25. So THIS is Why It’s Called Candy Corn
Candy corn is one of those things we eat maybe once a year — and likely on one specific day a year. Even though Halloween has seemingly been drawn out in a commercialized effort to last virtually a month, there’s only so much of this sugary, wax-like candy one can possibly consume.
On the flipside, we have have learned how these candies got their name. This picture shows a creative effort in constructing what essentially is half of a corn on the cob. By stacking these candies on top of each other in a circular manner, you really do see why the candies are aptly name.
24. A Life Hack For Sending Packages
We’ve all been there when it comes to sending off packages. The prices can be absolutely outrageous, and there are those times where we have to bite the bullet and expedite a package that needs a quick journey to its eventual destination.
Well, one FedEx worker essentially confirmed a method that one user had perfected. If you’re sending more than one package to a location and need to get it rushed, simply rush one of the packages. The Express system will want to be efficient (thus sending packages to the same address at the same time). As such, try this little wrinkle out at some point.
23. This is…Weird To Say The Least
This is nearly beyond the realm of comprehension. If you look at any sort of menu, listing of food, or anything remotely having to do with meat, you’ll see the word ‘beef’ used. Apparently according to the dictionary, there’s a plural version of said word.
Beeves. Yes, beeves is the plural form of beef. We’ll give you a second while you process this bizarre nugget of information. “Hey guys! I’m currently in the backyard roasting some beeves on the grill!”
22. From Fossils to Pop Rock
This one is a blast from the proverbial past. Many of you surely have seen Jurassic Park — where Timmy (actor Joseph Mazzello) had the infamous scene where he and his on-screen sister were in a kitchen trying to evade two velociraptors.
Well, to make you feel a bit older, the same actor who played Timmy recently portrayed Queen band member John Deacon in the hit film Bohemian Rhapsody. Mazzello has been steadily acting since his memorable role alongside Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill. To see him roughly 30 years later as a full-fledged adult might be jarring to some.
21. Pepper Particulars
We knew that different peppers had different names. This isn’t a surprise — as many are categorized by different colors and heat levels. But, we had no idea that the names of peppers could be altered strictly by the state of them.
As the image shows above, ‘fresh’ or fresco peppers have one name. When transitioning to the state of seco or dried, they have a totally new name altogether. We’d be curious in seeing how the flavor profile of these peppers change given their state.
(reddit)
20. A Famous Movie Lot
Hollywood is a funny place. You’d think most movies would be filmed on location for whatever the setting may be. Sometimes that’s the case, but in others it’s simply not feasible financially to film in random spots. Studios would rather save money — thus creating soundstages and sets to mimic places elsewhere. When it comes to the show Friends, it was filmed in Southern California rather than in New York.
Interestingly enough, prior to the show even being a thing, the movie Hocus Pocus used the same set when supposedly being in front of a high school in New England. Even the iconic fountain made an appearance in the film!
19. A Real-Life Cartoon Snake
Now this one is rather funny. The Arabian sand boa from a natural habitat standpoint are mostly found in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Yemen. As the name suggests, you’d be finding them living in the sand. These snakes are tiny, growing roughly only 15 inches in size.
With that said, the appearance of these snakes are a bit comical. They do resemble the rather basic snakes kids would draw back in the day, with a Olive Garden breadstick-esque body and two ‘googly’ eyes.
18. This Could’ve Been Useful in Middle School!
Math was really difficult for some — especially when in middle school and eventually high school. To some, trying to solve an algebraic equation was akin to reading something in an entirely different language. Some learn differently than others, and more often than not, teachers traditionally would teach the solving of math problems in one, rigid way.
Well, this twitter account flipped the proverbial script — breaking down how to do percentages in a much easier, straightforward way. Why didn’t teachers give us this option back in the day when we were struggling to complete worksheets at home in-between munching on bagel bites and guzzling down Yoo-Hoo?
17. This Will Save Me Some Time
Those with iPhones know all about having a bunch of tabs/windows open. You might see something of interest that you want to revisit later. As such, you keep said window open to peruse later on. After a while you’ve got hundreds of tabs open, thus slowing down your phone and zapping your battery in the process.
Never underestimate the ease of an Apple product. As instructed by the picture above, simply pushing down on that icon will give you a chance to close all of the tabs on your phone. A game-changer, to be sure.
16. A Cooking Tip
Being efficient in the kitchen is a goal for many. This includes keeping a clean cooking station as a way to keep clutter/clean-up to a minimum. It’s so common to be frustrated when stirring something. Once you’re finished stirring, where do you place the stirring utensil? You won’t place it back in the pot — where you’re liable to have sauce spraying and spitting everywhere.
You also don’t want to put the wet spoon on a clean kitchen counter. You’d be making more of a mess when grabbing multiple paper towels and placing the spoon on that. Well, all you have to do is look at the handle of the pot you’re using. Use that as a spoon holder. Even better, potential sauce dripping off the spoon should fall cleanly back into the pot.
15. And You Thought This Was a Handle…
Another cooking tool you can use! Chopping on a good cutting board is vital for meal prep. When trying to transport your chopped vegetables into a pot, more often than not, you’re spilling half of your vegetables onto the counter.
Well…do you see the ‘handle’ on the side of the board? Use that slot to effectively corral your chopped veggies into the pot. It’s a quick and easy way to ensure that you’ll leave no lost veggies behind.
14. The Efficient Juice Box Way
When you were kids, drinking juice boxes was a very satisfying feeling. However, there were always those last few sips hiding out at the bottom that were nearly impossible to reach with the straw. You had to virtually crunch the box in order for the liquid to squeeze out.
As this image shows, we’ve been using juice box straws incorrectly all along! BY inverting the straw into an “L” shape rather than the other way, you’ll be able to savor the liquid at the very back corner of the juice box.
13. SpongeBob Hidden Meaning
There are a number of fun Easter eggs strewn about in the SpongeBob SquarePants universe. These are things that most kids wouldn’t recognize. For that matter, most adults would also have trouble seeing subtle aspects of the story which would suggest something entirely unforeseen.
Take the Krusty Krab for example. When you really study the structure, something clearly pops to mind. As fate would have it, the undersea restaurant is actually using a lobster trap cage as the basis of its structure. This was a highly clever move by the animators and set designers.
