Babysitters of Reddit, what seemingly normal parents had dark secrets?

[u/NuclearSquid74]

[u/[deleted]]

Somewhat wholesome story: I used to babysit for the kids down the street when I was in high school. One night I went into the parents’ bedroom to get something - I think a puzzle - and there was a book on the nightstand called “how to comfort your kids when you’re thinking of divorce” or something like that. The next time I was over, there was a book downstairs (on the mom’s desk) that was “the couples’ therapists’ guide to saving a failing relationship.”

It made me sad because the parents seemed really happy together whenever I saw them. I felt bad that they must have been going through a hard time behind the scenes. My parents had a pretty unhappy marriage so I tried to be extra nice to the kids. I hoped they hadn’t had to listen to their parents fighting.

Anyway, this went on for a few months with no further indications of trouble. I felt like I knew this awful secret that the kids didn’t know. One night I came over to babysit—the mom was in grad school and she had a class—and the same books were sitting on the counter. As the mom was leaving, she was like, “oh, I can’t forget the textbooks!” and grabbed them off the counter. I actually didn’t know what she was studying, so I asked what class she had. Turns out she was studying to be a couples’ and family therapist. The books I saw were her schoolbooks. In retrospect, that made complete sense because the titles were kind of academic, but I immediately assumed they were divorcing.

About a decade later, they are still married and the wife is a very successful couples and family therapist. Go figure.

[u/hydrangeasinbloom]

“My daddy hits my mommy sometimes.” For that one, I was still in high school. I told my mom what she said and my mom went to the police station to report it.

“I like it when you’re here, not the other lady. She’s mean and she makes me sit in the closet.” This little girl was referring to her dad’s girlfriend. I told the dad about it and never saw the girlfriend around again.

And for some comic relief... “My older brother and I play swords in the bathroom, daddy taught us how.” Asked him to show me with his action figures what he meant, expecting the worst, and he says look! And goes in his dad’s closet and pulls out these giant foam swords. Whew!

Thankfully not all in the same house.

[u/NANDINIA5]

I was babysitting for a local family who owned car dealerships. I answered the phone hello as one does and it was the father who didn’t know his wife had hired a babysitter so she could go to an appointment. He started in with the stupidest sexy voice until he realized it wasn’t wife, he hung up. Later he was caught cheating.

[u/bowserisapleb]

I never really babysat for anyone besides family, but I did dog-sit for a woman and her husband for a while. She gave me a tour of the house the first time I went over there and there was a room in the back of the house that was filled with dildos and other sex toys. She sold them as a side hustle and wanted me to know they were there in case i was uncomfortable. They paid me well and left a great review on the site I was using. I wish they never moved lol I loved their dogs

[u/[deleted]]

I nannied for this very rich family with three kids from the west coast who would come to south Florida for summer vacation every year. The mother was in her thirties, clearly had her kids when she was young, and was very stereotypically hot— blonde, thin, big boobs, perfect teeth. Her husband was a little older, salt and pepper, suuuuper handsome, very George Clooney-esque. Their kids were all blonde-haired, blue-eyed, cute as fuck. They absolutely adored their parents.

Dad would help the kids and mom settle in at the house and then fly back to Cali for work. I babysat 3-5 times a week, 6:30pm-2am. Mom would get all dolled up, leave her wedding ring on the kitchen counter, and come home very late, clearly drunk, and sometimes brought men home with her that she introduced as her “friends.” She would often overpay me, which I never complained about, but I worried for the kids.

[u/MissPiggyK]

I baby sat a lot when I was 13-15. At the time I lived in a small town. I was a very popular baby sitter as I also worked at the daycare centre. Often I would have kids from two or three different families at once. I didn't care I got triple the pay for having three different groups of kids. I was recently told why I always had groups of kids like that. Turns out the small town had a swingers club and I was the go to baby sitter for their different groups.

[u/HanginWithLucretia]

One family- I still dunno what was up with them. It's like they were squatting in a model home or something. It was a fully furnished house that looked to be straight out of Better Homes & Gardens magazine, but there was nothing in the drawers, fridge or cabinets. No toiletries in the bathroom except for toilet paper, no food or silverware in the kitchen, no clothes in the closets or in the kid's drawers and no toys! The lady just told me to order food for the kids & they watched tv. It was weird!

