Choosing child care can be such a difficult process for parents. All we want is for our kids to feel the same love and comfort they have when they’re with us. Some families choose a day care center, while others prefer a private nanny or babysitter. It’s a personal choice and one that must feel right for each family. A mom in Reddit’s Mommit sub thought she’d found the ideal setting for her 3-year-old son, but she recently found out that things were not as they seemed. Sadly, the woman she trusted was living a lie. Now the authorities are involved, and the guilt is mounting for this poor family.
The mom explained in her post that the woman had been caring for her son for nearly two years, and everything seemed fine. The caregiver seemed sweet, but when the mother was away, things changed. The family uncovered a recording of an interaction between the woman and her son, and it broke their hearts.
“She told my son ‘nobody loves you.’ She called him ‘dirt’ and ‘disgusting.’ She told my baby she “hoped he choked on his snack’ and threatened to smack his face,” the mom alleged in the forum.
The entire situation left the mom feeling physically sick. “I am reporting it all tomorrow, but tonight I am just sitting in the dark with a broken heart. I don’t know how to move past the sound of her voice saying those things to him. I just need some kindness,” she wrote.
Reddit parents came in full support of the original poster, giving her the grace she needed.
“I have never wanted to slam my hand so hard on the counter and yell for my pitchfork. I am mad for you. Sad too. But very mad,” one person wrote.
A mom with a similar situation helped ease OP’s mind with her own experience.
“This is not your fault. You didn’t know and the minute you realized what was happening, you took action. It’s terrifying to realize that a person you trusted was harming your child but know that it will be ok,” she commented in the forum. “I highly recommend you and your child go to therapy when you can find the time and space. And please know that everything will be ok. My baby is now 7 and she doesn’t even remember what happened to her. Time and a love can heal many things.”
A professional wanted OP to know there are ways to handle the situation in hopes of healing.
“Let me chime in as a therapist with specialized training in treating birth-to-6 year olds and suggest Child Parent Psychotherapy and/or Theraplay,” the person commented. “These are dyadic approaches (child and caregiver) and have been shown to be much more effective than individualistic approaches for very young children. I’m so sorry this happened to OP and her baby.”
OP explained in the comments that they found out about the situation because another child’s parent put a recording device in their child’s diaper bag, and that’s how they found out about the monster caring for their kids.
We can’t imagine the betrayal. Hopefully, OP’s situation will end happily. Best-case scenario is the child will move on with no memory of this horrific situation, and OP and her husband will give themselves the grace they deserve.
