So we have had an incident where I think our nanny might have been untruthful and it's niggling with me and I just don't know the best way to handle it.
A while ago, I left the house at 11.40. My 12 month old DS was slightly unwell (slight fever) but otherwise ok, I left nanny preparing lunch for him. Now, by way of background, my DS usually eats lunch at 12 and goes down for nap at 12.30. This was what I was expecting to happen that day and I had even discussed with the nanny about using a lighter sleeping bag than usual because of the fever.
At 12.15, I get a call from a delivery courier, saying no one is at home. Now I had completely forgotten about the delivery so just think maybe nanny hasn't heard the knocking. Ask courier to knock harder and meanwhile I call the nanny. No answer. I call her about 3/4 times. She eventually answers about 7 minutes later saying she is in the local park with DS - she says she tried to put him in cot at 12, he wouldn't settle so she took him out to sleep in buggy (this is not something I have ever suggested or that she has done to my knowledge anyway).
The thing is, that just doesn't seem plausible to me - DS would have had to have eaten lunch very quickly for her to have put him down at 12, waited to hear him not settle, got him out of sleeping bag and ready to go out in buggy all by 12.15 when the courier arrived at our house. Also, I have never known DS not settle for lunch time nap.
I feel that she lied to me and what in fact happened is that she decided to take DS out to nap in buggy so she could see her nanny friend who lives on the other side of the local park. I haven't outright accused her of lying but I did question her on the timing and she is insistent that her account is what happened. She looked me right in the eye and didn't seem overly flustered.
I just don't know what to do about it. She is otherwise a good nanny, calm with the children, energetic, good at arranging playdates. There have been a few other small matters that have bothered me since she started (4 months ago) - mainly things that I have specifically asked her to do like text me in the middle of the day with an update that she has forgotten to do.
Basically I think she is a good person but quite careless and now I am worried that I can't trust her. I don't want to let her go as the kids have bonded with her and she has lots of good qualities and I want to see if we can work things out. So am wondering about best way to approach things after Xmas break and was thinking of sitting down and discussing how important communication is to me and maybe drawing up a list of guidelines re agreeing plans with me beforehand etc.
What do you think the best way forward with this is?