Wow, you’re a better person than I for giving her a generous severance. For lying about the whereabouts of my child, the only thing I’d be tempted to give her was a slap in the face! Lol...lbs. Glad it all worked out in the end for you!

OP here. For those interested, we ended up confronting the nanny about it and she attempted to lie again but eventually admitted that she had been visiting a friend because she didn't like our rules. We ended up parting ways a week later. I paid her very generous severance and she found another job, but we didn't trust her anymore, so the relationship couldn't continue.

We have another nanny who is incredibly honest and takes him on tons of fun playdates and other outings. I always know where my kid is and our nanny likes keeping us updated on the fun things they do together. I don't think he is scarred by my overprotectiveness.. yet.