MUNDE: 'My nanny eloped with the caretaker’: Mothers share nanny experiences

From a nanny who eloped with caretaker and left a mother high and dry; to one who said she was travelling upcountry to sort out back to school activities for her sister’s child but was a no show a week later and her phone was off; the stories of ‘character development’ are endless.

Before we delve further on the experiences, I’ll take a minute to condemn the barbaric act of a nanny captured on CCTV in a video that has gone viral, who physically assaulted a boy left in her care.

The woman was captured stepping on the boy’s back and beating the child. The last time I checked, the woman had not been arrested yet swift action needs to be taken to avoid such rogue individuals finding their way to the homes of unsuspecting families.

I continue to push for families to not only install CCTV cameras in their homes, but frequently go through the footage to pick up any bad behavior.

Back to the matter of the good and bad experiences mothers have shared of nannies, here are others that stood out.

In one case, a mother lamented how her nanny started being friendly with the caretaker. She had noticed the nanny would always get excited to take her baby out to the playground and for some time in the sun, and she thought it was because the nanny wanted some time to go and talk to other nannies, but later found out it was because the playground is where she would meet up with the caretaker, and she would sometimes leave her child unattended to go to the top floor for ‘private time’ with him. Before she knew it, the nanny left one weekend, never to return. She only found out about the nanny affair from the guards later on and that she was expectant.

Another mother shared how her nanny started by rolling her eyes at her and then gradually graduated to pretending she could not hear when she called her. At other times, this mother said the nanny would have a stone face and refuse to eat (She said, I wondered, who is the baby – my child or the nanny). Before she knew it, the nanny was making demands for a salary raise (despite the bad behavior), saying how the economy was bad and the mother should know she needed to increase her salary. This makes one wonder whether she realized that they were living in the same country, and being affected by the same economy, or whether she thought that the mother was living in utopia.

Another mother shared her experience of a nanny who kept giving excuses of how she had to travel upcountry for relatives’ funerals. Funerals are a sad affair and everyone should be given compassionate leave, however the concerning thing is when people lie about such matters, all in a bid to be away.

 Another mother said that she hadn’t experienced being dumped by a nanny, but rather it was her who dumped nannies regularly. “Don’t keep nannies for too long or they start becoming contemptuous,” she said.

That said, there are women who have shared the good experiences they have had with nannies.

One said she had lived happily with her nanny for eight years.

Another said her family has had the same nanny from one sibling to another. One started with the nanny and when her son grew up, she moved on to her sister’s home to take care of the newborn.

There are endless experiences mothers can share about nannies – good, bad and ugly.

As much as we may not have full control on nannies, I urge all families to treat nannies with respect and fairness as there have also been bad stories of mistreatment of nannies.

You cannot mistreat a nanny and then leave your child with her and think that all will be well with them. They are human beings and by nature  - flawed, so treat them how you would want to be treated.

Until next time, keep doing the Johnnie Walker – keep walking the motherhood journey to the best of your ability.

Listen to the First Time Mum Confessions Podcast here.