When I started looking for a sitter for our 3-month-old, I
was thankful that I had spent a few years as a nanny and babysitter. I knew
what it was like to be on their side of the interview and knew what I could
realistically expect as far as their abilities went. Then I realized perhaps
not every parent was a babysitter at some point in their lives and therefore
may not understand what it’s like to be a sitter and watch someone else’s kids
for a living. So I went to social media to ask sitters and nannies for things
they wished the parents knew.
Here’s some of the best:
·
They are only one person
o
If you and your spouse can’t find the time to
watch the baby, make dinner, and clean the house, you shouldn’t expect the
sitter to be able to either. “Babysitting” is not code for “cheap
housekeeping.” It’s one thing to ask them to move the laundry from the washer
to the dryer, but asking them to clean out the garage is a little much! (Yes,
that actually happened to one sitter).
·
You don’t have to pay them the exact amount down
to the penny
o
If your sitter is there for 2 hours and 37
minutes and makes $10 an hour, you do not have to give them $26.16. But
rounding up to $27 would be preferable to rounding down! (84 cents won’t break
you, but it will flatter your sitter!)
·
Let your sitter know what they can and can’t do
once the kids are asleep.
o
I always felt uncomfortable just “making myself
at home” so usually sat there awkwardly doing nothing. Tell them they can watch
tv (and if there’s a parental code, give it to them so they aren’t stuck watching
Bubble Guppies all night) or leave a couple of magazines out on the counter for
them.
·
Do tell them what your kids can and can’t eat,
but don’t expect them to cook a gourmet meal from scratch
o
A friend once had parents leave her a detailed
recipe to make a meal from scratch for the kids. Not every sitter can cook
well. It’s much easier to leave leftovers for them to warm up or just have them
make a quick sandwich.
·
Sitters appreciate punctuality just as much as
you
o
You expect them to show up at 5:00, and they
expect you to come home at 9:00. If you’re going to be late – call. It’s no fun
sitting in someone else’s house wondering where the parents are and having them
show up an hour late. But on the flip side, if you tell them you’ll be home at
10:00, don’t show up an hour early. They may have been planning on making a
certain amount of money that night, and losing out on that hour’s pay can
really hurt. (So if you are going to come home early, let them know in advance
or at least pay them for that time anyway).
·
Be organized and informative
o
Make sure to provide your sitter with your
contact info and any emergency numbers as well. And it’s always nice to give
them the wifi password so they can use it while the kids are sleeping. Letting
them know what any noises or gesture your baby makes mean or what little quirks
your child has can be helpful. And please, tell your sitter when your baby had
a rough night, or when your little one is suddenly starting to fuss during
diaper changes. It’s never nice to get surprises like a baby that screams all
day and you don’t know it’s because he’s over-tired.
·
Set your sitter up for success
o
Your sitter wants to succeed – they want your
kids to like them just like you want
your kids to like them! So don’t give them an exorbitant amount of rules to
follow or too many things to accomplish. Don’t set them up to fail by leaving
them a list of 50 rules and a long recipe to a meal made from scratch for the
kids’ lunch. Just let them relax and have fun with the kids – if they’re
stressing out about your too-detailed list and high expectations, they won’t
have as much fun with your children (which is the main reason you hired them,
right?)
In the end, you hired your babysitter to watch your kids –
and to have fun with them. Having them do a thousand other things is going to
take away from their time with your munchkins. Just let them do their job and
you both will be happier.
Note Feb 04 2016: This post was originally published online at Family Culture Magazine, but it seems to no longer be active. I previously had only a snippet here on my blog, but because the link to the full article was defunct, you can now read the whole thing right here at Prego to Legos!
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