Babysitter Gift Ideas, Nanny Bonus & More: UrbanSitter’s Guide to Holiday Gifting

Holiday Babysitter gifts, nanny gifts, nanny bonus

Putting together your holiday gift list? Chances are babysitter gifts, nanny gifts and nanny bonus are high up on the list. Around the holidays there are a lot of questions around this, such as “what is a thoughtful gift for my nanny/sitter?” “What handmade gift can my child can give the nanny?” “What does a nanny or sitter actually want as a holiday gift?” “What’s an appropriate nanny bonus or holiday babysitter tip?”

The holidays are the perfect time to show a bit of extra gratitude for all your caregiver does for your family with a thoughtful gift. We have plenty of gift guides (and pinterest board) to help point you in the right direction for a perfect babysitter gift. Plus, UrbanSitter creates a yearly guide on holiday tipping & bonuses.

Gift Guides for the Holidays

We have your gift guides covered from holiday gifts kids can give, handmade gifts from kids, to gifts for the babysitter, nanny gifts and even the ultimate mommy gift guide.

Top Nanny Gifts for the Holidays:

  • 91% of parents surveyed gift their nanny a Christmas bonus or gift.
  • Gifts include gift cards to a favorite retailer or restaurant, spa items or a gift card for spa services, scarves, other handmade items, a framed photo of the kids, candles, gourmet foods such as baked goods or chocolates and fine teas. In addition, kids oftentimes make a gift for the nanny.

Popular Babysitter Gift Ideas for Christmas:

  • Top babysitter Christmas gift ideas include a gift card to Starbucks or iTunes, handmade gift from kids, or baked goods. Other gifts are time off, food, jewelry, tickets, and of course, cash!

Babysitter & Nanny Holiday Gift Guides

Holiday Handmade Gifts from Kids

Other Gift Guides

Need more ideas? Visit our Gifts for Sitters and Nannies Pinterest Board.

Holiday Tipping & Nanny Bonus

Now that we’ve covered gift ideas for babysitters, let’s dive into the nanny bonus! Each year we survey parents to get the scoop on holiday tipping and bonuses. Year after year, the top nanny bonus given by at least 50% of parents is a nanny bonus that equals one week of pay. Most sitters also expect a tip or bonus over the holidays. In addition to tipping or a bonus, parents oftentimes give their nanny or sitter a gift. Keep in mind, 82% of sitters & nannies would prefer cash over a gift as their bonus/tip.

Check out our most recent Holiday Tipping Guide, which includes nanny bonuses and babysitter holiday tip suggestions.

Show Your Appreciation: Babysitter Gift, Thank You Note & Bonus

Giving a small gift, thank you note, and an appropriate cash bonus or tip based on how often and how long a caregiver has worked for you is one fabulous way to show your appreciation. You can even have the kids participate (if age appropriate) and create a handmade gift for the nanny or write a little note.

Ultimately, any sentiment that shows you truly appreciate the work your nanny or sitter does year round to take care of your kids, keep them safe and bring them joy can go a long way in continuing to build a wonderful relationship and make the caregiver feel valued.

The holiday times are the perfect time to book a sitter for a night out to enjoy a holiday party or shop without the kids!

7 Tips For Hiring An After School Nanny Or Sitter

A good after school nanny can be difficult to find. Without the right hiring and screening process completed upfront, you may rely partially on luck to locate the right caregiver for your children. To improve your efforts to hire a qualified, caring nanny or sitter incorporate these tips into your search.

1. Prepare a Job Description

When you prepare a detailed job description at the beginning, this is an easy way to quickly narrow your search to candidates who satisfy your essential needs. In the job description lay out your objectives, expectations, work schedule and other factors (such as if you want to work only with a sitter or nanny that is vaccinated against COVID-19 – UrbanSitter allows caretakers to provide this information and add it to their profile). Nanny-finding sites streamline this process, for instance UrbanSitter provides a job posting form that helps you summarize your after school care needs by ticking boxes. Don’t forget to research average nanny rates in your area to be competitive. 

2. Be Realistic About Tasks for an After School Nanny

Some parents understandably get excited about getting extra help with the kids and with chores around the house. Keep in mind even the best nanny may not be able to tackle everything you might otherwise be able to.

