Received Friday, December 18, 2008
Please check this person's references -- thoroughly. There is one work reference that she neglects to put on her resume -- Nanny Services of Greater Modesto -- you can find them on-line at Modestonannies.com. Call them as a reference, as they rightfully should be listed on her resume. As for our experience with Eryn, I will relate to you what my children told me. Eryn denies most of it, of course. You can be the judge. The children are 8, 7 and 4. (we also have a 1 year old, but she doesn't talk yet) We spoke to each child separately, they all told the same stories, none of their stories have changed over time.
Eryn was with us one week. At the end of the week, we were in a bind because our overnight babysitter did not work out. We decided to take a chance and let Eryn do the overnight. During the period from 8:00 p.m. Friday to about 5:00 p.m. Saturday, all of the following happened. Eryn allowed our 7 and 8 year old to stay up until midnight. She slept in the same bed with the two girls. Eryn claims the girls just fell asleep watching movies, but my 8 year old insists that Eryn suggested they all get in bed together and sleep together.
Before going to sleep, she took a large switch-blade-type knife from her purse and put in my bedside table, which has no baby locks. She told my daughters that it was there for protection so she could stab anyone who tried to break in. She also moved a baseball bat to the girls side of the bed and told them they could use that for protection while she was using the knife. When I returned home from our trip, the bedside drawer was open, and it was obvious my 1 year old daughter had been playing in it, because there were a bunch of her toys, etc. in there. As I pulled things out of the drawer, I grabbed the knife and hit the button that flips it open. A 4-inch blade (complete with blood spots) instantly popped out. Eryn does not deny putting this knife in the drawer and forgetting to take it out. This should be enough to make you question things, but read on.
The next day, Eryn took the kids to Costco for pizza. My children insist that Eryn then called her ex-boyfriend (whom we had never met), and pleaded with him to come to Costco. Eryn claims she did not plead, but that he only came to give her money he owed her. My children state that, once he got there, Eryn pleaded with him to go to the mall with them. Eryn's side is that she did not plead, and did not even want him along. My children each recall that this ex-boyfriend then drove our car, with the children and Eryn, to the mall. Eryn swears he only sat in our car in the Costco parking lot while she drove him to his car, but children (even the 4 year old) insist that Keven not only sat in our car, but drove the car as well.
Once at the mall, our children state that Eryn tried to convince the ex-boyfriend to watch the 1 year old and 4 year old at the shoe store, while she and the older two shopped for shoes for her friend's upcoming wedding. When the ex-boyfriend refused, Eryn got him to stay with the 4 year old outside the shoe store. Eryn does not deny that she let her ex-boyfriend supervise our 4 year old outside the shoe store.
We let Eryn go the night we got home and learned all of this. She denied most of it, but even what she admitted was enough for us to feel we dodged a huge bullet. Eryn cried hysterically and kept saying over and over how attached she was to the children, and how much she loved them. After just one week. And it doesn't end there.
The next day, my husband and I noticed a little red pill in plain view on our bedroom floor. My husband said he wanted to get it tested to see what it was. He finally had the opportunity to do so today, which is what prompted me to finally write this complaint. The pill was morphine, 30 miligrams. The pharmacist told us the dose would have been fatal to our baby, almost instantly. Probably would have killed the 4 year old pretty quickly also. I fear that the next family will not be lucky enough to dodge the bullets we dodged in hiring Eryn. That is why I am writing this complaint.
The reason I did not write it for 3 weeks is that we have been terribly afraid of backlash from her. Two days after we fired her, my husband's new car was keyed as it sat in our driveway overnight. It was too much of a coincidence not to suspect Eryn. We are truly afraid of her, especially now that we have identified that the drugs she left at our house was morphine. No one should have to look over their shoulder in fear of a former nanny.
Eryn has since sent us several emails, demanding that we pay her additional money and return her things, specifically her knife and the photo of her dead friend that she posted on our refridgerator! We are fearful the emails will turn into cyberstalking, particularly after I lodge this complaint.