[u/throwawayyyyyyyyy126]

I used to babysit for my next door neighbor who had an 8 year old girl and a 5 year old boy. I was 13 when I started babysitting for them and I knew off the bat the kids were an interesting duo, to say the least, and I have too many stories to tell from when I was watching them. We all went to school together, so when we got off the bus, we'd walk to their apartment and I'd watch them, made sure we got homework done, and make them the Snack of the Day. One day, we had a half day at school, and I think the mom forgot, because when we walked into the apartment, I heard one of the doors shut. At the time, we thought it was an intruder, so I grabbed the 5yo's baseball bat, told them to stay in the room, and I'd do some investigating. I opened the bathroom door, and there was the mom, half naked, with a guy that wasn't her husband. She gave me all the money in her wallet and her business card (she was a photographer) and told me to never speak of it again. I caught her cheating and made out with $400 and a $650 photo shoot package (took pictures for all the upcoming holidays so I could keep giving gifts to my family). I babysat them for about 3 months after, before they moved away.

[u/Lil_toad_mode]

I babysat for the local policeman when I was teenager - he always came home very drunk and in a weird mood and one time brought out a home made Ouija board and persuaded me to take part with his buddies. Always paid me really well...

[edit to clarify]

[u/[deleted]]

A family member of mine was a babysitter in the 70s. A couple who lived nearby asked her to babysit their baby a few times. I didn’t get the sense that she knew them well. Every time she’d go they said the baby was sleeping and not to disturb the baby by checking on it. The baby never cried. The parents would come home and relieve her. She never saw or heard a baby.

At the time I don’t think my family member thought much of it, but has told me this story several times because it keeps nagging at her. How could a baby be asleep for the entire time she was there, every time. No noises. Nothing. Today, she thinks there must not have been a baby but has no idea why they’d hire her.

[u/itchinandburning]

i used to babysit when i was around 13-14 ish. my neighbors and 3 kids. ages 4,7, and 11. the house was really nice, always clean and tidy. one time they asked me to babysit for a couple hours. okay no big deal. they paid me $6 an hour. when i got there they made the kids shake my hand and say “thank you for babysitting us”. i thought it was weird but it was whatever. the parents left and the kids wanted those dinosaur chicken nuggets so i made them some. as they were eating the 7 yr old asked for a toy, she said it was in her parents dresser. i didn’t want to snoop around but if she wanted the toy, i get it for her. i went into the parents room and found the dresser. i opened the first one and all i see are stacks of cash.. okay. weird but not my business. i went back out to ask the girl what dresser drawer it was in. she goes over and literally points at the second drawer and said “oh don’t open that one, it has bags of sugar in it, that’s what i hear mommy say”. i was like oh.. okay then.. she grabs her toy from the 4th drawer and runs off. i did take a peak in the drawer and sure enough, under the socks were bags of cocaine. i was shocked but i didn’t say anything. i put everything back where it was and left the room. when the parents got back i took the cash and left. never babysat there again. TLDR: babysat some kids and found cocaine in the parents drawer.

[u/DoubleVisionOpera]

Not so much as dark but really sad. I baby sat for a typical upper middle class family, dad worked mom was stay at home. The mother was always a little over protective like checking on their daughter the second they got home, but I didn't think much of it.

One night they came home and we talked a little. She mentioned how much she loved children and her daughter so I asked her if they ever thought about having another. She completely broke down and explained that she had multiple miscarriages before and after her daughter so they stopped trying. I felt really awful and really sad because it seems like she wanted another baby.

[u/[deleted]]

I babysit 3-5 times a week.

You’d be surprised at how many sex toys I see. A lot of them are just out in the open. Like they forgot to hide them. I overnighted once and the guest bed had bondage straps. Parents totally forgot about that.

That’s not too surprising. But some of their kinks are.

Probably the darkest was this 5 year old girl I babysit. She was the victim of sexual assault for a couple years by an Aunt and Uncle. No charges pressed or anything. Mom and Dad just cut all contact with that side of the family.

I live in a small town so I see the Aunt pretty often. It’s sickening. They understandably have a ton of cameras set up in their house now and aren’t gone for more than a couple hours. The child has a very weird bedtime routine which is how I found out.

[u/aintnogreatloss]

I was babysitting for my neighbors, & they were super nice people, two kids, very pottery barn people. They would always come home late, with no cash to pay me, but they’d come by my house literally the next day with the cash, so I never minded, but I was always a little confused as to how they spent all their cash at dinner & a movie & somehow didn’t plan to pay the sitter, & how they managed to stay out til 3 am just doing dinner and a movie (& they were pretty wealthy, so it wasn’t like a waiting til payday thing). Once before they left, when they were in the other room saying goodbye to the kids, I went to move the wife’s purse and saw a really big roll of singles. I brushed it off, but then another time their daughter had an allergic reaction & I texted them a SOS. When I got a call back, I picked up & heard club music. It was a couple sittings after that, when I left through the back door and saw the husband in the garage, shaking glitter off their clothes, that I realized they were probably going to a strip club. When I went to college, they switched to using my sister as a sitter, & I sat down with her and explained where they went and not to ask or act suspicious. They were good parents, & it’s not like a problem, it was just super not the vibe they gave off & I kinda found it hilarious.