12. “I’m Trying This Next Time I Go to Chipotle”
The politics when it comes to any sort of fast food restaurant where they scoop servings in front of you is definitely something to watch for. This poster is convinced that you need a bit of tact when ordering a burrito from Chipotle.
If you’re looking a double scoop/helping of any sort of protein, this poster suggests waiting until the first scoop is given before asking for more. While this is merely anecdotal in nature, it makes sense that the attendant scooping the meat would want to be as equal as possible with each scoop.
11. No, Spongebob’s Dad is NOT a Cookie…
Fans of the show were delighted upon meeting Spongebob’s dad. Fans of the show were also a bit confused as to what Spongebob’s dad actually was — given that the figure sort of resembles that of a soggy cookie or biscuit.
Well, putting two and two together, we realize that — of course his dad was biologically speaking a sponge! In this case, he was a brown sponge, one that was older and ‘used up’ more so than his kooky son.
10. An Easy Way To Bake
Baking is an exact science. You generally want to follow the directions in order to bake the ideal item. If you splurge on an ingredient, you may get something a bit too wet or oily. If you go under the suggested amount, you may be left with a stodgy or dry cake.
In this case, we’ve been a given an absolutely perfect hack when putting together cake batter. Simply take the outside portion of your measuring cup and make an indentation in the flour. From there, pour your oil into the crater until filled to the top. That way, you don’t go under or over the amount of oil needed to make that spectacular pastry!
9. Something Useful For Your Next Party
Solo cups are usually the perfect apparatus for drinks at a party. You can quickly dispose of them when it comes to clean-up, they’re excellent for drinking games, and to differentiate your cup from someone else’s, you can write your name on the front with a sharpie.
You probably didn’t pay close attention to the lines on a solo cup. Well, they are there to differentiate as to how much liquor should be poured into a cup by volume. A 12-ounce beer will sit towards the top lip of the cup once the foam settles. A glass of wine is the equivalent to essentially the middle line of the cup. As for one shot, use the bottom line as a measuring stick.
8. Spot on Branding
FedEx is one of the most respectable and trustworthy services in the United States. When you want a package sent out somewhere, more often than not, FedEx will get the job done. Interestingly enough, when looking at the logo for the company, there’s something hidden that most probably haven’t noticed before.
In-between the “E” and the “X’ is the perfect shape of an arrow (in the color white). From a branding standpoint, surely that’s paying homage to the company’s main job — which is transporting things to and from. If you have never seen that arrow before, surely you won’t forget it now once looking at the logo.
7. The Weird McFlurry Straw
Most people who’ve been to a McDonald’s has had a McFlurry. This ice cream treat is not only delicious, but perfect on a hot summer’s day. Well, have you ever wondered about the weird plastic spoon they give you? You know — where there’s a huge hole inside the handle of the spoon?
The mystery has been solved. There’s a little attachment on the side of the plastic spoon. Once the McDonald’s attendant throws in the topping for the McFlurry (usually Oreo crumbles), the attendant attaches the spoon to the top of the ice cream machine. From there, more ice cream comes down through the middle of straw until it sits atop the top portion of the plastic cup.
6. Pop Culture Repeats Itself
This is quite funny. The cartoon characters Chip and Dale were fan favorites dating back 70+ years. The two chipmunks were among Disney’s most early cartoon characters. Surely wanting to pay homage to later pop culture — along with chronicling the adventures the chipmunks would go on — we saw them dressed in familiar attire.
That’s right — one of the chipmunks was dressed just like Magnum P.I. (Tom Selleck). The other…just like Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford).
5. A KFC Surprise…and We Aren’t Talking About Their Secret Spice Blend!
Everyone within the United States is familiar with KFC — whether you’ve tried the delicious, iconic fried chicken or now. The secret blend of 11 spices used on the meat remains unknown. Ironically enough, the KFC Twitter account itself follows — you guessed it — 11 people (staying with the theme of its branding).
One Twitter enthusiast (pictured above) noticed this tongue-and-cheek decision by the KFC social media team. As such, KFC allegedly sent him back a painted portrait of the guy himself holding a KFC drumstick along with the Colonel himself.
4. This Makes Some Real Sense…
Most people have small boxes of tin foil in their homes — usually stashed away somewhere in their kitchen. Most of the times, when needing a sheet to wrap up extra food, you’d dip into your pantry or cupboard, pull off a sheet, risk crinkling said sheet, and putting it back in the pantry.
We do use paper towel rolls, and often have them hanging up somewhere in our kitchens. As we see here, there’s a side tab on most tin foil containers which enable you to hang them in similar fashion. Why this isn’t universally more well-known is a bit of a mystery.
3. Would You Eat This?
There are a plethora of fruits people do peel before eating. Among the more common ones would be an orange and a banana. However, has anyone ever attempted to peel a lemon before? Normally in cooking, you just cut one in half before squeezing the juice onto a dish for a bit of acid.
Or, a wedge will be delicately cut to put on the rim of a cocktail. In both cases, the peel is still on one side of the lemon. Well, someone took the time to peel a lemon fully. Weirdly enough, it sort of resembles an orange or tangerine.
2. This Isn’t Magic…or is It?
Look VERY closely at this 8 of diamonds card. There’s something very special about it. Magic may or may not have been used in the making of this card. We promise, you, this isn’t a trick — nor is it an optical illusion of any kind.
Look in the middle of this card, and you’ll find a number. We won’t tell you what the number is, but it’ll eventually emerge. Hint: Try searching for the number “8” (and we aren’t talking about the ones on the bottom right or the top left of the card).
1. All Dolled Up For The County Fare
You don’t often think of cows as cute, cuddly animals. That stems from the fact that they don’t often display a coat exuding said cuddliness (like a sheep or other longhaired animals). Well, let us put that myth to rest for you.
This cow — looking lavish, soft, and poofy — is chilling in the field after being groomed properly. Yes, this guy was shampooed, conditioned, and blow dried. Imagine if they did this to all of the cows! We’d probably have more pet cows and less steaks as a result.
Crazy Stories Involving Nannies
25. Did You Set Me Up To Fail?
I had a DB who worked from home and was secretly following me everywhere that I took the kids. He was in the middle of a nasty divorce and there was a no contact order against MB. He was paranoid and convinced that I was taking the kids to go meet with her somewhere so she could take them.
One day he asked me to take the kids to haircuts at a salon down the street. It was a test apparently. The girl NK got her haircut there, but boy NK wanted to go to sports clips instead, and it was close by so I said sure. We drive to sports clips and I park and we get out, and then I see DB running across the parking lot at me going full speed. He literally almost tackled me.