3. Consider Transportation Needs

Will your after school nanny need to pick up your children from school or drive them to and from their various activities? If your nanny will need transportation, ensure that the nanny has a safe, reliable car and a great driving record. Something else to think about is many families will allow their nanny to use the family car for transportation.

4. Look for Flexibility

In many cases, parents may arrive home from work at different times in the evening from day to day. If this is the case for you, find a nanny who can stay later as needed and without advance notice. If you can’t find one nanny to cover every afternoon, consider splitting the job across two sitters/nannies. The bonus is that you then have two people who you can reach out to when in a pinch.

5. Pay Attention to Values of the After School Nanny

Your nanny/sitter will spend a considerable amount of time with your children and may be responsible for preparing meals and snacks, helping with homework and enforcing rules. Ideally, their efforts will be a seamless extension of your own. Trust your gut. If something seems like it might not work out, it probably won’t.

6. Complete a Background Check

A background check should be completed on any serious candidate, and it should include a review of criminal history, credit rating, and employment history. Any red flags should be taken seriously. Reputable sites like UrbanSitter only offer nannies who have already passed a background check through a third-party service.

7. Contact References

After you have thoroughly interviewed and screened potential nannies, the matter of actually calling references may seem rather unimportant. However, the types of references the individual provides as well as what these references may say about the candidate can tell you valuable information you may have not yet learned through your other efforts.

Follow the 7 tips above to make your search for an after school nanny or sitter much easier! 

Not sure which type of after care you need? Review this list of 6 practical after care solutions.

 

Your life may be rather stressful and chaotic until you hire the right nanny to care for your children, that said, you should avoid rushing through the hiring process. You may find yourself dealing with many new problems if you do not take proper steps to make a the best selection for your family.

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2021 New Year’s Eve Babysitting Rates & Tips

New Year's Eve Babysitter Tip, New Year's Eve Sitter Rates

Countdown to the New Year! Certainly, after the last couple of years, parents are ready to celebrate the new year in a big way! Or just get together with a few friends to toast to a wonderful new year. If you’re going out, what’s that going to cost you? What are the New Year’s Eve babysitting rates this year? Do sitters expect a NYE babysitting tip too?

We asked hundreds of sitters across the United States to see if they plan to work on New Year’s Eve, if they’ve already booked a job, what their New Year’s Eve sitter rate will be, do they expect NYE perks and more…

The Highlights of New Year’s Eve Babysitting Rates

  • The majority of sitters, 76%, either have a job or are hoping to book at NYE babysitting job.
  • Sitters plan to ask for a premium this year, with 80% charging 1.5 to more than 2x their normal hourly babysitting rate. In addition, 57% expect a NYE babysitting tip on top of their hourly rate – making going out on NYE a pricey occasion.
  • 24% of New Year’s Eve babysitters do expect transportation to/from the babysitting job, whereas the majority, 76%, do not.
  • Dinner is split about evenly, with 45% expecting dinner and 55% not expecting it.

Covid’s Impact on NYE Babysitting

  • When asked if the sitter would work for a family that doesn’t plan to get vaccinated, 42% said they would not work with an unvaccinated family, whereas 37% yes they would, and 21% were on the fence.
NYE babysitting rates

Key Reasons a Sitter would not Decline a New Year’s Eve Babysitting Job

  • More money, higher hourly wage, tips
  • Working for a family they enjoy
  • Close to home
  • Feeling appreciated for giving up their New Year’s Eve so the parents can go out
  • Being valued
  • Extra incentives, such as transportation, extra pay and dinner
  • No extra perks needed – they simply love being a babysitter, regardless of it being a holiday

UrbanSitter Guides to New Year’s Eve Babystting Rates – Past Editions

2019 New Year’s Eve Babysitting Rates

2018 Holiday Tipping New Year’s Eve Babysitting Rates

2017 Holiday Tipping Guide New Year’s Eve Babysitting Rates

2016 Holiday Tipping Gifting New Year’s Eve Babysitter & Nanny Bonuses

2015 4th Annual Holiday Gifting & Tipping Survey on Babysitter and Nanny Bonuses

2014 3rd Annual Holiday Gifting Survey on Babysitter Gifts and Nanny Bonuses

2013 2nd Annual Holiday Gifting Survey on Babysitter Gifts and Nanny Bonuses

Looking for babysitter gift ideas for the holidays? Check out our Ultimate Babysitter Gift Guide & Nanny Bonus

Book your NYE sitter now and enjoy a night out without the kids!  