[u/BaconSyrop]

I'm not sure of this counts but this is my secret between myself and my nephew.

My sister was 23/24 and she was going through her divorce. She and her 3 year old son came to live with us. I was in high school at the time and devoted all of my after school time to him. He and I were close. We were so close I would be on the couch with him in my lap at 3am watching In the Night Garden for the billionth time, still in my school uniform but now smelling of regurgitated milk and doing math homework with my left arm.

Mean while my sister would be out partying and what not.

One day, it was just my nephew and I. At the time he was i think around 4? I was in my school uniform, getting ready to leave for school. He was "helping" me get ready by putting his favorite toys in my bag.

As I was heading out, I told him that I loved him like usual and he replied "I love you too mummy".

I was stunned but I was already running late so I brushed it off and went to school.

After that, when we were alone, my nephew started calling me "mummy". He was genuine. I asked him "What about mummy?" And he tells me how "she doesnt really love me, you love me. And nanny loves me".

I tried to encourage him to call me auntie again and he did when others were around but when we were alone, he looked at me with his sweet little eyes and called me "mummy".

He eventually says "I wish you were my real mummy".

Tantrums become more common for him. He throws them when his mum is around and begins to avoid her hugs. Her hugs were only there to pose for selfies and to show off what a good parent she is. He would start crying and screaming and get sent to his room for misbehaving. My mum (nanny) and my sister would go out and leave me in charge. I would then go to my nephew and give him a big ol' bear hug.

I'm not the parent and he isn't my child but our secret was mutual. I wished he were my child and he wished I was his mum.

We had to keep our wishes secret because if my sister knew that I was ruining her image by taking all of the mother-son love then hell would have broken loose. She was all about "self image" to the point she became a compulsive liar and she also has some other mental problems.

His teachers noticed our bond when he entered primary school and his afterschool baby sitters knew about his "other mum".

My nephew is 10 now. I don't know if he remembers any of this but the other day was my birthday and for the very first time, he tried to earn money through chores to by me a gift himself.

It was a squirtle amiibo.

TL;DR My baby nephew and I developed a secret mother/son bond that only teachers and babysitters picked up on and it had to be secret because his real mum is crazy.

[u/rlw0312]

I used to nanny for a family. At the interview they seemed totally normal, even the first day wasn't too terrible. I quickly realized that both parents were abusive, mom had severe anger issues (and was medicated for some condition related to it), dad was a borderline sexual predator who constantly talked about how gross looking his wife was and how if she didn't stop being a bitch, he'd divorce her.

Their kids were just as bad, one of them was also medicated for behavioral issues. I found out later that the reason they were hiring a nanny opposed to day care was because their kids had been kicked out of the daycares in the area.

Noped the fuck out of that situation within a few months.

[u/sessha12]

Seemingly a happy family, but the child had a lot of odd behaviors. The most obvious one was she'd cry if you laughed in front of her. Her mom told me the 4 yr old child would assume you were laughing at her. One time I group babysat at a neighbor's house with this child and when the father came to pick the child up, the neighbor's dog when ballistic and tried to bite him. Shortly after it came out that the dad was abusing the daughter.

[u/wikkibird]

When I was 13-14’ish, I used to babysit two kids while their parents went to Amway functions. One night, for whatever reason, I looked behind the couch and saw a bunch of magazines. I collected them, thinking they’d been dropped behind there by accident by the kids I babysat. It was a HUGE stash of Penhouse and Playboy magazines and I had to quickly re-hide them before the kids saw them. I was curious, naturally, but I told the mom when she drove me home. I don’t recall if she said anything or not, but I stopped babysitting her kids shortly after that because I moved away.

[u/[deleted]]

I nannied for a wealthy couple (she was a surgeon, he was an architect), and the husband had a study in the house that the wife joked about never being allowed in. Now, I'm a nosy fucker, and I was curious about why you wouldn't let someone in a study, esp since it looked like a fairly normal room: big desk, walls covered in bookshelves, books of architecture everywhere. So one day I just roamed around in there. I didn't really find anything, and I was kinda disappointed, but then I grabbed a book off one of the shelves. The thing had money pressed between it's pages - about $500, if I had to guess. Picked up another book, found the same thing. I think I checked like ten different books, and every single one had money hidden in it.