He ripped my purse off my shoulder and dumped everything on to the ground and screamed “WHERES YOUR PHONE? I KNOW YOURE MEETING HER HERE. LET ME SEE YOUR TEXT MESSAGES NOW.” Dude was following us the entire time and when I deviated from the original plan he could not be reasoned with. I was 18 years old and I was literally terrified that he was going to harm me physically. I didn’t even quit after that incident (??♀️) but everything fell apart very quickly from there.
He starting constantly questioning me about everything with this venomous accusatory tone. Like his face was red and he would practically spit. And at the start he was one of those “you’re apart of the family, we love you, you can sleep in the guest bedroom whenever you want” type of overly nice people. Then the mask came off.
24. You Don’t Have To Fire Me, Because I QUIT
This was the last nanny job I will ever take. I was a nanny for a 3F and MB was pregnant when they hired me. DB was a SAHD and was always just kind of lurking around, working out, watching tv etc. He would usually leave for a few hours a day to run errands. DB definitely came from money, MB would be gone all day most of the time at work.
When I started at $20/hr we agreed on light housekeeping. This turned into me coming in everyday to both sides of the sink overflowing with crusted dirty dishes and just a generally dirty house. They had cleaners coming every week when I started. When I complained that I was doing far more than light housekeeping they bumped me up to $22/hr.
Then they had the housekeepers come every 2 weeks. These people would not even sweep or wipe off their own countertops in between cleanings so their house would become very unsanitary. Especially with two dogs, one of which was extremely aggressive and almost attacked me while I was holding the 3wk old baby. So I was constantly cleaning and organizing for my sanity and just generally feeling overworked and underpaid.
When it came time to update our contract as I’d been caring for the baby for 3+ months without an updated one, they tried to add in all kinds of sketchy/illegal stipulations. Like being paid a salary and the requirement to be seen at MB’s Urgent Care if I wanted to use any of my 16 hours of sick pay for a whole year.
They were not paying for or compensating my health insurance at all. Oh and the best one was her trying to add that if I failed to stay employed through their Vegas trip they had planned then I would be responsible for the airfare. I told her we didn’t see eye to eye, I would not be signing and would instead be giving notice (4 weeks on our contract.)
A week after this discussion they return home to relieve me late and when I said something about it, MB responded ‘do you want freaking $2?!’ I told her it’s not a big deal and we could end the contract as early as that Friday if she wanted. This turned into them yelling and cussing at me in front of the children, almost 20 minutes past when I should have been let off work. I told them I had to go and we could pickup the conversation the next day.
She fired me via text that night and then tried to withhold all of 20 worked hours for that week and all of my remaining vacation pay. I filed for unemployment and with the DOL. Both sided with me but she did not provide the DOL a forwarding address so I rescinded their involvement and am now in the midst of suing the nanny parents. She left a shitty review for me on Care but it doesn’t matter because they made me never want to nanny again.
23. Does Batman Live Here?
Are one off babysitting stories allowed? Shortly after I got home from college, I did a babysitting job for a neighbor. I had just fed the girls and was putting away dinner when out of the corner of my eye I saw something above me. Turns out there was a bat flying over my head. After 30 seconds of panic, I piled all the kids into the bathroom and called the parents they caught the bat a couple days later and turns out it was huge!
We are in the suburbs, so bats in the house is not at all common! I know more country areas, it happens occasionally
22. Forget My Number
So it’s the holidays and I’m looking for some fill in work. I have a 2yo and 5mo of my own. Interview with this family that needs some housework done and someone available in case 4yo gets sent home from school (should have been a red flag in itself). They can only pay me $15 an hour. Oh well, I’m used to getting low balled since I bring my own kids with me.
Go in the next day and mom had decided to just keep 4yo home so he can get to know me. Okay. Older kiddos go off to school and I start working on the literal mountain of laundry piled in the hallway. Later my baby goes down for a nap and I decide to tackle the pantry that mom asked me to organize. This is when it got bad.
Not only is over half the food expired but there is a massive bug infestation. I start chucking out bags and bags of food while trying not to vomit (especially after discovering bugs in the cereal the kids had for breakfast including my own son). Eventually I can’t take it anymore and older kiddos are home from school so I tell them we are going to the park. (I desperately needed fresh air).
All goes well until I say it’s time to go back for dinner. 4yo is upset and decided to take it out on my 5mo by punching him in the face while he’s chilling in his car seat. Then as I’m trying to load everyone in the car he bolts across a field I plop my littles in the car with the older kids and take off after him. Carry him back kicking and screaming and wrestle him into his car seat.
Get back to the house and 4yo is in a rage. He keeps trying to attack my infant and I spend the next hour standing guard over baby while trying to keep my oblivious 2yo close to me. 4yo finally sends to calm down and asks for a glass of water which I provide. He goes off and I start to relax… until older brother comes up and angrily demands if I have 4yo a glass of water.
I, bewildered, say yes and he says that I can’t do that when he is in a mood and that 4yo has dumped water all over his electronics. Older brother then takes it upon himself to corral 4yo and I leave him to it and immediately bolt when dad gets home, messaging mom that I am unavailable the rest of the week.
21. I’m Not Getting Paid Nearly Enough For This
I nannied for a woman who wanted to salary me at 400$ a week and then once I started working for her I realized I was there 4 days a week working 7 am -7pm with my day absolutely filled with things to do. I was only 19 at the time and didn’t realize I was getting exploited by her.
On top of that she had a 7 month old un fixed male puppy who she wanted me to walk for a minimum of 4 hours a day! Regardless if it was snowing or raining outside. She often sent me out in the car in snow storms to take the dog to the park because she wanted him “tired” when she got home.
When the dog was excited to see her when she got home she would accuse me of not walking him. She even one time accused me of abuse saying I wasn’t letting him out because he kept pissing on this one corner of the couch aka just marking his territory like I had told her.
This is only scratching the surface but at the end of it she basically decided to fire me but not tell me and kept saying “ I don’t need you this week I’m working from home” but also left me without pay. I finally confronted her and we agreed to part ways.
