17 Nannies Whose Adventures Could Fill a Best-Selling Novel

Some people view nannying as a simple job. Tasks like feeding children, reading them stories, and putting them to bed seem routine. However, that’s not always true. The people featured in our article shared their experiences caring for other people’s children, and now we wouldn’t dream of calling this profession dull.

I was 13 and was babysitting my neighbors’ kids. It was my first time, so the parents walked me through all the rules about the bathroom, TV, food, bedtime, etc. Just as the parents were taking off for the night, the mom came back in and whispered to me, “Don’t go into the basement.” As a teenager in the 80s, my mind went to all of the scariest movies that had basements. I avoided the door to the basement all night until I had put the kids to bed.
Then I walked slowly to the door and put my ear against it. I heard what sounded like whimpering. And then it sounded like sad laughing. I ran to the couch and started watching TV to get my mind off of it, but then I heard something fall in the basement and knew someone was down there. I really don’t know how I got the courage/stupidity to do it, but I went over and opened the door. The whining instantly got louder.
I went down just 3 or 4 stairs, so I could peek down… and I saw… a goat. Not a ghost. A goat. As soon as the goat saw me, he started bleating loudly. It scared me. I went upstairs, and the goat was still bleating loudly, so much that it woke up the kids.
The oldest girl came out and said, “Did you open the door to the basement?” I said, “Yeah, why?” She said, “When you do that, Carlos thinks you’re going to feed him, and he starts yelling.” Thank god I knew it was a goat first, because if she had said that before I went down, I would’ve thought Carlos was some kidnapped person in the basement who would yell for food.
It was very funny to me. The mom came home and I told her what happened, and she almost died laughing. They were repairing the goat pen and had to keep him in the basement for a few days. I still remember every moment of that night vividly. © Unknown author / RedditIn my early twenties, I would babysit a set of twins on the weekend once in a while. Their mom was super beautiful, and she was always going on dates.
One night, she told me she met a guy and was going on a date with him. She left at 6 and said she’d be back around midnight. Well, pushing 1 a.m., I’m thinking maybe she’s running late. 2 a.m., 3 a.m… I’m calling and calling her and finally her phone just goes to voice mail. I wake up, and it’s 7 a.m. and she still isn’t back.
I finally found the grandparent’s number in an address book. I call her parents, and they don’t even seem phased. They just seem annoyed like this is business as usual but tell me they’ll be over to sit with the twins, so I can leave. I call the non-emergency police number and explain what’s going on and that the grandparents are on their way.
I stick around for another hour, and then she pulls up wearing a men’s t-shirt, and heels, and she’s laughing. She says jokingly, “Oh my god! Call the police!” I never sat for her again. She just ended up staying with the guy all night and turned her phone off so she couldn’t be bothered. She truly thought I’d dismiss it like it was no big deal. © Kikabennet / Reddit

The dad of the kids I watched liked me on Tinder. Then, when I told his wife, and she didn’t believe me, he convinced her that “his Facebook was hacked.” The kids were almost always wonderful. © marymoon77 / Reddit
I work as a nanny in the family of a big businessman. At first, I worked several times a week, then I started living in their house. The head of the family works almost round the clock, his wife doesn’t notice anything but clothes, spas, and fitness.
Yesterday, their 5-year-old son stole money from his father’s safe, came to me, and said we should run away together. I returned the money immediately, but how to explain to a child why I love him more than his mother, I don’t know… © Overheard / Ideer
I’m a nanny, and I heard her first word (it was hippo). But the family won’t ever know that. Some secrets are better to keep. © positivityfox / Reddit
First babysitting job at 13. Four kids. My parents gave me a whole fresh salmon to COOK and serve the kids. I learned that day that salmon has pin bones when I had to pull some out of the 3-year-old’s throat while simultaneously calling my parents down the road because I didn’t know what to do, as he was coughing and gasping for air. He was fine, but I think I lost 10 years of my life that day. © nah2daysun / Reddit
A lady tried to dump 2 extra kids on me without paying when she realized I was babysitting her neighbor’s kids. Her rationale was that I was already babysitting 2 kids and 2 more wasn’t that much, so I should watch her kids for free and let them eat her neighbor’s food. © CaptDeliciousPants / Reddit

