raylee, and worst of all, violently shaking her like a rag doll. Matney was suddenly worried her daughter may have unseen injuries, and incensed at the woman she trusted with her daughter.”
Thankfully this mom found out before her daughter suffered severe physical injuries was killed by this out of control nanny.
But both the mother and the child undoubtedly had emotional trauma that needed to be worked through.
Sadly, as Mommy Underground previously reported child abuse in the hands of trusted adults happens all the time.
It’s every mother’s worst nightmare the thought of someone mishandling their child.
A child care expert gave her recommendation to ABC News a small checklist for all parents who are considering hiring a nanny which include:
- Check four or five references.
- Hire someone with professional experience.
- Verify their social security number.
- Do a criminal background check.
- Take a look at their driving record.
- Check if they are on the sex offender registry.
- Go through their social media accounts, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The expert also recommended dropping in randomly and checking in on the child.
Moms, if you choose to hire a nanny, please make sure to take the above recommendations seriously – they just might save the life of your child.
Have you ever had a bad experience with a nanny or babysitter before?
What are some tips you can provide to other moms who are searching for the perfect caretaker?
Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
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