How much does a nanny cost?

nanny

One of the big factors in making a decision on hiring a nanny is how much does a nanny cost. With the plentitude of child care options available, it’s a tough choice narrowing down what’s the best for your family at the given time. If you’ve decided a nanny might be the right caretaker for your family but you aren’t sure of the cost, keep on reading. Let’s dive into what is a nanny and how much they are?

Starting with the basics, what is a nanny?

Here’s the short answer, a nanny is someone you hire to take care of your children and look after their well-being. They have a set number of consistent hours per week, and receive paid sick and vacation days. When they join your family, they will sign a contract, this helps to set everyone’s expectations at the beginning. Another big bonus is the longer they work with you, the more involved they are with your family and your child’s development.

Nanny Cost: What’s included in calculating the cost?

There are many factors to consider in calculating the cost of a nanny.

  • Hourly rate/salary
  • Taxes
  • Child care tax credits
  • Insurance
  • Payroll

Hourly Rate/Salary: What is the average nanny salary?

The average nanny hourly rate nationwide is $19.31/hour. With a typical payment schedule, the nanny will get paid weekly or biweekly. In addition, they will receive paid time off (sick and vacation time). 44% of parents pay their nanny a salary between $20K-$40K a year.

The price of a nanny, nanny cost, nanny salary

Keep in mind the cost of a nanny varies greatly based on:

  • Location
  • Experience
  • Number of children
  • Driving the kids
  • Additional tasks the nanny is responsible for

There are a lot of advantages to having a nanny and paying a higher rate over other childcare options. Some of the advantages are, a nanny generally has more experience, is more flexible (can come early or stay late – additional compensation may be required depending on the contract) and your child gets one on one attention.  

Taxes: Do I have to pay nanny taxes?

Nanny taxes are an aspect you’ll want to consider in the overall cost. According to the IRS, you become an employer when you hire a full-time nanny (domestic worker). Therefore, you’ll need to apply for an employer identification number (EIN). The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will require you to pay a Federal Employment tax if you pay your nanny more than $2,300 per year (as of 2021). In some cases there are exceptions, so make sure to review those outlined by the IRS with your tax preparer. The employer and the domestic worker each pay a portion of the tax. An employer can choose to withhold the nanny’s share and pay it for them with those withholdings. In addition, if your nanny earns more than $1,000 a quarter (as of 2021), then social security and Medicare taxes must be paid/withheld. Please note: We are not licensed tax professionals. We encourage you to reach out to your tax professional for any questions or advice.

Child & Dependent Care Tax Credits: Can I get a tax credit?

One way to offset the cost of a babysitter or nanny is to take advantage of the child-care tax credit. The credit for childcare expenses is a percentage of the amount you’ve paid in childcare for children under 13, as long as you are paying a childcare worker to care for your children while you work or look for work. This means you cannot take advantage of the credit if you are hiring a nanny so you can take care of personal errands, run to the gym or simply enjoy some well-deserved time to yourself.  

As of 2021, you can count up to $3,000 in expenses for one qualifying child or up to $6,000 in expenses for two or more qualifying dependents. The amount of the tax credit is based on your adjusted gross income and can range from 20%-35% of your expenses. To be eligible for the childcare tax breaks, you must identify the care provider on your tax return, report the wages paid to the nanny and remit the necessary employment taxes. Please note: We are not licensed tax professionals. We encourage you to reach out to your tax professional for any questions or advice.

Insurance: Do I need to pay insurance for my nanny?

According to the experts, the answer is “yes” and “no” depending on where you live. There are multiple types of insurance: health insurance, workers compensation insurance, employment practices liability Insurance, and auto insurance.   

Health Insurance: Most employers will pay into health insurance for their nanny, similar to what small businesses pay.

Workers Compensation Insurance: Most states require you to pay for a policy. This covers you if your nanny has an accident on the job. You’ll need to check if your state requires it.

