Mum Disturbed by Babysitter's Irresponsible Behavior

A parent expressed her frustration with her au pair for sneaking out at night while babysitting. The mother, who has two four-year-olds, hired the 20-year-old nanny six months ago. The nanny has been paid to care for the twins once a week. However, since beginning a new relationship, her attention to her babysitting duties has wavered, causing the mother to set a rule that prohibited the boyfriend from entering the house between midnight and 7 a.m. This is prepared by SSP.

The mother recounted her shock when she received a notification from their front door camera while the au pair was babysitting. "I saw her walk out of the house and close the door," she stated. At first, she thought it was unusual but considered the possibility that the nanny stepped out to put trash in the bin located right outside. After waiting a couple of minutes and seeing no sign of the nanny’s return, her worry escalated.

Desperate for answers, the anxious mother contacted the au pair, who claimed she was simply "talking to someone outside." However, the camera footage indicated otherwise. The mother asked her to return to the house and reminded her that guests were allowed inside. Moments later, the au pair returned alone. When the parents got home at around 10:30 p.m., they noticed that the nanny left with her boyfriend until 4 a.m.

Despite this incident, the mother noted that the nanny interacts well with the children, who feel comfortable around her. After the au pair came back in, one of the kids cried, and the nanny managed to soothe her. Concerned about leaving the twins unattended, the mother planned to speak with the nanny after bedtime to understand her reasoning for leaving the children alone and out of earshot.

More than a thousand parents responded to her post on Mumsnet. Many criticized the au pair, urging the mother to let her go. One commenter stated, "I wouldn’t feel comfortable trusting her again, so I would look for someone else and install internal cameras." Others echoed similar sentiments, with comments like, "Not acceptable at all. She wouldn't have heard the kids if they'd woken up," and, "Just sack her. The trust is gone."

Conversely, some users defended the nanny, accusing the mother of intrusive behavior. One commenter suggested, "Maybe she found a blind spot in the camera to talk for some privacy." Another added that monitoring her employee might be perceived as "creepy."