Man Fires Long-Time Nanny After Security Footage Showed That She Committed A “Crime” And Pinned It On His Toddler

“I lost trust her after she looked me in the eye twice and lied both times.”

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• December 2, 2023

Trust is a delicate and invaluable asset in any relationship, whether personal or professional. Once shattered, it becomes a Herculean task to restore it.

We found a story on the AITA subreddit that underscores this fragility of trust and the consequences when it's breached.

In this narrative, the OP (Original Poster) and his wife face a challenging situation with their long-term nanny, Lila. This woman had been an integral part of their family, caring for their children since the birth of their eldest seven years ago.

Indeed, Lila's rapport with the family was strong — a relationship that was built on years of trust and mutual respect. Unfortunately, this foundation was shaken by an incident that no one in the family will forget in a hurry.

OP explained that he got home to a chilling report from Lila that his youngest child had been playing with his cherished wristwatch and damaged it in the process. OP was pretty disturbed by this report, considering that the watch had sentimental value.

Later on, OP got urged to take a peek at the footage from their living room camera, only to discover something unbelievable. Apparently, their trusted nanny had lied and tried to pin the "crime" on the innocent toddler. The footage showed Lila holding the watch and smashing it on the ground.

This was very peculiar, so OP gave her a second chance to tell him what really happened to the watch. But her response was another bunch of lies to cover up her involvement.

Fed up with the back and forth, OP's wife confronted Lila with the footage, which forced her to confess. Her excuse? — a startled reaction to a spider on the ground.

This explanation did little to dissuade the situation, especially since she had lied to OP's face, not once, but twice. For OP, the trust was no longer there anymore, so he decided to terminate Lila's contract with immediate effect.

As someone who had been with the family for almost a decade, this was a difficult decision. There were a lot of tears, but OP stood his ground on the decision.

Days later, OP has been troubled about the who situation. Did he make the right call, or could he have handled things a little better?

The story in detail

A bit of background

OP’s nanny reported that his toddler smashed his cherished watch. But the camera in the living room proved otherwise

OP ended up firing the nanny for lying

Here’s how the Reddit community reacted to the story:

“NTA. If you can't trust the person watching your child they shouldn't be watching your child.”

“NTA. Lying about damaging property and blaming an innocent person is very much a fireable offense.”

“I would absolutely not trust this person any more. I think you made the correct, if difficult, decision.“

“NTA. Once someone lies to your face, it means they are ok with lying.”

“Yes, there is no way you can trust her in the future, especially with your kids.”

“NTA…She should have been upfront and just told you the truth because maybe you guys could have worked something out.”

“NTA. I'd have to wonder what else she is lying about.“

“NTA…For firing her. Don’t have someone watch your kids if you can’t trust them.“

“NTA. You are trusting this person to watch your kids, you cannot take that chance.”

The Reddit community rallied behind OP on their decision to fire Lila. Commenters have stressed that lying and pinning her crime on a toddler is something that can’t be overlooked.

Some people have also reiterated that babysitting is all about trust, and if you can’t trust an individual, then they shouldn’t be watching your kids at all. As sad as the situation may be, it’s important that OP satisfies his conscience by putting his kids in the hands of someone he won’t have any doubts about.

We’d love to get your thoughts on this story. Join the conversation in the comments below.

Jesse