When I when to get my last 400$ check she tried to pay me 25$ for the entire week I worked because she felt it was “what I deserved” and said I broke things of hers. It took me weeks of harassing her to get her to pay me what she owed me. Absolute b****, I heard they got rid of their dog as well
20. Something Is Up…
The summer of my (20F) 16th birthday I went to work for a rich Parisian family in their castle in the countryside (I come from France). When I saw their luxurious flat with a garden in the most famous district of Paris, I suspected their wealth. But when I arrived at their castle, the ground collapsed under my feet.
I was first impressed by the size of the castle with a main building and two wings, all on 4 floors and surrounded by a park of several hectares. They had an Olympic swimming pool and several ponds, fields of grapes, a flamboyant vegetable garden and 3 other houses.
But on top of all that, they had an army of employees at their service : a home cook and her assistant, two butlers, two housekeepers, a year-round gardener and finally us, the three babysitters (there were seven children in all: the three cousins of the two I was babysitting and two daughters of friends who were staying in the castle at the same time as us).
So far the story is quite pleasant: it’s another world but you can accept it. Until I found out that all the employees except the cook were Sri Lankan employees, all from the same family and working for this rich family for 2 generations now.
They all slept in a rather shabby house (and were separated in Paris : some were living at the grandfather’s place when others were staying at each of his daughters house (the one I was working for and her sister) in some small servants rooms). Only this fact is shocking but there is more unfortunately… The younger ones of the Sri Lankans had two children : a boy and a girl of the same age as the children I was looking after.
But everytime all the children tried to play together, the grandfather would come after them and forbid them to talk to each other.
The staff were not allowed to use the pool even when no family members were there and seemed to be working 7 days a week overall.
To maybe reassure you, I was not staying in one of the most luxurious rooms and I was very badly paid (250€ for 12h of work / day for 7 days so around 3€/h), but I was treated well.
But anyways, I felt like I was going back 2 centuries during this week…
19. A Serial Offender Who Should Be Reprimanded
I worked in a nanny share.
MB1 and DB1 had 3 kids (g5,g3,g1). MB2 and DB2 had 2 kids (b2.5 and b1). Moms were sisters and lived right next to each other.
I started when g5 was 3.
DB1 was a chiropractor and gave “free” chiropractic care as a bonus to whoever they hired, weirdly enough he doesn’t give me any adjustments like this in the office.. he has me lie down on his ‘c’ shaped sectional couch.. he’d put his hand (no gloves) under my leggings which I didn’t wear underwear under, place his fingertips right above my **** and press hard while moving my leg bent to the side..
Unbeknownst to me, DB1 was sexually assaulting me and telling me it was an adjustment only ‘elite’ chiropractors know. It felt uncomfortable. Something was off. I never speak up for myself. So I stayed silent. Something I shouldn’t have done, but it is what it is, I can’t go back and change it.
I’ve never been to chiropractor. And at this point I’ve not had health insurance, or even knew how to verify. So I believed him.
I quit in Feb 2020, because MB1 was just too passive aggressive and just not a nice human.. they hired a new nanny who I became friends with. I revealed what happened to me to new nanny and said that I’ve done research and it’s not an adjustment.
Week goes by, new nanny calls crying saying he did it to her.
45. that’s how many chiropractors her mom called around central columbus, and none of them knew if that adjustment.
We go to chiropractic board, just to verify or deny that it’s an adjustment. No hear back. Come fall 2020, I get an aggressive call from MB2 how I’m lying, ruining his career, why would I do this blah blah blah. The board showed up at his office to start an investigation. MB2 then in a 1 month period ‘attacks’ me 3 separate times to get me to recant my statement. I quit Dec 2020.
Court happens, they lie on stand how I was a shitty nanny. Judge looks at MB2 when she’s on stand and says “if she was so bad, why did she continue working for you after she quit with MB1 & DB1?” She looks ridiculous in her seat bc she doesn’t have an answer.
Months go by, it’s now Feb 2021. Close to my birthday, still haven’t heard anything.
One day. One day after my birthday I get the call. He’s suspended from chiropractic care… for 6 MONTHS.
Do you know what he and his family did in those 6 months??
Took a f***ing “sabbatical” to their lake house to spend needed quality time with each other.
I feel so f***ing cheated.
18. Here For The Kids, Not For You
In college I nannied on a regular basis for a few families but I would also occasionally babysit other random families I met or found on sittercity here in there if I needed extra cash.
It was about a couple months or so before I was set to move into my own place (out of state with my bf) and so I was picking up a lot of random occasional sitter jobs. I meet this single dad through sittercity who needed a sitter for 2yoB. I make it clear that I’m only available on an occasional basis and that I’m moving WITH MY PARTNER very soon. He says that’s fine.
The first time I go over I get a weird vibe from DB. He’s very overly touchy with NK to a point where I feel uncomfortable and it doesn’t seem like NK is comfortable either. He also more than once touches my back and I don’t know why I never said anything but I just kinda jerked away from him and try to brush it off. He ALSO tells me that if I need to use the restroom I can just keep the door open and he “probably won’t walk by” WTF?
So yeah he has already given me the ick after the first meet but I keep going cause I need the money and I really loved NK he was so sweet and adorable. But yeah DB keeps being weird and I keep just brushing it off until finally it got really weird and I just stopped going but thennn he hits me up again to come and offers me $50 AN HOUR to come help him decorate NK new nursery (he had just moved in to this place pretty sure him and mom had just separated).
I agree to go cause that’s like double what I got paid usually. But as I’m talking to him I’m like wait … NK is gonna be there right. DB is like oh uh no he was actually supposed to be with his mom but I can have her bring him if you’re more comfortable. Im like uh yes please. So the day comes I go over there and guess what NK IS NOT THERE.
He does the weird touching my back thing again and I pull away and I’m like um where’s NK and he’s like oh yeah he should be here soon I told his mom to bring him at 11. In my head I’m like okay well why was I told to come in two hours before he got here like what. I keep trying to make a point of mentioning how I’m moving in literally like 5 days with my BOYFRIEND.
And he keeps saying how I shouldn’t move and should stay there and work for him. Keep in mind I’ve probably only gone over there a total of 5 times. Finallyyy the kid gets dropped off and I just try to focus all my attention on NK even though DB is just lurking around and talking to me still. Also we don’t decorate anything so that was all a lie lol.
Basically I think he just realized I wasn’t gonna come anymore and he wanted me to come so bad he offered me an insane amount to come and used “interior decorating” as an excuse.
