Malaika
It’s not easy being a parent.
While many people are expected to have children, caring for a child is not as simple as it may appear. You’re not only in charge of a tiny drunk human being but also of making sure they don’t get hurt. And if you’ve ever taken care of a child for even an hour, you know how much they enjoy getting into mischief. They seem to attract trouble and end up in the most perilous situations if you take your gaze away from them for a second.
However, children are not the only ones to blame in this case; today, we are focusing on the parents. After all, we’ve all read thousands of stories about Karens and their antics, so why not concentrate on parents and their bizarre stories? And who better to ask than people who have previously worked in the childcare industry? As a result, when asked to share their most bizarre experiences dealing with parents, people had a lot to say.
From teachers to babysitters, you’ll wonder how these kids managed to stay alive and healthy until now. Scroll down to see it for yourself.
#1 Eve maids don’t get treated this horribly.
I once nannied for a family with five kids and nine pets. They had six nannies that would take shifts two at a time around the clock so that the parents never had to be with or take care of their own kids. There were lots of things about that family that were off, but the biggest problem was that they allowed their children to pee and defecate anywhere in the house, and it was our job (the nannies) to clean it up.
This was totally normal for them. The oldest child was 6 years old and learning how to potty train. She asked me to come to wipe her one day, and I was horrified. Apparently, the parents expected us to do that as well. I made the executive decision to instead coach her through wiping herself because she certainly was old enough and more than capable. The mom got so upset at me for not wiping her daughter that I was fired the next day. In retrospect, she did us both a favour. – makennamarx5532
#2 Here I thought parents cared when their kids got sick.
We sent a kid home with a fever. When mom showed up to pick him up, she pulled out her own thermometer, claiming ours didn’t work, and that we were just ‘faking it.’ Because we can clearly fake multiple thermometers detecting a fever. – ashleylg817
#3 Atleast, the job was easy and who wouldn’t want that?
I was a go-to babysitter for a family a few years back. The thing is, I never felt like I was babysitting. No matter what time of day I was coming over, the mom made the kids go to bed. 3 p.m.? Doesn’t matter, they’re in bed. And I was told to get on to them if they got up (I never did, though, and always offered to play with them or watch shows).
#4 Some people are way too stupid to reason with.
Had one mom get mad at me because I brought her kid to the bus stop to pick up other kids. It was cold out and raining. The mom knew we did bus runs and sent her kid in the thinnest coat possible. But it’s my fault she got wet. The same mom was mad that I didn’t supply diapers and wipes, and when her kid got a heat rash in the hottest summer ever, she accused me of giving her kid a skin disease. I have rosacea, and it’s not contagious. – tmc02377
#5 There is no middle ground when it comes to parents, is it? Over-protective or negligent.
I had a toddler who was brought into the centre with what the parents told us was a cat bite on her hand. She favoured the hand and cried if it got bumped or when she had to use it. The next time she was brought back (two days later), the hand was red, enormously swollen, and very obviously painful.
We called the parents and told them she needed to be picked up. Mind you, the mom worked in some medical profession. When they brought her back the next day, they said she had such a bad infection in that hand that a special antibiotic had to be driven in by a pharmacy 50 miles away. Imagine what would have happened had they continued to ignore this infection?
#6 I cannot even imagine the pain the baby was going through.
I had an infant who was not using her arm and was clearly in pain and distress. We called the mom who said, ‘Yeah. She hurt her arm in her crib two days ago.’ We told her she was unable to use that arm and was in obvious pain. She said she could not be there for another two hours. She finally picked her baby up and told us the next day that the baby’s shoulder was out of the socket.
#7 Then she shouldn’t have given birth to one?
When the dads tell us, ‘Mom doesn’t like the baby at home.’ – pinkjadeybug
#8 Most parents would not tolerate that.
Our daycare only watched 3-month-olds to 5-year-olds. There was one toddler who would punch, push, and sometimes even bite all the other children. We tried asking the mother to talk to/discipline her son, or we couldn’t watch him anymore as it turned into a liability since he was hurting other children. The mother was adamant that her son would never do anything bad.
So, one day, it’s the same song and dance:
Us: ‘Your son hit again today.’
Her: ‘What? No, my son would never!’ But this time, she picked up her lil 4-year-old and started baby-talking to him. ‘You would never hit, would you? You are the sweetest thing. You would never hit!’
And what did her son do? Slapped her so hard across the face that her head snapped back. Then, she denied to our face that he hit her even though we just witnessed it! – shortfatproudofthat
#9 What happened while in quarantine really was eye-opening.
Not me, but my mom. The general audacity of folks, especially during the COVID-19 lockdown, who brought children to daycare when they clearly were not working and put my 60-year-old immunocompromised mother at risk. On top of that, add in parents who deliberately brought in children who were sick (some of which they KNEW had COVID) so they could get a break at home.
It truly makes my blood boil.”
In the midst of this, I had a friend who was furloughed but proudly told me how she was still bringing her 2-year-old to daycare at the height of COVID so that she could DIY her new home. All I could think of were the women (like my mother) who were risking their lives to care for my friend’s child while she did crafts all day in an empty house. Needless to say, we don’t talk much these days.
#10 I wish that was how it worked but it doesn’t.
