There's absolutely no need to diminish or devalue the work of babysitting. Babysitting can definitely be considered work experience for any type of resume, job application, or even a college application. Babysitting is a way to demonstrate responsibility and a willingness to work, as well as many self-management skills. And kids will love you and look up to you.
You have the privilege of helping them grow, learn, and to find meaning in their lives. Many sitters become life-long friends with the parents and children they work with. Skip to content June 8, Joe Ford. Parents, I highly doubt you are "on" all day with your kids on the weekends. For the most part unless it's a really crazy day , I'm sure you sit down and take a breather.
I'm sure you let your kids entertain themselves for a little bit -- maybe even turn on the TV. To this you might say You're right. It is a job, and we are being paid. But that's a very dangerous mentality to have.
The fact that nannying is a job doesn't make it okay to have unrealistic expectations of a human being. Nor does it make it okay to expect a nanny to take a reduced rate, if for a couple hours their job is "easy". I need to tread lightly here because I absolutely do not want to come across as someone who complains about having to work hard. Anyone who knows me will attest to what a hard worker I am. I have been working since I was 15 and I have an extremely strong work ethic. But I'm still human.
I'm not a robot. Just like you, I need breaks. Just like you, some days I need to let the kids entertain themselves a little bit more than usual. And just like you, I believe my time is valuable and should be compensated for what it's worth -- even if it's just coming over to babysit for date night and your kids are already asleep when I arrive.
So parents, please don't ever say our job is easy because we get to sit around for 2 hours when your kids nap. Please don't ever ask us to reduce our rate when your kids are sleeping. Please don't ever say we will only be paid during nap time if we take on extra tasks and never stop. I mean, really? We are literally still working simply by being in your home and not being able to leave. And lastly, please remember that you are entrusting us with the most important people in your life, so it's imperative we feel valued and don't get burnt out by being overworked.
Because it's not just us nannies who are affected -- your children are directly affected by nanny burnout -- and if nothing else, that is something you should care about. That way you'll have your entire weekend free for more fun activities! If you have a day job and you're just babysitting part-time, you can use the evenings while babysitting to catch up on your work as well.
Just ask the parents for their WiFi password before they leave and you can use your laptop to remotely connect and work on whatever project you need to. Night babysitting while the children are asleep is the perfect time to catch up on your craft. Bring a notepad or a laptop and write out some poetry, or get a chapter or two of your novel completed.
You could even be able to get away with painting if the children you watch are heavy sleepers and don't get up or need assistance much once they lay down for the night. Most workouts that you can do like yoga or pilates are quiet enough that they won't wake the kids up!
Roll up your favorite yoga mat and bring it with you when you babysit so that you can strike a few poses. You can even watch a workout video if you have the volume muted or wear some wireless headphones. Just make sure there aren't any nanny cams creepily watching you while you're working up a sweat! Try to wrap up a bit earlier than you expect the parents to arrive home so they don't see you all sweaty and in your workout gear.
You get a nice long period of silence after the children have gone to bed. Why not take advantage of it to get in some meditation, if that's something you're in to? It's the perfect conditions for it where it's nice and quiet and you're very unlikely to be interrupted. Meditation can help you relax after a stressful day or particularly challenging babysitting session!
The best part is that you don't need anything and you can meditate anywhere at any time. Just sit comfortably on the couch, floor, or a chair and take in some much-needed relaxation. Parents love to get updates about their kids. It only takes a few seconds but it gives them so much reassurance, especially if they're still anxious about leaving their young children home with someone else.
Just send a quick text to say something like "The kids were awesome today. They're in bed now. See you soon! It doesn't have to be a full account of what you've done with the children while you were babysitting since you'll likely have a quiet chat with the parents for a few minutes before you leave or give them a note with some of the main points.
In addition to tidying up, another way that you can really go above and beyond as a babysitter is by doing some food prep. If parents leave you all of the ingredients and let you know what to include, you can help out by packing school lunches for the kids to take the next day. Making a sandwich is the hardest part. Then you likely just need to put some granola bars and other snacks in their bag, and maybe an apple or some other type of fruit.
Even if it's the weekend, it might be helpful to prepare them some oatmeal or porridge that they can easily heat up for breakfast in the morning. If the family you're babysitting for doesn't want any food prep done for themselves, you could always bring some ingredients and containers and prepare some meals for yourself.
You can cook up some chicken, rice, and vegetables and separate them into individual containers that you can take to school or work for lunch for the rest of the week. Just be sure to clean up any dishes afterward!
Especially with younger children, it's a good idea to check up on them every 30 minutes or so. Just to make sure everything is alright and that they don't need a drink of water or to use the bathroom. Try to be as quiet as possible, and turn off any bright hallway lights to prevent waking them up. You just need to peek in for a few seconds and make sure they're still asleep.
Try not to stand over them and watch them sleep for too long. If they wake up and see a person standing and watching them, it would likely be a very frightening experience! So being stealthy is key. Most parents are okay with babysitters watching some television after the kids have gone to bed.
But it's a good idea to check with them first and make sure it's okay. Either way, be sure to keep the volume as low as possible to avoid waking the kids. Be mindful of commercial breaks which tend to suddenly become much louder than the programming that you were watching. If you prefer, you can always pop in some earbuds or headphones and listen to some music on your phone or iPod instead. Or take advantage of the WiFi to watch some videos on Youtube.
I'd just recommend leaving one ear open so that you can hear if the kids call for you, and so that you'll know when the parents get home. Every item I discussed above are some responsible things you can do while babysitting after the kids have gone to sleep.
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