Also DB tells me him and mom are in process of potty training NK and at one point he’s like oh it’s time for NK to try to go potty and he literally takes NK and forcibly holds him down on the toilet and makes me stand there and try to console NK while he’s screaming bloody murder and hyperventilating.
I was literally appalled and almost started crying like he literally traumatized that little boy what kind of PT tactic is that. NK ended up peeing on my feet a little bit on accident and the dad was like adamant about insisting I shower and I’m just like “no thank you I’m okay”.
When I left that day the little boy clung to me so hard and was screaming for me to stay and I’d only met him like 5 times it was so sad I just knew he felt so unsafe with DB ):
After that the dad would text me constantly for MONTHS asking how I was and saying he wish I still lived there so he could take me out and it was soooo weird I never responded to him but a few months ago I got a message from sittercity saying he had been terminated for unacceptably inappropriate behavior or something along those lines.
I hope that what I experienced with him was the worst of it and that he didn’t hurt any other girls who were employed by him
17. Eight Pages Of Rules Is About Seven Pages Too Many
I’ve been nannying for so long and have worked for so many families I could write stories all day. My two favorite moms to talk about are on complete opposite ends of the spectrum, one being the most over protective parent I’ve ever encountered, and the other being the most permissive, never telling her children no (when she was present).
The first was a first time mother, so I was a bit sympathetic to her obsessive (nee annoying) behavior, but she eventually just drove me away. I worked for this family over the weekend each week, and at first even though she seemed very protective, she was still very nice.
The child was about 8 months old and just starting to scoot along on the floor. The mommy was very adamant about you never being less than a few inches away from her in case she bumped her head while trying to scoot on the floor.
Now I’ve never been a mother, but my philosphy is that we are going to have bumps and bruises along the way. I am going to do everything I can to provide a safe environment that encourages learning and development, but for heavens sake-follow her around with your hands poised to catch her at all times?
Each time this mother came home she would inspect the child and question you about any mark that she found (or made up). She left passive agressive notes around the house addressing things she didn’t like you doing that she had watched on the videos after you left. These are things like “Wash silverware very well before putting them in the dishwasher” posted on the dishwasher….
What took the cake was the day I arrived to an 8 page set of house rules, laying out everything she had watched her sitters do on her nanny cams that she did not like and that were not allowed.
The typical “Don’t use cell phones while in our home” etc etc were on the list but the things that took the cake were things like “Don’t eat in front of our baby because it’s unfair to her feelings.” and “Don’t leave the baby in her crib while you use the restroom”.
This is what I did since she also said the baby was never to be left unattended and I felt she was the safest in her crib. Another rule listed was to never take the baby into the bathroom with you because there were no cameras in there.
I was so utterly offended by what that rule insinuated I never went back. The nanny agency I worked for her through told me she sent 4 page emails on a weekly basis detailing and complaining about each sitter they had sent her up until me.
The rules went on and on…this mother was a nutter and quiet frankly was being more harmful than helpful to her child. There really has to be a balance for a healthy child to learn and explore in a safe encouraging environment.
(deleted)
16. The Nightmare Assignment
I had a child so evil, so effed up, so destined for prison that I still cringe when I think of him four years later.
I was 21 and nannying for the first time for a family with two girls (11 and 8) and a boy (5). The two girls worshipped me and I never had any problems with either of them. The boy, though, from day one, was absolutely determined to hate me and make my life a living hell. This child was very smart and used to getting anything he wanted. He knew exactly what he was doing.
There were so many times that I should have quit because I was stressed and unhappy every day, even outside work.
I should have quit the time I took him to the video store, and when I told him he couldn’t get the Power Rangers DVD he wanted because we needed to get a movie his sisters would like too, he threw himself on the floor, started screaming at the top of his lungs in the middle of the store, and hitting me with an umbrella.
I should have quit the time he was disobeying me so I told him he had to have a time out, and when he wouldn’t move I tried to pick him up and carry him to time out, and he started punching me in the arm repeatedly, so I just gave up on time out.
I should have quit the time I asked him what he was drawing, and he said it was a gravestone with my name on it.
I should have quit the time the dad found me crying alone in the kitchen out of sheer frustration, and when I tried to communicate to him how disrespectful the child was to me, he proceeded to tell me that he and his wife encourage their kids’ “strong personalities,” which somehow justified the little bastard’s behavior. (I thought my brain was going to explode at that moment.)
Those are just some instances I can think of off the top of my head; I’m sure I can think of many more. Every day with that child was a nightmare.
After only about two months, despite my best efforts to bond with the kid and be firm with him, the kid, a fucking 5-year-old, had broken my spirit. It’s crazy to think of now, but he really did.
One day he was being his normal little shithead self, and I muttered under my breath “G___, you are the meanest little boy I’ve ever met.” The kid heard me, told his dad and I was fired on the spot.
I know that it may sound pathetic that I let a damn kindergartener get to me like that, but this kid was hell-bent on driving me away; I have no doubt of this whatsoever. And maybe I shouldn’t have said what I said that day, but considering all the times I stopped myself from screaming expletives at the kid, I think I showed a lot of restraint.
I was upset for all of two days that I got fired and then realized that I was MUCH better off without that family, because it was taking a toll on my mental well-being. (Not to mention that I know now, working with another family, that I was grossly underpaid.)
I also learned how to recognize signs in kids right away that signify similar behaviors to the little hellion, and to avoid families with children like that. NOT worth it.
15. ‘Shadow Man’ Causing Problems
I have a good one here. I had a very open family in which I was very comfortable with both of the parents. I felt like one of the fam, it was a great job.
One night the mom and dad were going out to a function at a local brewery, and were meeting there. Dad was feeding the kids dinner when I got there and was being picked up by a friend so that drunk driving wouldn’t be a problem later on.
No big deal. Normal night. Normal day the next day…
But on the third day, I get there, and we’re having a sit down conversation with both parents…
Oh shit. F, the oldest boy, had told of an encounter with a ‘shadow man’ that was there when I was watching them that night. All F had told them was that a man that was not my boyfriend, whom the kids know, was in their house drinking beer and it was already dark outside.
They were concerned, and had right to be I suppose. They questioned me for days, all kept asking F for more info. It turns out the man in question was the guy who came to pick up dad.
He came in, had a beer, and they left together.
F just failed to mention to mom that dad was also there with the shadow man. I looked like a horrible person. Kids don’t communicate well at 3 1/2!!!
