Nanny horror stories strike fear

My heart and prayers go out to Kaleb, Aaron and my dear sweet cousin Caprina. I am extremely grateful to the jurors to have found this woman guilty and now hope they will enforce the full amount of penalties allowed for by the law. This woman has changed so many lives by her actions; I wish the law allowed for stiffer penalties. Jay

I personally know Kaleb’s grandfather Ray and have met Aaron. I can’t imagine the pain they are going through but I do know that they are not alone in this trying time. They will always have support from family and friends that care and love them deeply. I pray God shed his grace on the entire family and he give them strength and provision to endure this trying time. As for Ms. Harris I have one scripture for her “Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.” Colossians 3:25

Seven years in prison is a stiff sentence for negligence, which is what the jury found. While it is fine and good to have sympathy for the child, putting a person in prison for seven years does nothing to prevent future accidents like this or to make the child better. (I would feel entirely different if there was any evidence or finding that she had acted intentionally.) Saying, “Seems like a pretty light sentence compared to the lifetime of injury and pain she’s caused” sounds like a person who has no idea what prison is like, what this case was about, what the jury found, or the circumstances of the defendant.

I went to high school with Becky. She wasn’t all there. She was a sweet girl and had very bad hearing problems–wore a hearing aid most of her life. I am surprised that she would do that. She did suffer in other areas of school—learning..And often did get frustrated EAISLY. I do know she had some dissabilities and may be the reasoning why her sentancing was taken not so harshly.

My thoughts & prayers go out to the baby boy and his family.

As a close friend of Becky’s I can’t deal with this sentence of 7 years. She did NOT harm Kaleb in ANY way and would NEVER hurt ANY child, regardless of the circumstances. The truth WILL come out and the person(you know who you are) that did hurt Kaleb will pay for what you did. I’m sorry for Becky’s family who will now have to live without her. I’m also sorry for Kaleb and his family. They have a lifetime of pain ahead. I just wish someone would have found the TRUTH instead of what the POLICE wanted the truth to be. Out justice system is seriously F’d up to convict an innocent person for a crime they didn’t commit! Love you Becks!!!!

This quote is taken from the article that Aisha linked in her post above, “Harris was arrested Nov. 29 at the end of a six-hour interview with police. That interview proved a key piece of evidence in the case, as, near the end of it, Harris said she shook Kaleb out of frustration and banged his head against a wall in the process.”.

Now, ZanMansMommy, how can you state that she “She did NOT harm Kaleb in ANY way and would NEVER hurt ANY child,”.

IMO, 7 years in prison will be nothing compared to the struggles this family will have for the rest of their lives.

I agree it sounds like this woman is getting off easy, although, I’m not sure there is any sentence that would be appropriate for what she did. Violently shaking a little baby and to the point where she cracked his skull on the corner of a wall is sickening. I also don’t get Tony’s comments… what does knowing about prison have to do with any of this? Between Tony and Zansmommy’s comments, you have to believe this world is a little off kilter - more concerned with the treatment of the criminals than the actual victims - victims in this case that are not able to defend themselves. Zanmommy, please tell us the “TRUTH”. Wouldn’t you be considered an accomplice to this if you know information and did not share with the authorities?

Rebecca’s father’s tirade in the courtroom was pathetic. He should be ashamed.

It also shouldn’t be overlooked if Kaleb’s parents should accept part of the blame. When we see stories like this, IMO, there are glaring warning signs all over the place, especially when looking in depth at the person and their character. You can’t risk cutting corners when it comes to your child’s care. I’d be curious to know why they chose Rebecca Harris in the first place…cheap? Convenient? Now that’s not to say you can 100% prevent something like this, but you can sure as hell put the odds more in your favor.

Anyone who takes on the responsibility of caring for someone else’s child should be educated about shaken baby syndrome. They should also be informed about ways to calm and soothe a baby and relaxation methods for calming themselves and keeping the baby safe. In addition to that, they should be certified in CPR and have a working knowledge of First AID and childhood illnesses.
Contrary to popular belief, not JUST ANYONE can care for a child. Even if you just have a Saturday night babysitter, don’t you think it is worth the peace of mind to know that they know how to take care of a child, not just that they take care of your child the best way they know how?

This entire event is tragic on many, many fronts. In reading the posts, I can’t help but wonder - did the parents ever call Ms Harris’ previous employers? If so, what did they say about Ms. Harris? I read they were recommended through friends, but someone were to care for my children other than me or my husband, I would talk to everyone I could before trusting them with the people that have become the very meaning of my existence.

This is a horrible tragedy that this family is going to have to deal with for the rest of their lives. As a child advocate and an Early Childhood educator for many years, I cannot stress enough the importance of doing your homework when searching for childcare, Nannies and baby-sitters, especially those that are looking to leave their children in homes. Their are good home childcares out there but when it comes to your children, you can never be to careful. ALWAYS check references and prior employment. I do not want to give childcare givers a bad name because there are wonderful people out there who are exceptional with children but just a reminder that you can never take anything for granted. It is my hope that this story will encourage parents to think twice when finding childcare for their children.