Our children are the most precious part of our lives. There isn’t anything that we would not do to keep them safe and well-cared for. Just the idea of leaving them in the hands of an abusive baby sitter is horrifying. This story will chill you to the bone!
Hope and Benjamin Jordan, a young professional couple living in South Carolina thought they had the perfect life. They both had successful careers and lived in a lovely home.
Their little family seemed perfect as well. In addtion to Killian, the sweetest fur baby ever, they also had a precious baby boy, little Ben.
Adopted as a very young puppy, Killian was a loving and well-adjusted member of the family and seemed to love baby Ben almost as much as Hope and Benjamin did. Neither of them had ever suspected that there might be underlying jealousy or resentment brewing. It never crossed their minds that Killian might become a danger to their child.
Although Hope loved being home with little Ben, her maternity leave was soon coming to an end. Benjamin and Hope were determined to find the best nanny possible to care for Ben when she went back to work. They engaged the services of a reputable Nanny service company and carefully reviewed each applicant.
The new parents were thrilled when they thought they had found the perfect Nanny for little Ben. It would be a relief to be able to leave their baby in such loving, capable hands while at work. They had no idea of the evil they were inviting into their home.
The First Hint Of An Abusive Baby Sitter??
Almost immediately after returning to work, they began to notice a change in Killian’s behavior. Never a very brave or assertive dog, Killian had been more quiet, shy and laid back. But now, Killian whined a lot and seemed anxious. They noticed that Killian had a low growling sound every time the Nanny was close by.
Worse yet, the Nanny complained daily about the dog. She said she was very afraid of Killian and that if they did not do something about the dog’s behavior she would leave.
She suggested keeping the dog in another part of the house or even outside. When Hope and Benjamin declined those two suggestions, the Nanny intimated that she feared that Killian might hurt their baby!
This was too much for the young parents. They did not want to believe that Killian would ever hurt little Ben but they also trusted the highly recommended Nanny. The Jordans asked their friends who had dogs what they thought might be happening with Killian.
Some suggested that Killian mght have become jealous of all the attention that little Ben was receiving. Others thought there nmay some other underlying behavioral issue.
Is There Any Evidence Of An Abusive Baby Sitter To Be Found?
By this time, Benjamin and Hope were very concerned but had come to have serious questions about the Nanny. Not wishing to accuse the 22 year old young woman without any proof of wrong doing, they wanted to gather some evidence. Hope thought of leaving a turned on cell phone under the couch but Benjamin had a better idea.
Benjamin is technically savvy and he designed and created an electronic listening device to capture what was happening in their absence. Hope attached the device to Killian, hidden under the thick fur around the dog’s neck. No one would ever know it was there!
When the couple arrived home from work the next day, they eagerly prepared to hear how the day had gone. There was no way they could have been prepared to hear what the listening device revealed.
The first shock was hearing the Nanny yelling and cursing at little Ben. Unfortunately, it only got worse as the day went on. Hope turned pale as she looked at Benjamin in horror at what they heard.
The Police Get Involved In Dealing With An Abusive Baby Sitter
The Jordans called the police immediately to make a report. They could tell right off that something had to be done to hold the Nanny accountable for her egreious actions. It was not clear if they had enough evidence to arrest her at that point.
But, after they listened to the rest of the tape, it was clear that the Nanny had no business being around any child and that something had to be done. There was enough evidence to indict the Nanny.
When she realized how much evidence they had on what she had done, she admitted that she was guilty. She will serve between 1 and 3 years in prison and will be listed on an abuse registry. Furthermore, she is not allowed to be around children in the future.
As devastated as the Jordan’s are about what their baby endured at the hands of this evil woman, they have the comfort of knowing they prevented other children from being abused in the future.
Not everyone is as tech savvy as Benjamin. So, below the video clip is a section on other ways to detect potentially abusive behavior. All parents need to be on their guard when leaving their child with anyone else.
How To Identify A Potentially Abusive Baby Sitter
While these are not absolute proof of child abuse, they are certainly big, red flags that should never be ignored. If even one of these is present, you need to take a serious look into the situation.
A frequently tardy Nanny is undependable.
You should insist on a Nanny who is considerate of your needs and who is dedicated to doing her job well. One who is often late and is absent without explanation or at least plenty of notice may be unreliable in other areas of her life as well. This includes in their provision of care for your child.
Your child has a change in personality or is unhappy when the Nanny arrives.
No one takes the place of a child’s parents but the Nanny should be someone they learn to love and to trust. Some people bond more easily with children than do others. Not all adults are capable of warmly comforting children, especially those who have demanding personalities. Sometimes, the chemisty just is not there.
You come home to a baby that is often dirty.
The Nanny must be able to meet the basic needs of your child every day. If the Nanny consistently falls beneath the mark in keeping your child clean and well fed, it is likely their emotional needs are not being met either.
Are your clearly made requests being ignored?
Similar but not the same….
If your Nanny frequently criticizes your philosophy on child rearing, you are not equally yoked and the team will never work well together. This is not good for the child. Giving you constructive criticism is one thing but having vastly differing ideas on the basics of child rearing is another.
You need to agree on such things as feeding (what and when) and sleeping issues. For example, sleep schedules and whether or not the baby is made to cry themselves to sleep or must remain in the crib for specified periods of time.
Is your Nanny not forthcoming in how they spent their day or is she a poor communicator?
Too many accidents that could easily have been avoided is a very worrisone indicator.
All active babies and young children are at risk of an occasional injury. However, the Nanny is reasonably expected to know what the child is doing at any given moment in the day.
Accidents do happen but they should not occur because they are unattended. If your child experiences injuries in unusual places like their thighs, ears, cheeks, stomach or in the area of their genitals you should suspect abuse.
If you have any concerns about potential child abuse, these resources may be of help to you.
Child Welfare Information Gateway
This is a clearinghouse of legal, statistical, and practical information on child welfare and child abuse.
Prevent Child Abuse America
This is a good resource for child abuse prevention programs.
Here is another story of a dog rescuing a child. https://happymutt.org/dog-grabs-a-baby-by-the-diaper-and-throws-her-a-few-feet-away-in-an-attempt-to-save-her-life/
Photo courtesy of Pexel
Original story thanks to YouTube