14. Sure, I’ll Just Switch All Of My Plans Around Just For You
Mine also has to do with a controlling Mom. Not so much with the children, but with me. The kids were pretty much allowed to do whatever they wanted. If i told then they weren’t allowed to have cookies because i was cooking dinner, they would call her at work and she would tell them they could.
I had a month long vacation planned before i interviewed for the position, they knew about it and had approved. A few months before i was set to leave, they had to change their summer plans. They asked me to switch the month of my trip. Since it wasn’t TOO much trouble, i did.
This involved switching weekend with various people, hotels, and campgrounds we would be staying with since it was a road trip. Two weeks before we were set to go Mom asks me to come home a week earlier than planned from trip. Since this was a carefully planned road trip coming home more than a day or two early would definitely ruin most of our plans.
I told her this to which she replied, “you can’t just fly home early!?” I’m still unsure as to whether she didn’t understand what a road trip was or she wanted me to leave my boyfriend alone to drive the last 7 days of the trip alone.
Either way i just said no and eventually she let it go. Things weren’t the same after that though. I had always said yes to everything in the past and she was obviously pretty Pissed about me denying her anything. Lol i found another job soon after and continue to love it (2 years later).
13. Live-In Nanny With The Absolute Worst Conditions
I started working as a live-in nanny for a family in February. Everything about them seemed perfectly fine–no red flags during the interview or in our correspondence–so I happily took the position.
Within the first few days, everything changed. I had been told that she had a mild seizure disorder (and had gone over emergency administration of medicine), but I learned the next morning that she would be having a physical therapy session–in my room!
There were more therapy sessions throughout the week: daily physical therapy, twice weekly occupational therapy and once weekly speech therapy.
The sweet little girl that I had mistaken for shy was actually developmentally disabled and the family had failed to disclose this vital information! Still, I needed the job and had already moved in. I took it as an opportunity to learn, and gained a lot of experience.
More medical conditions were revealed as I went on. Eczema, neurological problems, separation anxiety… Still I stuck with it. The harder I worked though, the more duties were piled on. I had already negotiated a higher salary (she tried to pay me $350 a week to start!), but I was basically working 60 hours at minimum wage.
My accommodations were poor and I had intermittent access to a shower, so I was already unhappy. I stopped doing favors and only provided the services that were clearly outlined in our verbal agreement. I decided to resign because my boss couldn’t provide a decent wage for special needs care.
I had to give TWO MONTHS notice, but wait for it… I ended up leaving an entire month early without severance pay because SHE TURNED ME OUT OF HER HOME THIS MORNING.
An officer came and watched as I packed up my things at 7:00AM. I waited at the police station for over an hour while my boyfriend drove to pick me up. And why? Because I was following our verbal agreement. My start time was set at 7:00AM and I refused to start at 6:00AM because I’m still recovering from an infection. I didn’t have sick days or benefits.
If you’re looking for work in Mahwah, NJ, message me and I’ll forward her name. You do not want to work for this person.
(Bot695)
12. “Can You Make Sure To Use Premium, Too? Thanks”
Professional Nanny here for many different families. I’ve got a TON of family horror stories! Once, I was a nanny for infant twins. The parents would have me come in early 1 day a week so they could go on a little lunch date. They’d go in their room to get ready and then go out. Nbd. Til one day I got there and the mom turned to dad and said “Are you ready to go have our shower?!” Ew no, T.M.I.
Also I had a family who expected me to use my own money to fill up the tank of their giant SUV I only used once a day to pick them up from school. I told them no, as a young, 20 something year old, college student, I sometimes don’t have that amount of money available. They said that was I was incredibly irresponsible and proceeded to try and give me “financial counseling.”
Then, when I finally left that job to move to another city, the mom told me I could use her as a reference. But she gave me a bad reference and told my potential new job the SUV/gas story. Luckily that mom still hired me and said “Sounds like your old job was challenging, her issues with you aren’t reasonable concerns to me.” And I proceeded to work there for 3.5 years.
(deleted)
11. Well, That Was An Unreasonable Response
I’ve got a good one.
I used to nanny for an attachment parenting raised four year old named L. L was a little beast of a child. Constantly threw tantrums, hit, spit, kicked, the whole shebang.
One day L had a playdate and while I was feeding L’s baby sister, I hear this blood curddling scream coming from L’s bedroom. I run upstairs to find her little friend scream-crying while his nose gushed blood.
I rush him into the bathroom and tend to his face while L stays in her room singing and playing. When the bleeding stops and her friend has stopped crying I ask L what happened. Word for word with a huge smile on her face:
“I told Milo that I wanted to play farm and if he didn’t want to play farm I was gonna kill him. So I hit him in the face with my bucket.”
Her parents were told what happened and she was never punished. I quit soon after. Girl was crazy. She would trip her sister on purpose and giggle about it. F****** attachment parenting..
10. You Tested Positive For Covid? No Problem!
Made me work the day after I told them I tested positive for covid after I said I wasn’t comfortable doing that
Makes me buy dinner at restaraunt everyday, haircuts, other expenses on my card and then gets mad of how much they cost and yells at me
I drive their kids around for like 3 straight hours a day following the moms instructions and then she yells at me for “always being out of the house” and doesn’t pay for car deterioration/miles.
And so much more.
9. Cleaning Up After The Kids And The Parents
The first family I nannied for was a NIGHTMARE. The parents were sweet people, but complete hot messes. I was basically treated more like a housekeeper than a nanny (or “babysitter” as they called me, which I despised because it makes my job sound cute when I’m actually a professional!)
They were both huge slobs— I’d spend hours cleaning the downstairs, only to come back the next day and have it all be wrecked again. Toys strewn about, clothes I’d folded and put in baskets knocked over on the filthy floor, crumbs and bits of food everywhere. And the best part is that I was being paid $13/hr, part-time!
At the time I thought I was making bank (I was coming from working retail), but now I make almost $20/hr at my current job and want to laugh at myself for what I put up with.
On top of all of that, their oldest child had major anger issues and had to go to therapy twice a week. He was a sweet kid, but one time he flew off the handle and wrecked the house while I was there— complete with punching a hole in the drywall. All at 6 years old!!!
Eventually they let me go because the parents were separating, but I couldn’t help but be relieved, honestly.