I forgot one other thing that happened during Eryn's overnight stay, that I thought people should know. Eryn told our two older girls that she would take a shower with them if there was time. Luckily, there was not. Eryn claims that she only said she would come in the bathroom with them, not in the shower. But the girls are insistent that this it not what she meant. THey both distinctinly recall her saying she doesn't mind showering with them. Also, we recently asked the girls about the morphine pill we found to see if they could shed any light on how it ended up on our floor and also to make sure Eryn didn't give them any of this type of drug or any other. The girls did remember that Eryn cleaned out her purse on our bed, RIGHT in the location where we found the morphine. This is enough corroboration for us about where the morphine pill came from. Beware of Eryn she is bad news.
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36 comments:
Anonymous said...
Thank goodness, nothing happened to your children- no offend, but hope this taught you a lesson. If you get into a bind, invite a family member or close friend, you trust and know well, to stay with your kids. If plans have to change- they change. Your kids come first.
6:45 AM
RE-POST FOR ANONYMOUS!
YOU NEED A MONIKER!
If I were you, OP, I wouldn't hesitate to take legal action if she starts to or continues to harass you. I'm not quite sure if she's gone too far, yet.. but you know what you need to do to protect your family.
Wow, she sounds completely unbalanced. If this is how she acted after one week, who knows what would have happened if you employed her for even a month!
I think it sounds like the OP tried to do the right thing when it came to finding a quick fix for the overnight. She checked Eryn's references. She just didn't know about the last one.
I highly suggest, if you haven't already, getting a restraining or no-contact order against her.
oh my god! you are so lucky that she is gone. If I were you I would call all of her former references and tell them what happened. They may or may not believe you BUT a nanny with no references most likely wont get hired. Return her stuff and change the locks. You could also consider reporting her (Im not sure for what.Im so sorry that you went through this.
That's crazy about the knife, pill, and ex boyfriend! But I sleep in the same bed as my charge on occasion, and we have taken showers together. I guess it could possibly because I work in Europe and the attitudes here about personal space and a naked body are a lot more relaxed than in the States though, and child molestation or something like that aren't really thought of here. But I am glad that you found out the truth about her when you did. God only knows what else could have happened!
Swiss Nanny
I can appreciate your loose attitudes about nudity, etc., but I cannot fathom, ever, taking a shower with a kid. Sorry.
Oh my gosh, you really did dodge a bullet. I do think you need to make a police report. If she is on drugs, things could escalate, and the more documentation the better.
Return everything so that she has no reason to contact you again, and then email her that any further contact will be reported to the poice as harassment.
Wow this lady sounds nuts!!! I'm glad you got rid of her asap!!
I don't think its weird to be in the bathroom with kids while they're bathing...you kind of have to do that when you're a nanny!! I give my charges baths, but I'd never be comfortable being naked with them showering, thats something only parents should be allowed to do. However, I'm from the states and I know that in Europe everything is different, so 'i hate junk mail' keep an open mind about culture differences please.
however, this situation the Op posted about was from CA...therefore not okay and therefore weird. Also, the pills, knife, etc?!?
you really dodged a crazy bullet.
Wow, was your trip so important that you had to leave your kids. I can see once you know the nanny after sometime. But you only knew her for a week. How were you able to enjoy your vacation?
OMG! that is really scary to have around your children. people abusing prescription drugs is becoming one of the worst epidemics. I know too many people who have fallen to morphine based drugs.
If she was taking these on a daily basis that would explain this weird behavior and the type of people she is around. No joke it changes people, as of today. I have a friend that I've known since 1st grade addicted to morphine, another friend in rehab to over come it, and sadly a friend that overdosed and passed away from these drugs.
That is so scary that she had those pills around your kids, thank God nothing happened. And good thing you taught your kids to look out for obscure behavior. I hope no one else has to go through the scare that you did, but from the sound of it, it may not be over. I suggest getting a restraining order just to be safe.