Employment Practices Liability Insurance (ELPI): This insurance covers you (the employer) in case you are sued by your employee. Many employers are able to have ELPI added to their workers compensation plan.

Auto Insurance: This will depend on if your nanny is your driving your car, driving their car, how often they drive your kids, etc. Since it varies by state, be sure to check with your auto insurance company. Something else to consider is it may be necessary to increase your liability insurance. Lastly, if the nanny is driving their car, you would reimburse them for mileage at $0.56 a mile according to the IRS.

Payroll: What’s the best way to pay my nanny?

Many families prefer to use a payroll service to process payment to their nanny. With a nanny payroll service, the nanny receives their paycheck directly with the taxes and withholdings already taken out of the paycheck. A payroll service such as NannyLane can also take care of tax filings, year-end documents, and pay stubs/receipts, which saves you time and takes one item of your to do list.

Making the Decision – Does the cost of a nanny fit your budget?

Ultimately, if a nanny is the best fit for your family’s lifestyle and the cost of a nanny works for your family’s budget, then it’s the right choice for you. If not, a babysitter might be a better fit, here’s a quick comparison between a nanny and babysitter.

Looking for nanny? Join UrbanSitter to browse profiles, sort by pay rate, and book jobs online.

Please note that UrbanSitter is a platform for families and caregivers to connect. We are not an agency and do not employ caregivers. All members are individually responsible for any applicable tax, withholding or reporting. We are not licensed tax professionals. We encourage individuals to reach out to a local tax professional for any questions about tax preparations.

Babysitter Job Description: Sitter Responsibilities and Chores

Take a poll of the parents you know, and you’ll realize that babysitter job descriptions vary greatly (child care responsibilities, chores for sitter, driving duties, etc.) just as much as compensation varies from family to family. One friend might expect to come home to a clean house with toys put away and the laundry done. Another friend may be horrified at the thought of their babysitter folding their clothing. Neither approach is wrong. With any manager-report relationship, it’s important to have an idea of what’s on your babysitter job description to set clear expectations of the responsibilities and chores for your sitter up-front.

Know your priorities.

The main task of any caregiver is to supervise your children and keep them safe. While there’s no set protocol for caregivers to follow, you can expect a babysitter to follow your directions. The “normal” responsibilities of child care include making meals, changing diapers, diffusing arguments between siblings, engaging with children in conversation, entertaining them with games and crafts, putting them to bed, and so on.

You can always ask your sitter if they are willing to do extra chores if there is time. Do keep in mind that chores aren’t in the standard babysitter job description. Asking a sitter to do extra should go hand-in-hand with extra compensation, or at the very least, abundant verbal appreciation.

Identify what you want and keep it reasonable.

Have you gone through your chore list and identified the tasks that are babysitter-appropriate? Do you dislike feeding the fish or dusting the bookshelves? These small tasks are the perfect type of tasks for a babysitter to take on. Expecting a babysitter to grocery shop with the kids in tow might be unrealistic depending on their experience. However, asking a sitter to scrub your bathrooms is taking advantage of them (unless you’re paying extra and the sitter seems open to it). Having the sitter take the garbage and recycling out after the kids are asleep might cross a simple to-do off your list while asking minimal effort on the sitter’s end. If you expect your sitter to do larger chores, for example washing a week’s worth of dishes you’ve left in the sink — be sure to compensate the sitter.

If you’ve hired an after-school babysitter, refer to this list of specific after-school responsibilities.

Expect simple tidying.

While there are no strict rules on tidying up — although most sitters do, as a matter of common courtesy — it’s not unfair to expect that your sitter will clean up any messes made while on the clock or that involve the kids. Let’s face it, some parts of childcare are messy! Meal preparation, giving baths, playing with toys, feeding young children, even potty training can leave behind a small trail of destruction. It would be nice if you came home to a house that was at least as clean as when you left it.

If a sitter continually leaves your home looking like a tornado passed through, it’s time to have a discussion. You can approach it by saying, “We’re really trying to get the kids to be more conscious about their messes. Before bedtime, will you make sure everyone is involved in putting away toys, clearing the table, and so on?” If your family has a clean-up game or song that gets everyone motivated, share it with your sitter.

babysitter job description, babysitter chores, sitter chores, sitter responsibilities

Assess your sitter’s abilities.