8. When You Work Two Jobs For The Price Of One
I worked for a family a while back who lived in a very large home: 7 bathrooms, 6 bedrooms, built in pool, very famous mansion in the suburbs. When the cleaning lady wasn’t there, ( she came every other week), I had to clean everything. So I was considered a nanny/housekeeper. It was crazy cleaning all those bathrooms. Boss lady would ask me to:
sew/mend her underwear ( ugly Hanes underpants).
Polish silver trays and platters.
Use an old toothbrush to scrub bathroom fixtures.
Wash “door jams”,
Iron her suede pantsuit. I had no clue how to iron! She never asked me again.
There was a girl I nannied for in the middle of all this. She was a nice girl, raised by self-important parents.
Oh, there was more, but I’ll stop. You get the idea.
7. Can You Just…Let Me Be, Please?
Ok I don’t know if this is really a horror story but… there was one day I came into work with a ton of anxiety (a lot in my personal life plus my 25-minute commute was all ice and fog, it was just tough). I immediately let MB know I was on edge, then we did a normal handoff.
I was not feeling well, my anxiety escalated into a panic attack, but put NK down for first nap regardless. I then let MB and DB know I was having a panic attack and was going to take an anxiety medication to manage this. Note: it was not required that I mention this sort of thing, I did it out of courtesy because my anxiety medication does have a physical impact on my body to lower heart rate and such.
I wanted to maintain transparency and in previous conversations they had been open about how important it is to be accepting about mental health, etc. They made it clear that they wanted to create an environment without stigma around mental health. My mistake for believing them
MB hovered over me most of the day, badgering me to tears at times. She was yelling at me in her sons bedroom, I actually had to remind her to take that sort of conversation elsewhere—and that created even more argument.
It got to a point where I just laid in the baby’s nursery quietly during his nap to avoid her finding me. She still found me tho. That whole day she would come over to us and look in horror, as if she was witnessing a crime. It only made me cry more tbh.
I was feeling upset and she made me feel like I was putting her child in danger. And when I would cry or get upset, baby would also get worked up and confused of course. I don’t know if I can express how awful this whole experience was, but I’m so glad I don’t work in that environment anymore.
I even made a point to discuss medications with my current NF during our interview; it was important that I work with people who trust me to take my own medication as prescribed and as needed. Go figure, I haven’t had any anxiety with this job…. I feel trusted and I feel safe.
6. Started Off Great, But It Took A Turn…
My 2nd nanny job I was super excited for, queer family with one 6 y/o girl. They told me when I started that they wanted a mix of nanny and house manager but not at the same time. I was getting paid 22/hr under the table, and they gave me so much flexibility during the day. They’d give me gifts all the time too they they just didn’t need, like apple pencils and other things.
Originally the plan was for me to tutor the kid at home with her online school because they suspected some sort of special needs but hadn’t had her tested. MB1 worked long hours and was either not home or needed to sleep for the shift. MB2 was dealing with mental health issues, going back to school, and “house work”.
Little by little, more responsibilities were added. They also had loads of cats, in a small 2bd condo so it was cramped with everyone in the house all at once.
First off, the girl was much more significant needs than I originally anticipated. I’m guessing severely autistic, nonverbal (to put it on perspective, I have more luck understanding what my current NK2 needs, than I ever did with her) and they couldn’t get her tested due to some red tape. There were constant meltdowns, potty accidents, no way to communicate, and she couldn’t do any school work.
I was eventually fully her teacher, carer, chauffeur, activity planner, the house maid (sweeping, dishes, litter boxes etc) handyman (fixing drawers and replacing their front door) personal shopper (either groceries delivered or I would run to the store for things) organizer (entire balcony full of stuff I cleared out) car detailed (old convertible needed to be revamped for MB1 to drive again) and personal assistant (fielding calls and doing research for various house projects, taking quotes, setting up people to come check things) All of this on top of a 1hr commute each way.
I was making good money but I was driving a s***** car with no AC in a super hot state, so the drive got old fast. Eventually I couldn’t handle any of it anymore and left that job for my current dream job, and I’ve been with NK2 for a year now.
(its_cal_)
5. Surprise Attacks While Driving On The Freeway
I took on a summer nanny job when I was 19 and studying to become an elementary teacher. The NF knew kids at my parent’s church who I would watch when I was in town. I needed the money to help pay for tuition for the fall that my loans didn’t cover and my mom was a stickler about not quitting things, even when they were absolutely terrible.
The NK were 6 and 8 and the 6M kid was AWFUL. I would go to the park and other parents would literally whisper saying “There’s the devil child.” At one point, he attacked me while driving on the freeway because he didn’t want to go to the guitar lesson he had planned. I’m still not sure how I didn’t crash and die that day.
Whenever I would tell MB about these things, she would brush me off. And because I was staying with my parents that summer and had nowhere else to go, my mom made me feel like I couldn’t quit (even though I would work 40hours a week and then go to my retail job on nights/weekends)
Happy I survived that summer. I now have a teaching degree, have taught kindergarten for 5 years, and have a very strained relationship with my mother lol.
4. With Parents Like These…
I was a summer nanny (au pair) in college in the late ’80s. One baby, MB didn’t work, DB traveled all week and only home on weekends. They didn’t need a nanny, MB was just bored and lonely.
MB was the epitome of a Rich B****. Boarding schools, world travel, never actually worked a full day in her life. DB was Midwest nice and completely normal. (Their marriage did not last long, lol.) They lived in Greenwich, CT, which…well, you know.
ANYWAY. Here are my stories from the summer of ’88.
I first met them on the plane in Atlanta for our flight to her family’s “estate” in Bermuda. Not just at the gate – I was already seated (flight attendant told me to) and they were the last ones to board. When we landed, she told me that if they had missed the flight, she would have just called the airport in Bermuda to ask me to wait in customs for them to arrive. I had never flown before ever, and I didn’t even have a passport, only a copy of my birth certificate. It was a late-arriving flight, and the airport closed overnight.
While in Bermuda, they rented a yacht for the baby’s “christening party.” I got violently seasick and came very, very close to falling down a flight of stairs while holding the baby.
She told me not to bother trying to talk to any native Bermudians because “you can’t understand them anyway.” When a grandmotherly member of the cleaning staff (native) tried to do peek-a-boo with the baby, Rich B**** literally grabbed the child off my lap and took her into another room without saying a word. During the week-long stay, she never once even made eye contact with the local staff. Most native Bermudians have very dark skin, btw.