I babysat for a family, and the mom told me that if the three kids got in the pool, that would count as their shower/bath time.
#11 Most parents want their children to walk as early as they are able.
Once, we had a new little girl in our group, and her mom brought her in on the first day. The little girl started playing, and all seemed well, but as the mom was leaving, she stopped and told us that she ‘really prefers it if her daughter doesn’t walk.’
After a short, confused silence, she clarified that when moving from one activity to another, or going to the bathroom or on outings or whenever movement was required, she wanted us to carry her daughter because she didn’t want her to have to walk on her own. The little girl was 4 years old and clearly capable and happy to move around on her own. That was an odd encounter that has stuck in my memory. – kittyminkie88
#12 Nobody wants a child all hopped up on sugar.
There was a mom who cursed me out for telling her, per policy, I couldn’t put sugar in her child’s milk and food. She withdrew her child immediately the next day.
#13 I am glad the wife found out the truth.
I worked as a pre-K teacher for five years. In my five years, I became close to what I thought was the perfect family — amazing mom and dad, two really sweet and smart boys. I had both kids in my classroom at one point or another and always greeted the family in the morning and made small talk. One morning, the boys are being dropped off with me, and the dad starts openly hitting on me in front of his kids and my entire class.
He made comments like: ‘I bet you bring the sunshine wherever you go. I love seeing you smile each day. You’re the boys’ best part of the day…and mine.’ He said all of this while eye-banging me. I felt so uncomfortable; all I did was laugh and shuffle his kids into my room. A few weeks later, the mom of the boys asked to speak to me privately. Turns out the dad had been cheating on her for years!! I was in shock — they truly seemed like the perfect couple. I guess you never know what goes on behind closed doors.
#14 This reminds me of when people used to give sedatives to their infants so they would sleep.
I’m a former pre-school teacher. A mom asked if she could bring in CBD gummies for us to give to her 3-year-old when she threw tantrums.
#15 I don’t even know what to say about this one.
The one that left me completely dumbfounded was when the mom, whose baby was a month younger than mine, asked me how I kept her baby’s diaper on if she wasn’t wearing a onesie. I (and the co-teacher) just stared at her for several seconds until we realized she was serious.
I have seen and heard a lot in my 15 years in childcare, but that one actually made my mouth hang open! ‘Um, I don’t know. I use a diaper that fits.’ Bless her heart, she didn’t think the diaper would stay on if the baby didn’t always wear a onesie. The best part is that this was her second child! – mister_nanda
#16 This is what it means to baby a child for no reason.
I had a mom get upset because I allowed her 1-year-old to hold their own bottle rather than holding it for them. – antibeing
#17 Everyone deserves a break but this is too much.
I had a child who was sick. We called the mother, and she said, ‘Do we have to come right now? We’re enjoying our alone time.’
#18 Representation does matter.
I had a boy in my class from a divorced family. When he came back from spending the weekend with his dad, he got a new Black Panther action figure. This little man absolutely loved this action figure — he begged me to let him sleep with it during nap time and even had snack time with it. The day goes on, and it’s time for him to be picked up by Mom. Mom walks into my class and sees her son holding the Black Panther. Out loud she makes an ‘Ugh’ sound.
At first, I just assumed it was because her son got another new toy. She then looks at me and says, ‘I just don’t understand why THEY need their own superhero. I’m part Native American (she was not), and I’m not looking for an Indian hero. Why do the Blacks need one?’ I was shook! How did she think this was appropriate to say in front of children and say this to me? Just because I am a white person doesn’t mean I agree with racist comments. I simply looked at her and said, ‘Well, some people think representation matters,’ with a very condescending smile. She gave me a huge eye roll and left with her son.
#19 This is way too much and no babysitter should be expected to do this.
I worked for an affluent family in the Bay Area that had four children for nearly four years in my early 20s. On top of taking care of their children, I was in charge of all the housework — errands, laundry, etc. With laundry, I would scan the floors of each room as needed, pick up the clothes, and go on about my work. I can’t believe I am typing this, but the mom used to leave her period-stained underwear on the ground of her bedroom, and I would pick it up!
Also, more than once, I found tampons that you could tell had been used and pulled out strewn on the floor alongside their bed. Honestly, I never thought twice about cleaning it up. As a mom myself and in my 30s now, I can’t believe they were so dirty and careless, and how it did not faze me in the slightest because it was my job.
#20 I understand her reasoning but this is weird.
Daycare teacher here. I had a parent come to me during group bathroom time and start the conversation with, ‘Hey, I meant to talk to you about this earlier…but do you remember two weeks ago if [child] pooped at school that day?’ Ma’am, I don’t even remember yesterday — no, I don’t know if your child pooped two weeks ago?!?
She was asking because she ‘thinks’ the kiddo ate a coin, so they ended up at the ER to check, but nothing showed up on the x-ray. So, she asked if I had seen a coin in the kid’s poop and if I could keep checking the poop to see if one comes out! No. I am not looking through poop. What?!? We get paid starting at $12/hr…I’m not digging through the poop of 4 and 5-year-olds.
Have you worked in the childcare industry before? If that’s the case, you must have a lot of stories to tell. So, what is your strangest experience dealing with a child or their parent? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to share these stories with your friends so they can share their own experiences as well.
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