I’m not a nanny, but I’ve been babysitting a girl on and off from when she was 5 to 7 now.
Her: What is that?
Me: Pineapple
Her: Oh, I’ve never had pineapple.
Me: Do you want to try it?
She does this about everything, too. I asked her mom if she had ever had pineapple, and she was like of course, she has! Then I realized she was just trying to eat my food. © Kacidillaa / Reddit
I nannied for a wealthy couple, and the husband had a study in the house that the wife joked about never being allowed in. Now, I’m nosy, and I was curious about why you wouldn’t let someone in a study, especially since it looked like a fairly normal room: big desk, walls covered in bookshelves, books of architecture everywhere.
So one day I just roamed around in there. I didn’t find anything, and I was kinda disappointed, but then I grabbed a book off one of the shelves. The thing had money pressed between its pages — about $500 if I had to guess. Picked up another book, and found the same thing.
I think I checked like ten different books, and every single one had money hidden in it. Still not sure if the dude was just paranoid about banks or if he was intentionally hiding money from his wife. © Unknown author / Reddit
I babysat two neighbor kids one time. I had a lot of experience babysitting, but it was my first time with this particular family. The little boy was about 5, and the little girl was maybe 7. Their parents left very specific instructions for bedtime, and they were kept on a very strict schedule. I thankfully had my best friend with me at the time, we were probably 15.
Bedtime came around, and after several warnings, we told them it was time to get upstairs, get into PJs, and carry on with their bedtime routine. They went ballistic. The little boy started tearing the cushions off their leather couch, tossing them everywhere, and biting a hole in the arm of the couch. While I was trying to deal with him, my best friend was trying to get the little girl upstairs when she ran into the kitchen, dumped their entire mop bucket of dirty water on the floor, and started sliding around in it. As soon as the couch-chewer saw the fun his sister was having, he joined in.
I ended up calling my mom for reinforcement, and never babysat for that family again. © soxxyrocks / Reddit

So the father of the kid works for a major athletic apparel company, and every year they need to test the upcoming year’s potential pieces. To do that, the company sends one of every potential piece to all female employees and female spouses.
Well, the mother is pregnant right now and can’t fit into any of the items, so the father made me a cup of tea and asked me to sit down in the living room (what he does whenever he wants to talk to me about something) and says, “I know we’re not paying you to do this, but would you be willing to test all of the sample pieces my company sent me? You can keep them afterward.”
Yes! Y’all, no kidding, he just handed me 6 boxes of athletic clothing that have to total thousands of dollars. © pineappleprincesspie / Reddit
I was in the living room, watching Sister, Sister,when all of a sudden I heard a man say, “Hello.” I check the front door and look out the window at the driveway, the parents aren’t home. Go upstairs and check the kids, they’re both still in bed.
Go back downstairs, and hear it again, from the darkened dining room, “Hello, I am Armando.” They had a parrot. © Unknown author / Reddit
I only babysat once, and it was nothing horrible. These people had a huge rich house, and everything looked great, but when it was time for the kids’ bed, I figured I’d read them a bedtime story. I searched through that magnificent house and couldn’t find a single solitary book. © TRIGMILLION / Reddit
So, it is that time of the month for me. I go into the bathroom, and while unwrapping a feminine hygiene product, the kid yells from outside the door, “I can hear you eating candy in there!” It made my day and made me wish that I was eating candy. © HalleysComet5 / Reddit

I was working as a nanny, and the children’s mother once told me, “My husband doesn’t think we should pay you for when the girls are sleeping…” They were 4 months and 2 years old.
I was a junior in high school and responded, “Okay, so should I duck out once I tuck them in?” I wouldn’t have done that, but I think at that point she realized how ridiculous her request was. © reckate / Reddit
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

Working as a regular nanny is challenging enough, so imagine being a nanny for a royal family. There are strict rules to follow, such as being allowed to wear only specific types of jewelry.

After Babysitting My Grandson, My Daughter-in-Law Handed Me a Bill for ‘Living Expenses’

When my daughter-in-law asked me to babysit for the weekend, I expected cuddles, cookie crumbs, and maybe a thank-you. Instead, I found a handwritten bill on the counter — for items I used while staying there! Shocked and furious, I plotted the perfect payback.

The text from Brittany, my DIL, buzzed in just as I was refilling the hummingbird feeder, my fingers sticky with sugar water.

A hummingbird feeder | Source: Pexels

“Hey, would you mind staying with Noah for the weekend? Ethan has a work retreat and I have a spa trip planned with my sister.”

I was a little surprised.

Brittany and I had never clicked, and she’d taken to complaining about “over-involved” grandparents since Noah was born.

A woman looking at someone | Source: Pexels

Her concept of boundaries reminded me unnervingly of the Berlin Wall.