As we boarded the plane to fly to Greenwich, she whispered to me: “I’m glad customs didn’t check my bag too carefully, I’m over the limit on the amount of cash they allow.” The limit was $10,000. The woman carried MORE THAN TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS IN CASH in her carry-on bag. When we got to their house, she put in the floor safe in the basement, adding it back to the even bigger pile of cash on hand. Adjusted for inflation, that’s $25,000+.
For baby’s first birthday, she threw a party for 20 (twenty) one-year-olds and HAD A CLOWN SHOW UP. A clown with full wig and makeup. And balloons. And a horn.
The one that broke me: Their dog was a Giant Schnauzer. The poor thing was so over-bred it peed on the floor every time the phone rang. Rich Bitch stated that this pupper was the best guard dog because it could…wait for it…”smell the difference between Black people and white people.” I s*** you not. I don’t think I said more than two words at a time to her the rest of the summer. I think she’s now a realtor, probably red-lining gated neighborhoods and arranging predatory mortgages.
The next summer I nannied for a Jewish family from Queens who adopted me into their giant extended clan and they were the BEST and I cried the entire flight home because I didn’t want to leave. Their one and only flash of wealth was going to a niece’s Bat Mitzvah where Kylie Minogue was the live entertainment.
3. Nanny Horror Story From Both Sides
I baby sat for a few families in my neighborhood from ages 12 to 15. Someone referred me to a family that I didn’t know – they ended up having 5 kids and one was severely disabled. There was hardly any food in the house and no instructions were left for meals or their disabled child. I had arrived at about 3 pm and they said they’d be home by 8 pm. At 9 pm I started calling their contact number – no cells yet. No answer. They finally arrive home after midnight, no apologies and then short me $. I refused a ride and walked home and started working in fast food. They called me for months to come again. Nope.
Decades later I re-injure my spinal cord while my (now ex) hubs was deployed. We scrambled to find someone to care for our Autistic, Epileptic 2 year old child. Hub’s family are Midwestern Southern Baptists, siblings are preachers or married to them. Very pious, close community. They recommend a church member’s daughter to come Nanny for us.
At first she was great, then she met a married marine and started going out with him and drinking. Non married sex, married partners and alcohol are very taboo in their religion. She charges up my Visa and phone bill, although we paid her very well and she had full use of a vehicle, cell (she used our landline?) and no expenses. Plus, a lot of time off and independence for exploring the island and beaches, etc. I would have fired her immediately, for lying, stealing, etc., but our child loved her and she was good with him.
2. Would Have Never Expected This…
When I babysat as a teen, one of the families I work for was a little… off? Very quiet, kinda dorky, but the kids were so, so sweet. They were my neighbors and my mother had always said she got a really creepy vibe from the dad, who was a world renowned pediatric oncologist.
I worked for them for years; they treated me well, paid generously, and I usually worked late nights so after I put the kids to bed i would just hang out and do hw/read on their computer until the parents got home and the dad would walk me back to my house.
I eventually got a different job that took up all of my time, and a few months later the father was arrested on THOUSANDS of CSA image charges. Mainly of girls about the same age as me. There were cameras in almost every room of that house, he had a daughter, and even worse, his wife was the president of the kid’s schools yearbook, so she had THOUSANDs of pictures of all the kids they went to school with.
He plead guilty, but from what I understand, they never ended up telling their kids why “daddy was going away”. I think he’s getting out of federal prison this year. I don’t remember anything specifically inappropriate happening to me, but it makes my heart stop every time I think about it.
1. An Absolutely Horrifying Scene
Nannied for a family who seemed so nice and normal. Wealthy. Orange County, California. The mom worked out of the home in sales and the dad worked from home full time but I would not see him at all. Their den was converted into his office and he had a little fridge and microwave in there for his lunch and stuff. I was not keen on nannying with a parent home but he never even opened the door to come out while I was working. So, pretty easy. I’d been working for them for about 8 months and they told me they were taking a family vacation and wanted me to house sit and pet sit while they were gone. Perfect set up.
They had 3 sweet cats and one pit Bull. I’d interacted with the dog a handful of times and even walked him a few times without issues. 99% of the time, he was in the office with the dad while he worked. I head over the day they’re leaving to help them load the car etc and they give me all the instructions. Seems easy peasy.
I get settled in and take a shower. When I get out of the shower, the dog is sitting on the bath mat dripping blood. I panic thinking he’s cut himself or is injured but then I realize that I’m wiping the blood off and there’s no injury. So I start following the blood trail only to find one of the cats literally ripped apart.
I panic and call my boyfriend at the time because I have zero clue how to handle the situation. I immediately call the family to tell them but they’re on their flight so it goes right to voicemail. I didn’t know if they’d want to cremate any remains or anything but I didn’t want to wait to find out. My boyfriend helps me clean it all up and I’m literally shaking from the whole thing.
I put the dog in the crate and try to figure out what to do next. The other 2 cats are terrified and hiding under the master bed. I bring food and water in there to help them relax and I shut the door. The next day, I still haven’t heard back from the family and I’m getting pretty concerned. I head out to run a few errands for about 2 hours.
When I get back to the house, it’s an absolute bloodbath. There’s blood all over the floors, walls, furniture. I see cat hair everywhere and I literally turned around and walked back outside. I called my mom and boyfriend because I was hysterical. My boyfriend got there and went inside, the dog had slid the bottom of his crate out and clawed the crate until he busted it open. He then ripped apart both cats limb from limb and was playing with the body of one of them in the backyard. He tells me to call animal control because the dog is growling at him when he gets near to attempt to remove the cats body.
I get animal control on the line and they’re heading over. I begin calling the family non stop. Probably 30 times, no answer. On their emergency contact sheet they left the name of their resort so I decided to call the resort and tell them it was an emergency.
I FINALLY get ahold of the mom and she’s totally nonchalant about it and says “oh ya, Bitty (dog) doesn’t really like the cats, this has happened before” and is TOTALLY casual about it. Tells me to clean up what I can and that she’ll send professionals over in the AM. I tell her that I had to call animal control because the dog was in the backyard growling over the cats body and she legit goes “ah he’s so silly” and LAUGHS. I hung up the phone in tears.
Animal control gets there and takes the dog with them after hearing the story of what happened. I left and never went back. She sent me a check for $500 about a month later and I heard from friends that not only had the dog done that to multiple other cats, it had also ended up attacking the dad 2 days after they got back from their trip.