If you have a young, inexperienced babysitter watching the kids while you run a few quick errands, it may be all the sitter can handle to keep the kids entertained and out of harm’s way. Don’t hand her extra tasks that could take away time from her main objective. If you’ll be gone several hours and have a caregiver who’s comfortable with your kids and your routines, the caregiver is most likely able to juggle vacuuming or folding laundry at the same time.

Does your sitter have any special qualifications that would help her better tackle your extra requests? If you have a sitter who knows nothing about foreign languages, you probably shouldn’t task the sitter with overseeing your child’s French homework. Now, if your sitter lifeguards during the summer, asking the sitter to take the kids swimming at the neighborhood pool might be the perfect request!

It’s also reasonable to ask a capable sitter to make sure the children carry out their chores. If it’s your daughter’s job to set the table or your son’s job to walk the dog, let the babysitter know. Give your sitter the authority and tools to see that they’re done. Make it clear to the kids that the babysitter is in charge. And that there will be consequences if they don’t take care of their responsibilities.

Communicate expectations clearly.

Many sitter chores fall into a gray area that you may consider inclusive of childcare. However, they may not be on the radar screen of your sitter. Before you hire a sitter be sure to discuss any duties outside of “hanging out at the house”. Some of these babysitter responsibilities may include:

  • Taking/driving the children to and from activities such as music lessons, karate, dance, etc.
  • Changing diapers and helping with potty training
  • Supervising play dates with other children
  • Helping with homework
  • Meal (or bottle) preparation and feeding
  • Following the bedtime routine (changing into pajamas, brushing teeth, reading books, etc.)
  • Actively entertaining children, not just relaxing in front of TV/movies
  • Doing light housework
  • Making sure the children do their chores (such as picking up their toys)

If any of these activities are in your babysitter job description, let them know before you offer the position. This way the sitter has a clear set of expectations and can decide if the babysitting job is the right fit.

As you consider the glorious possibility of never taking out the garbage or coming home to a dirty playroom again, remember, clear communication of everyone’s responsibilities will keep you and your babysitter on the same page.

Looking for a sitter? Join UrbanSitter to browse profiles, sort by pay rate, and book jobs online.

Now Offering Pet Sitting, Senior Care and Household Services

Pet Sitting Jobs at UrbanSitter

Overwhelmed with responsibilities at home? Now, you can rely on UrbanSitter for more than just child care—introducing pet sitting, senior care, and lots of household services, including cleaning, errands, and house sitting!

Pet sitting

Headed on a road trip and can’t bring your pets, or looking for a dog-walker? You’ll find local sitters to care for all of your animals—cats, dogs, birds, hamsters, snakes (oh my!), and more on UrbanSitter.

To book a pet sitter or dog walker click on “Pet Care” from your dashboard and select your type of pet. We’ll automatically find sitters near you, and you’ll see a section on their profile with pet care details and experience.

Senior Care at UrbanSitter

Senior care

Need non-medical companion care for an elderly relative? UrbanSitter offers an affordable solution as many sitters also offer senior caregiving, including fixing meals, assisting with tasks around the house, and friendly conversation. 

To book senior care click on “Senior Care” from your dashboard. Once you pick a caregiver, be sure to fill out the Job Description with details of the job responsibilities.

Household services

Need a helping hand with cleaning, errands, grocery shopping, cooking, and driving, or looking for a part-time household assistant? No request is too big or too small. 

To book household help click on “Household Services” from your dashboard and use the “Willing to help with” filter if you have a specific task in mind (housekeeping, errand help, house sitting, etc.). When making your booking, be sure to describe all of the household services you need in the Job Description.

Find help for the whole household now. Join UrbanSitter and start your free caregiver search today. Relief is only a few clicks away!

What is a virtual babysitter? Does it actually work?

virtual babysitter doing yoga with child

Wondering if a virtual babysitter is right for you? As families continue to social distance, we know we’ll see less traditional babysitting. But, that doesn’t mean parents don’t need help right now! Many dual working families are struggling to keep up with work and homeschooling, and even an hour of time to themselves could be what keeps them sane.

What do virtual sitters do?