But I didn’t hesitate. I love every second I get to spend with my grandson: his sticky fingers, the way he says “grahma” with a little squeal at the end that makes my heart squeeze.

“Of course,” I texted back.

A woman using her phone in a garden | Source: Pexels

“Everything you need will be ready. Just relax and enjoy time with him!” she replied.

I smiled, already mentally planning which cookies we’d bake together. Noah had recently discovered the joy of sprinkles — everywhere but on the cookies.

But when I arrived Friday afternoon, the house looked like the morning after a toddler hurricane.

A messy living room | Source: Pexels

Toys scattered across the living room floor created an obstacle course. The kitchen sink overflowed with dishes, and a crusty pan soaked in cold water on the stove.

“Grahma!” Noah squealed, running toward me with open arms, his diaper sagging.

I scooped him up, my irritation melting as he planted a wet kiss on my cheek.

A toddler boy | Source: Pexels

“Hey, Abby! Thanks so much for coming.” Brittany marched up the hallway, suitcase wheeling behind her. “There’s food in the fridge, Noah’s stuff is in his room, and, well, I’m sure I don’t need to map everything out for you.”

She leaned over to kiss Noah and was heading out the door before I could reply.

“Be good for Grandma, sweetie!” She called over her shoulder. “Mommy will be back soon.”

A well-dressed woman | Source: Pexels

“Mommy go bye-bye?” he asked, his big blue eyes — so much like his father’s — watching over my shoulder.

“She’s going on a trip, sweetie. We get to have a special weekend together.”

He nodded solemnly before wiggling out of my arms to show me his latest toy car.

A toy car | Source: Pexels

After he settled with his blocks, I went to the kitchen to make coffee.

That’s when I discovered that Brittany’s idea of “everything you need will be ready” differed vastly from mine.

There was half a carton of eggs in the fridge, no bread, and no full meals to speak of. I sniffed the milk: borderline.

An open fridge | Source: Pexels

“What on earth?” I muttered to myself.

It was bad enough that she invited me to stay in a house that looked like it hadn’t been cleaned all week, but to leave me with only a half-stocked fridge?

As I stepped back into the living room, where Noah was still playing with his blocks, I noted his sagging diaper once more and a horrifying thought struck me.

A child playing with toys | Source: Pexels

I took Noah to his room to change his diaper and discovered my worst fears were true.

Brittany had left me with only five diapers and not a single wipe. I’d been frustrated before, but now I was downright mad!

So, I did what any resourceful woman would do.

A thoughtful woman | Source: Midjourney

I gave Noah a toy to keep him busy and told him to wait right there.

Then I scurried into the main bathroom, took the lavender-colored washcloth I assumed belonged to Brittany, and used it as a wipe instead.

“Looks like we’ll have to do a load of laundry,” I remarked to Noah as I put on his fresh diaper. “But first, you and me are going to the store!”

A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney

“Store!” he agreed enthusiastically.

I grabbed my purse, strapped Noah into his car seat, and headed to the store.

$68 later, Noah and I had everything we needed: snacks, wipes, diapers, groceries, and a little stuffed elephant that Noah had hugged with such conviction I couldn’t say no.

“We make cookies?” Noah asked as we unpacked our treasures.

A young boy | Source: Pexels

“Tomorrow, sweetheart. First, let’s make some dinner and get this place in order.”

The weekend unfolded in a blur of small joys. We played in the park until our cheeks were pink from the wind, Noah shrieking with laughter as I pushed him on the swing.

“Higher, Grahma!”

“Not too high,” I cautioned, though I gave an extra push that sent him squealing.

A play area in a park | Source: Pexels

We baked sugar cookies, and I let Noah crack the eggs. He missed the bowl by a mile, giggling as yolk dripped onto the counter.

“Oopsie,” he said, his eyes wide.

“That’s why we bought extra eggs,” I winked. “Try again, sweetie. Practice makes perfect.”

Cookies on a baking sheet | Source: Pexels

We watched Finding Nemo under a cozy blanket, with Noah mouthing the words to parts he knew by heart.

And every night, I tucked him into bed, kissed him good night, and read him a story.

After he fell asleep, I tackled the house.

A determined woman | Source: Midjourney

I’d made it my mission to get the house in order, so I spent the rest of my evenings doing dishes and laundry.

My back ached, but it felt good to create order from chaos. Noah deserved a clean, peaceful home.

I even made a casserole for Brittany to have when she returned.

A baked casserole | Source: Pexels

Sunday night, after tucking Noah in with three stories and five goodnight kisses, I collapsed on the couch.