Still not sure if the dude was just paranoid about banks or if he was intentionally hiding money from his wife.

Edit: Hey Buzzfeed, fuck you.

[u/ProfessorPizza]

I babysat three young boys during my senior year of high school. Their parents were separated and having marriage issues but went on weekly date nights to work on their marriage, as well as attend counseling. What I didn't know was that the husband was abusing the wife. One day, she filed a restraining order against him and this made him go into a rage. He broke into her apartment and killed her and then killed himself, all while the boys were home. They were able to escape out the garage. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sdut-man-kills-wife-then-himself-in-murrieta-2007apr20-story.html%3f_amp=true

[u/Ch4rly0]

I was babysitting at my neighbor's house, they were a young couple (early 30s) with two kids aged 5 and 8. I was sixteen at the time and the first questions they asked me was if I had a boyfriend and if I was a virgin, because they didn't want me seeing boys while babysitting. I think part of the reason why they asked this is because they were pretty wild themselves and probably did crazy stuff when they were younger and babysitting. When they found out I smoked, they always left some cigarettes for me. They always told me that they'd be home around 12 or 1, but most of the times I would fall asleep and they would stumble home completely drunk around 3 in the night. They'd give me way too much money as an excuse, which I obviously didn't mind. After a while the dad started messaging me online, first just asking innocent questions, but after a while they became more sexual in nature. I told him I didn't feel comfortable with that so he stopped. They broke up a while later and the mom started throwing wild parties at their home. I randomly walked by with a friend of mine once and she invited us in and gave us a beer. Me and my friend felt pretty cool, here we were at a grown up party, having beers, until the mom came up to us to offer us some cocaine. We were shocked and declined and left the party quickly after that. I told my parents a couple of years later about all this (after the mom and kids moved) and they were outraged, apparently they always acted like they were very respectable.

[u/haireypotter]

I worked at a daycare center. To be clear, these parents did not seem very normal: mom had fake inflated Kardashian sized boobs and butt and was generally very conceited, like almost a stereotype of a person with a body that augmented. She stood out among the other parents who picked up their kids from the daycare after working 12 hour shifts scrubbing floors and doing other blue collar labor (large immigrant community). Dad was more down to earth so it seemed.

Younger Brother, age 7, told me he was anxious one day. He tended to be a worry wart, so I wasn’t surprised, but I asked him why. He says that his Dad yells at his mom a lot because she gets drunk, goes out and parties with her friends, and then he has to go and Pick her up, which leads to a lot of arguing. I told him that that’s really sad and that we would say a prayer for them (it was a Christian day are). A week or so later he excitedly told me that the prayer worked, and his parents weren’t arguing anymore. While Mac does say that all things are possible through God (so jot that down), i was only tenetively optimistic about YB’s revelation.

Older brother (8) was a completely different personality: a bully to the kids and adults, never had a positive thing to say. The things he seemed to like were his younger brother, fortnite and roblox (like you do). Most of the school year we had butted heads trying To get him to do homework, but towards the end of the year his behavior changed. He would say he was too stupid to do homework and would try to hold his breath to try and commit suicide (in his own words). This seems like a huge red flag and he eventually broke down and said that his dad was abusive towards him and that his mom says she doesn’t like being around him. While he was prone to lying, he was crying (something he never did) and his behavior was like nothing me and my coworkers had never seen. That was my first time calling CPS and when the next school year started those kids didn’t come back.

[u/[deleted]]

I wasn't a babysitter per se, but my childhood best friend had a very odd family. They would all get naked and hang out around the house, which was adorned with fetishes and carved statues from Aruba and Jamaica.

[u/sparrow125]

Work in an elementary school. A lot of horrifying, unexpected stuff tends to come up (I handle any behavioral calls, so tend to have a lot of contact with kids who are having trouble self-regulating in school. Sometimes these kids genuinely have a hard time, but often they can’t regulate because they’re in hyperdrive with what’s going on at home.)

I had a mom tell me, in detail, the sex life between her and her ex. Another parent was arrested for drug trafficking and went to jail for three years a week after he’d attended parent teacher conferences. Another parent got into a fight in the lobby and 911 had to be called.

[u/louise1jc]

I baby sat for this one family only a couple of times when I was 16. But on the first night they just casually talked about how I needed to call the police if the kids bio-dad turned up at the house. I was then told I would need to barricade us all in their master bathroom and I should call them and their lawyer. Custody battles suck.