Wow, I would look into getting the police involved. That's scary.
Did you contact the nanny agency? What did they say?
You might want to either get a real or dummy surveillance camera to put outside your home. Both are fairly cheap and that might be enough to deter her.
How unfortunate, but thankfully you caught on to it and saw the signs early in her employment. I feel bad for the nanny because it sounds like she has self esteem and other issues that need to be worked out, but you did the right thing by removing her away from your family.
Eric's mom, I'm with you. NO WAY I am leaving my kids with someone I've known only a week. There is absolutely nothing more important than the safety of my kids. Period.
I am not trying to condemn you OP, I am glad your kids are OK and I am sorry that you had to go through all this. Definitely take the knife, the result of the pill analysis and this story to the police. If the knife does have blood stains on it it may have been used in a crime.
She certainly does sound a tad unhinged.
For your own good, you should return her knife and the photo of the freind. Don't give her that excuse to keep hounding you.
You can send it registered mail along with letter informing her that if she contacts you again you will go to the authorities seeking a protective order.
It's important to return her things before trying to get any sort of court order, if she can say "well I only keep contacting them to get my belongings returned.", it may result in you NOT being granted an order of protection.
Good suggestions ladies.
The ones I particularly agree with are getting security cameras outside your house (with tape to record who does what), contacting the police, contacting all of the old references to let them know of your experience so that they will no longer recommend her (might want to consult a lawyer on that first...just to be safe). I would also consider contacting the nanny agency you used to hire her (if that's where you got her...it's a little unclear)and tell them they need to take measures of their own to have you protected since they are responsible for sending her to you.
I would definitely call CPS and report these incidents and see if they can in any way bring a case to prevent her from being with or near children.
I would also not simply return her things to her. I would carefully photograph all of the items, making particular attention to get the blood on the knife clearly, and also take the pill back to the pharmacy that identified it for you (or another if necessary to get the following) and get a signed (preferably notarized) document from a pharmacist saying exactly what the pill is and what the results of children of various weights ingesting it might be. Then I would load it all into a box (Including the pill...but save all the original pictures and documentation for yourself and provide copies only to any agencies you contact) and go down to the police station with it, make a report of these offenses with the police, and turn the evidence all over to them. be sure to pint out that the knife is bloody and share your concerns about that with them. DNA testing will tell whose it is, if they are curious. Then contact nanny and tell her that her belongings are at the police station and she can pick them up there if and when they are willing to turn them over to her. Type up statements (or videotape them making statements) from each of your children now, while their memories are fresh, and keep in a safe place for potential future legal action. Document and report to police all future suspicious activities, phone calls or acts of vandalism. They can add it to the file they started the day you took her stuff to them. If nanny contacts you again, after telling her that her belongings are at the police station, maybe also mention that you have filed a report and they are watching for her to be near your home again. In fact, maybe you can get a TRO against her? That would keep her away...hopefully.
PS I think that (since this is not Europe, where its supposedly normal there to do so?), it shows a GREAT lack of judgment AT BEST, that nanny wanted to shower with the older girls! At worst, you had a real problem about to happen.
And I personally would not leave my kids overnight either with a person I had known for a week...so a couple of people here, I thought, were a bit harsh with Eric's mom about that. Heck, I was nervous leaving mine overnight with relatives...and only allowed even certain ones of those to keep them...especially as babies.
Mom...
I forgot to tell you I was the anonymous one that posted to you about your anniversary. i forgot to put my name in and went to post and it automatically came up anonymous... i didn't know when you were coming back to the blog so I just left it. I also didn't know how to fix it and was quite upset about it, but now that I see that you read it I feel better now
Awww Phoenix,
It was really sweet...and both my husband and I enjoyed reading it. Obviously you know what it is like to be in love! ;)
He was excited to have written that little surprise for me on here. When he asked me if anybody had said anything I told him that MPP said something sweet and that there was a very sweet message form an anonymous person...which made in grin and he wanted to see. It was very cute to see. He's a good'un.
