We are transplants to Indianapolis: from Dayton, Ohio by way of Houston, Texas. Even though our families aren’t super far away, they’re definitely far away enough to make finding a last-minute babysitter inconvenient.
That being said, we’ve been through many, and I have a few tips for what to look for in a Babysitter:
- Clean: I’m not an uptight, OCD mom, I swear. But, I also hate walking into chaos from a long day at work. I’m not asking for vacuuming, dishes, or laundry…just a general pick-up will do.
- High Energy: Our kids are 1, 2, and 3 years old. A babysitter has got to be able to hang, and that means enough energy to get through a day with three mouths to feed, six legs running around, and six arms…likely hitting each other or taking each other’s stuff.
- Firm: To the point about the six hands taking each other’s stuff or hitting each other…my kids need boundaries. I need a babysitter who knows what to do when the three-year-old starts morphing into a threenager, or at least keep them all occupied enough so it doesn’t happen (see Point 2).
- And also Gentle: Sometimes, the kids just need a hug, or want to snuggle and watch a movie. A babysitter that can willingly oblige is key: kids pick up on that attention and affection, and I know my middle child especially loves it.
- Kind: This is the most important trait. We’re inviting you into our chaos (well, and paying you to be there), and we really just want someone who is going to take care of our kids, hopefully enjoy them, and be kind to them while they’re here. Plus, if you’re not nice, none of the other stuff matters.
So what do we do about backup babysitters? Enter Sitting Made Simple. Sitting Made Simple made it’s debut into our lives at exactly the right time. Our regular Nanny was getting ready to take a two week (well-deserved!) vacation a couple months ago. My mom was going to come stay with us for the two weeks, which is amazing because she’s amazing, but she’s also nearing 60 and we don’t have a guest room…which means we either move a mattress into the living room, or she sleeps on the couch: neither are ideal options.
I checked out the website, and was really surprised to see how affordable the care was, even for 3 really young kids. All of the sitters are local college students (even at the one where I teach!) and are highly qualified with previous experience. Each and every sitter also has a clean background check, driving record, and is CPR certified. We booked our first sitter for those two weeks, and I was thrilled. All of those top 5 traits were met, and surpassed.
When I came home from work that first day, there are many, many drawings of Spider-Man for my three-year-old, my one year old was actually napping, and my two-year-old cried when the sitter left! My kids seemed so happy, everyone was fed, and the house was clean. We’ve since used Sitting Made Simple regularly for my preschool co-op obligations, extra meetings I have to schedule for work, days my husband works late and I have class, and, my favorite, DATE NIGHTS!!!!!!
I seriously can’t say enough good things. Every sitter we have had has been wonderful: fully vetted and interviewed, on-time (if not early), has kept the clean house (a remarkable feat in this house…), and, most importantly, sweet my kids.
Sitting Made Simple really saved us- especially since we don’t have family around. But even if we did, Sitting Made Simple provides so many different services, like casual and part-time babysitting, before and after school care, summer nanny placement, tutoring, pet services, and, as it was for us, is a great resource for backup childcare.
Visit https://www.sittingmadesimple.com/indy/ for more information or to register.
