By Marlene Kern Fischer of Thoughts From Aisle Four

A local mother was shocked when her nanny/housekeeper quit with no notice. The mother came home from a lunch with friends to find the nanny waiting with her coat on and purse in hand. As soon as the mother entered her home, the nanny stated, “I can’t take it anymore. I am done here.”

Before the mother could implore her to stay, the nanny was gone and, within moments of her departure, the children were upon her, demanding snacks and attention. While she rummaged through the refrigerator for food for them, she noticed a child she didn’t recognize standing with the others. The mother kindly asked the little boy if his sitter would be picking him up soon, only to be shocked for the second time in 10 minutes when the child stated that he lived there and that she was his mother.

The mother stared at the little boy and, after noticing a strong resemblance to her husband and other four children, realized the tot must be telling the truth. She vaguely recalled giving birth to him a few years earlier but after that her recollections of the child grew murky.

“With our nanny in charge of everything, and so much activity in the house, you could understand how we could forget about that last one.” She went on to say, “It could happen to anyone. In any event, he seems none the worse for wear.”

The mother, who was a little panic-stricken at the thought of her weekend plans being ruined, said she immediately got on the phone with an agency and demanded they send her a replacement nanny as soon as possible. She was hoping to have the position filled within a day or two, although she wasn’t sure how she would manage in the interim.

As her children shrieked and ran through the house breaking things, the mother stated, ‘They really are pretty angelic most of the time; I have no idea why anyone would want to quit such a fantastic job.”

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About the Author

Marlene Kern Fischer is a wife, mother of three sons, food shopper extraordinaire, lifelong writer, blogger and college essay editor. She graduated cum laude from Brandeis University with a degree in literature. Her work has been featured on CollegiateParent, Kveller, Grown and Flown, the Erma Bombeck Writers’s Workshop, Her View From Home, Beyond Your Blog and Better After 50. You can read more of her work on her blog: Thoughts From Aisle Four.