My five year old charge sleeps with me sometimes when her parents are away and it is thundering or something, but I have been her nanny since she was 2. I think it is weird for some nanny of 4 days to climb in bed with a kid, let alone propose a shower, and the rest of the stuff is crazy!
These warnings are a brilliant idea!
Yes, I think this is a great way of "outing" bad nannies. With the economy going to pot and all, we need to get rid of these terrible nannies and make room for great ones! For the record, I wasnt trying to make light of the shower and bed issue. I was merely pointing out that in other parts of the world, this is normal. I have been with my current family for almost 2 years, not for a week, mind you! lol. But thank you, Vampire, to point out that we should all be a bit open minded of cultural differences.
Holy crap.. thats insane. Its crazy that this even happened..especially after 1 week. Who posts a dead friend on your employee's fridge when you barely know your "work family"..creepy. after 1 week i was still wondering if i should call my boss by their first name or not. so basically this nanny was a pedophile pill popper... and paranoid...knife and bat by the bed? wtf...have you EVER worked around kids before!?!
I have to say, If this were a WTF ad posted from Craigs list you would all be so angry that this woman(these parents)left her 4 young children(overnight!!)with someone she knew less than 8 days!!!
What the heck do you expect?
Parents//be responsible. Get to know your nanny/sitter before leaving your children with them. Your childrens safety is much more important than anything else.
You put them in harms way and acted very negligently!
In defense of OP I don't think that she wanted to leave them overnight with this new nanny, but since the night once cancelled she probably decided that if she could trust her new employee to watch her children during the day, then why couldn't she at night?
I know not knowing her that well was probably a mis-judgment on her part and she probably thinks about all that could have gone wrong all the time.
i am just thankful that the children are ok and now the OP is trying to advise everyone to not make the same mistake.
When I worked retail, I knew a girl who came in high every day on anything and everything, stole drinks without paying for them, and even stole the ATM card from the grandmother of one of our employees. (The elderly woman gave the girl her pin numbers to pay for her groceries using debit, which requires a pin.) This girl went to walgreens on her break, hit the ATM machine, and stole $2000 from this person's account. The girl was questioned and fired 3 days later. The last time I saw her was 2 years ago at school, and concidentally, her name was Eryn. I doubt this is the same girl that I worked with, yet this entire story is scary. OP, I am happy you and your children are safe. Could you tell us where you found this psycho? And for the record, I lay down with my 2.5 year old charge at naptime for a few minutes.
First off, this is hair raising and awful and I sure hope no one else hires her ever after seeing this. But, you said the morphone pill was on the bathroom floor, then you said she cleaned her purse on your bed in the exact location the pill was found, so this means that you have a bed in your bathroom??
Oh, and of course you need to return her belongings. If you plan to try and file any charges against her or take legal action, the police may need them, or your lawyer may want to see them, but barring that, you have no right to keep them.
Calimom,
Look again. The pill was on the bedroom floor.
Scary! She is a nightmare. Did she mention how her friend died (given the bloody knife?) Definitely bring everything to the police, as Mom said. She (Mom) thought of everything. If there is blood on the knife, who knows what it was used for? Plus, why end any reason for her to contact you directly or come to your house. If the blood is there for a harmless reason, and her friends death was unrelated, then it should be no problem to retrieve the knife at the Police Department. Plus they could tell you how to get a Restraining order. Good luck.
You're right mom, sorry. I like the suggestion of bringing her belongings to the police station and having her retrieve them from there!
are we sure this isn't a b.s. post meant to trash a person?
How could we possible ever know for sure about that? We can't. It's a blog.
Hopefully a parent would investigate any report before summarily firing a nanny they were otherwise happy with...unless there was something really concrete here....like a picture of her hitting the child, or a picture the child in the street alone, etc.
This site serves a very valuable purpose. And slimeball can abuse even the best of systems...and that's just life. It doesn't mean we should stop trying to do the right thing.
what was with the blood spots on the knife?
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