Many babysitters and nannies are now offering virtual babysitter services via video calls. During a virtual sitting, a babysitter or nanny keeps a child happy and engaged with activities suitable for video chat, such as storytime for younger kids and homework help for older kids. Parents are always at home, but likely in a separate room either working or taking care of chores.

Tips for success

To prevent screen time fatigue, these types of virtual jobs should be kept to 1-2 hours long only. Some parents book several virtual jobs to cover their work day with necessary breaks for the kids in-between. Virtual sitting is also more successful with older children, who are more familiar with engaging over video.

Additionally, several families can share a virtual sitter by using video conference software. This saves families money, make sitters more money, and create more fun for the kids! Wondering how much to pay a virtual babysitter? View average babysitting rates in your city.

Examples of virtual babysitting activities:

Younger children:

  • Storytime
  • Singing songs
  • Pretend play
  • Charades 
  • Dance party or competition
  • Letter/color of the day
  • Counting practice 
  • Practice reading aloud
  • Telling jokes
  • Play “I spy…”
  • Tour of each other’s homes
  • Child introduces all of their stuffed animals or toys
  • Simple crafts with household items

Older children:

  • Virtual learning & homework help
  • Music lessons
  • Drawing lesson or draw each other’s face 
  • Pictionary 
  • Exercise together 
  • Yoga & meditation
  • Origami
  • Riddles
  • Play “20 questions”
  • Magic tricks 
  • Virtual board games or bingo
  • Compete to see who can build the tallest tower of playing cards or plastic cups

UrbanSitter babysitters: If you have a virtual babysitting specialty, consider adding it to your profile.  For example, if you teach yoga, let parents know you’d be up for teaching a virtual yoga lesson.

See here for UrbanSitter’s most recent COVID-19 health and safety information.

Interested in booking a virtual babysitter? Post a job on UrbanSitter today!

An Interview with CEO and Founder of Emi

EMI Urbansitter

EMI Urbansitter

Aya Takeuchi is the CEO and Founder of Emi, a technology company on a mission to help people maintain happy and meaningful relationships in a busy world. 

1. Parents often use Valentine’s Day as a date night to reconnect, what are your tips for making the most of connection time?

The most obvious one is to be grateful for the time together and to be present for each other. Some people get bogged down on the “where” and “what” of Valentines Day and get stressed out wanting it to be different and special. Tell yourself that it’s ok if it’s a place you’ve been to before, or if it’s just grabbing ice cream, or a movie, or even staying home. After all, you have kids and are tired parents! The important thing is that you’ve made a conscious effort to plan and do something together. 

2. Do you have suggestions for parents who are looking to make one-on-one time more frequent and often find they just can’t make it happen?

I think the key is scheduling it in your calendar, so both of you can see it, and make a pact that it’s something you don’t reschedule. Once you start rescheduling it’s a slippery slope! My partner and I have a weekly date night every Thursday and a recurring babysitter scheduled, so it’s more of a pain to cancel or reschedule her. 

Of course, there are many parents who can’t make weekly date nights happen for various reasons. Keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be something expensive or as time-consuming as date night. You can build in small one-on-one time during the day in your daily routines. This can be: waking up 15 minutes early to sit and eat breakfast together, clearing the dishes together, playing a board game after the kids go to bed, reading out loud together before going to bed. With young kids it’s difficult to carve out a huge chunk of time, but take some time to think about what you already do daily and see if you can find a way to do it together, or use an app like Emi to remind you to build simple, daily positive routines. However you’re able to make time for each other, it’s ok to put it on your calendar to hold each other and yourself accountable! 

3. What is one habit that you see healthy/happy couples embracing?

Creating their own rituals. This doesn’t have to be cheesy, or time consuming, or something you make a big deal out of – just be conscious about what this ritual is for you and when you’re doing it. You can make it a part of something you already do, so it’s easier to make it a routine and stick. 

Some examples crowdsourced from our Emi community include:

  • I say I love you before going to sleep every night 
  • I make my wife a cappuccino every morning that I am able to
  • We keep a notebook in our bathroom and take turns writing each other little love notes
  • Once, a text saying “muah” autocorrected to “mush” and it stuck. Now we send a quick “mush” to each other to say hello, I love you 

It’s easier said than done, but small, shared, touchpoints such as these throughout the day can make you feel a lot more connected. If you like any of these, make it your own – if not, give some thought to what might work for you and your partner. You can also find more community tips like these when using the  Emi app.

