I hired a babysitter to work Saturday & Sundays. She worked for us 6 weekends. Things seemed okay. I was home most of the time so I saw how she interacted with the children. Three Saturdays ago, I came home and my son had a quarter size bruise on his neck, right underneath his chin. I noticed it when I went to kiss him goodnight. In the morning, I asked what happened and he said the "Beth squeezed my neck". I had him show me what he meant. I didn't want to believe it but I could see where that could be a bruise from a thumb.
In the morning, I waited for Beth to arrive. My husband took the children in the backyard. I told her I needed to talk to her. She seemed chipper and unworried. I sat down and told her about the bruise and what my son had said. She told me the she absolutely would never squeeze him or any child anywhere, let alone on his neck. I asked how this happened. She said the only thing she could think of is she was putting on his pajamas and he started to run from her, but she said she didn't think it would have pulled on his neck. She showed me what she was talking about. I didn't know what to do. I told her that I needed to speak to my husband. She said, "should I stay here?" I told her that I would call her and I paid her for Saturday and the full day Sunday. She was very quiet and looked very sad, and wounded.
So I called her on Monday and said that I didn't know what happened, but that we weren't going to have her back. She started crying on the phone hysterically and said, "I can't believe you would think I would do that. I work with children all of the time, This is my reputation you are talking about." It took me five minutes to get her off the phone. I told her I only observed great interaction, but as a mother, I could not let an un-explainable bruise go without explanation. To be honest, at this time, I felt really bad and really torn. I was not sure what had caused the bruise.
Yesterday, my weekday nanny took the children to our neighborhood park and the nanny was there. My son went running up to her and gave her a hug. He introduced the nannies and they talked for awhile, never mentioning a bruise. She said she had babysat my kids before. I told my weekday nanny about the bruise and what happened (and asked her not to share it with anyone). She told me that it was weird and that she "didn't get that sense at all".
So, what is my role here? They are going to run into each other, my son greets her and the nannies talk- I am not going to tell weekday nanny to avoid her. The weekday nanny agreed that she might have done the same thing. She said the nanny didn't seem to have any bad feelings and didn't say anything negative. I feel like this is a loose end and I should tie it up?
In the morning, I waited for Beth to arrive. My husband took the children in the backyard. I told her I needed to talk to her. She seemed chipper and unworried. I sat down and told her about the bruise and what my son had said. She told me the she absolutely would never squeeze him or any child anywhere, let alone on his neck. I asked how this happened. She said the only thing she could think of is she was putting on his pajamas and he started to run from her, but she said she didn't think it would have pulled on his neck. She showed me what she was talking about. I didn't know what to do. I told her that I needed to speak to my husband. She said, "should I stay here?" I told her that I would call her and I paid her for Saturday and the full day Sunday. She was very quiet and looked very sad, and wounded.
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| Rosa Comelles |
Yesterday, my weekday nanny took the children to our neighborhood park and the nanny was there. My son went running up to her and gave her a hug. He introduced the nannies and they talked for awhile, never mentioning a bruise. She said she had babysat my kids before. I told my weekday nanny about the bruise and what happened (and asked her not to share it with anyone). She told me that it was weird and that she "didn't get that sense at all".
So, what is my role here? They are going to run into each other, my son greets her and the nannies talk- I am not going to tell weekday nanny to avoid her. The weekday nanny agreed that she might have done the same thing. She said the nanny didn't seem to have any bad feelings and didn't say anything negative. I feel like this is a loose end and I should tie it up?