My feet throbbed, but my heart was full.

These moments with Noah were precious, fleeting gifts I treasured. Ethan had grown so quickly; Noah would too.

A thoughtful woman on a sofa | Source: Midjourney

Monday morning, sunlight was just warming the kitchen windows when I noticed the piece of paper pinned under a mug on the counter.

A handwritten note with my name on it; pink pen, loopy handwriting.

I smiled as I unfolded the page, expecting a thank-you, but instead got the shock of my life.

A piece of paper | Source: Pexels

It was a bill with an itemized list for “living expenses” that read like a joke:

Eggs: $8

Water (3 bottles): $3

Electricity: $12

Toilet paper: $3

Laundry detergent: $5

Toothpaste: $4

TOTAL: $40

And the kicker?

“Please Venmo by Friday. Thanks!! ”

A woman looking down at something | Source: Pexels

I blinked.

Then I laughed. Then I got mad.

And that’s when I heard the front door open.

“Abby? I’m home.” Brittany’s voice carried down the hall.

A home hallway | Source: Pexels

I could’ve confronted her then, but I was so angry that I knew any conversation I had about her bill would end disastrously.

So, I scrunched the note in my fist and forced myself to smile as I stepped out into the hall.

“Hi, Brittany. I didn’t expect you so early.”

Brittany just shrugged. “How was everything?”

A woman speaking to someone | Source: Pexels

“Wonderful,” I answered truthfully. “Noah is a delight.”

“Thanks for helping out,” she said, her attention already on her phone. “Ethan should be home around noon.”

I gathered my things, kissed Noah goodbye, and left. By the time I arrived home, I knew exactly how I was going to pay Brittany’s bill.

A suburban house | Source: Pexels

I went straight to my laptop after entering my home, and let decades of parenting receipts flow from my fingertips. The more I typed, the more cathartic it felt.

This wasn’t just about $40.

This was about respect, about family, about what it means to care for each other.

A laptop on a table | Source: Pexels

A few hours later, I had a professional-looking invoice:

Grandmother Services, Est. 1993

Raising One Fine Husband for You Since Day One

SERVICES RENDERED:

18 years of feeding your husband: 19,710 meals @ average $5 each = $98,550

18 years of laundry services: 3 loads/week x 52 weeks x 18 years @ $5/load = $14,040

Medical copays for childhood illnesses: 12 years of pediatric visits @ $25 each = $3,600

A person typing on a laptop | Source: Pexels

Transportation services: 16 years of rides to school, sports, and friends’ houses: 9,000 miles @ $0.58/mile = $5,220

Counseling services post-high school breakup: 15 hours @ $75/hour = $1,125

Tutoring services (math, science, life advice): 500 hours @ $30/hour = $15,000

Emotional support (priceless, but let’s say): 18 years @ $10/day = $65,700

Subtotal: $203,235

Family Discount (because I’m feeling generous): -$203,195

Total Amount Due: $40

A woman with a satisfied smile | Source: Midjourney

Beneath that, I added a note: “Please deduct your original ‘invoice’ from this amount. Thanks for understanding!!”

I printed it on fancy linen paper and slid it into a gold-trimmed envelope like it was a wedding invitation.

The next morning, I dropped it in her mailbox.

A mailbox | Source: Pexels

Not an hour passed before my phone rang.

“Mom?” Ethan’s voice cracked with what sounded like suppressed laughter.

“Yes, dear?”

“What did you do?”

A woman speaking on her phone | Source: Pexels

I feigned innocence. “What do you mean?”

“Brittany is… upset.”

“Oh?” I stirred my tea. “About what?”

“She says you’re attacking her, mocking her boundaries, and crossing the line. She showed me the invoice you sent.”

A concerned woman | Source: Midjourney

I waited, heart pounding.

Then he continued, his voice softer. “I told her she deserved it. I had no idea she intended to leave you a bill for using our stuff while you were staying here, Mom.”

Relief washed over me.

“I’m sorry if I caused problems between you two,” I said.

A close up of a woman’s face | Source: Pexels

“Don’t be,” he sighed. “We’ve been having… discussions about family expectations. This just brought things to a head. But Mom?”

“Yes?”

“That was some invoice. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

A man speaking on his phone | Source: Pexels

I laughed. “I raised you, didn’t I? I know a thing or two about standing my ground.”

A week passed. The incident faded from my immediate thoughts as life went on. I was out gardening, up to my elbows in soil, when my phone buzzed with a Venmo alert.

$40 from Brittany.

Caption: To settle my debt. Please don’t charge me interest