4. Tell us a bit about Emi and what inspired you to start it.

The idea for Emi was born out of life experience; my husband and I were struggling to juggle demanding careers while raising three young children. Nurturing our relationship took second place to the daily hustle, and we could not find an easy solution to find mental and emotional space for each other. Despite there being many apps focused on mindfulness for self, I realized there was no simple solution to bring mindful practices to family life, even though studies have proven that intimate relationships are the single biggest predictor of longevity and health. After consulting many friends, self-help books, and marriage therapists, I realized that I was not alone in my search, and made it my mission to deliver those learnings to every home and make the concept of modern tech-enabled relationship enrichment mainstream. 

 

Aya Takeuchi is the CEO and Founder of Emi, a technology company on a mission to help people maintain happy and meaningful relationships in a busy world. Emi, which means smile in Japanese, is building products based on the latest psychological research that’s uncovered how intimate relationships are critical to every person’s health, happiness, and wellbeing. Before founding Emi, Aya held leadership roles at various tech giants and startups including Amazon, Walmart.com, Mixi and Trusper. In her personal life, Aya stays fit by chasing after her 3 young children, which includes a set of toddler twins. 

To learn more about Emi and sign up for free (you can sign up alone or with a partner), visit: https://emicouple.com

10 Babysitting Tips to Make You the Best Sitter Ever

nanny share

The best babysitters in your area have regular clients, earn a great hourly rate and take pride in what they do. The good news is that elevating your level of service may be easier to do than you may think. Incorporate these tips our sitters tell us makes them successful in your efforts to be the best babysitter ever.

1. Be Reliable.

The most valued quality a babysitter can have is reliability. Being on time, if not early, goes a long way and is appreciated by parents. Ensuring that parents trust you will help with earning regular gigs.

2.  Ask Questions.

Whether you are on the phone discussing a job possibility or you are receiving instructions before the parents leave, ask as many questions as you need to. Some babysitters assume that parents will think that they are inexperienced by asking questions, but most parents prefer that you have all of the information that you need to keep their children safe.

3. Obtain Certifications.

If you have not already obtained your CPR certification and taken a babysitter training class, now is the time to do so. You have to be prepared for all possibilities when you are entrusted with the care of someone else’s children, and these training courses provide you with invaluable information and skills.

4. Understand and Enforce Rules and Limits.

As a babysitter, you are tasked with enforcing all of the parents’ rules and limits. Most parents may tell you about their children’s ploys and behaviors, and they will likewise tell you how you can overcome those issues and enforce the rules of the house.

5. Feel Confident About Reaching Out.

Parents understandably do not want to be bothered numerous times every hour with questions and feedback, but they do want their children to be safe and properly cared for. If you need to know where the extra diapers are or if the children need sunblock on before playing outside, you should feel comfortable reaching out.

6. Be Observant.

Your eyes should be on the children at all times. You also should be aware of the potential environmental dangers that lurk nearby. Take preemptive steps to avoid dangers.

7. Stick to the Routine.

The parents will provide you with a routine to follow, including times for meals and naps. Many parents follow a schedule at home, and they want you to stay as close to that schedule as possible. If you put children to bed an hour or two later than you should, you may not be called for a second job.

8. Interact with the Children.

Your primary job is to keep the kids safe and healthy, but you also need to keep them happy and entertained. Be respectful and firm, but also friendly and fun! If you babysit regularly, it makes sense to put together a bag of books and games that are ideal for all age levels. Before each job, you can fill your bag with age-appropriate items.

9. Choose Your Clients Wisely.

Many parents in your area are looking for a babysitter, but you do not have to accept every job that comes your way. If you know that children are unruly or if you feel uncomfortable about the ages or number of children, for example, you can turn down job offers.

10. Provide Honest Feedback.

At the end of each job, parents inevitably will ask how things went. Avoid simply saying that things went well. Instead, provide honest feedback about your challenges and how you handled things.

When parents are looking for a babysitter, they want the most qualified individuals who they know will keep their children safe and happy. When you apply these tips to your efforts, you may develop several regular clients.