Search the Community

Chicago-based artist and teacher Angela Oliver has over seven years of experience babysitting kids. Since joining UrbanSitter, an online babysitter-finding service, she’s sat for more than 35 families and has over 20 glowing reviews. Here, Angela answers the most common questions parents have when it comes to hiring a babysitter. What’s the most helpful information a parent can share in advance? First-aid and medical/emergency info and contacts, being made aware of any food allergies or ongoing healthcare needs are the most important bits of information. For infants, an overview of the baby’s daily routine is always helpful to know in advance—naptime routine and self-soothing, feedings, or special instructions for diapering. What do you usually eat on the job? When parents say “help yourself,” do you really help yourself? I usually make or order a sandwich—I like to keep meals simple whenever I babysit so I can be more readily available to respond to the child if they need me. I think “help yourself” means help yourself, but not to everything! How much do you charge per hour for overnights? I’ve yet to work an overnight shift, but typical overnight Chicago flat rates run from $75 to $100 from 10pm to 6am. What do you do when the kids are asleep? I tidy up the house and prep for the child’s next meal if needed. If the child is still down for a nap or sleeping for the night, I may watch a movie if it’s been okayed by the child’s parents, or read and catch up on lesson planning. Do most parents tip you on top of your babysitting fees? Sometimes, but not often. I’m OK with that, though. Do most parents offer you transportation home? Most parents will offer me an Uber ride home whenever the job ends after 10pm. If you could share any piece of advice to parents, what would it be? Make sure sitters that are new to your family know how to unfold your stroller, strap up your baby carrier, adjust your high-chair, and properly use any other child safety product or feature in your home. For instance, that magnetic child-proof lock that keeps your cleaning supplies out of your toddler’s reach—your sitter might need to help tidy up after the kids later. Doing a quick how-to demo before you leave might save you a lot of back-and-forth texting with your new sitter later. You can find Angela—and more great babysitters like her—by signing up for a free account at UrbanSitter. Get a free month of unlimited sitter access and find sitters over 500 NPN families use and like at: https://www.urbansitter.com/promo/npn.

Congrats! You’ve hired a new babysitter. You feel like you’ve won the lottery, and you’re already dreaming of future date nights. You’re nervous about walking out the door that first time and leaving the sitter in charge, but you know she’s bright, fun, and more than capable. Your kids might not be so sure, though. If you’re anything like me, it can be easy to focus on emergency numbers and pantry items and forget to take time to get the kiddos settled with the new face in the house. My preschool-aged son usually loves to welcome new “friends” to our home, but my 9-month-old daughter is a tougher sell. I think it’s important to ease deliberately into a relationship with a new babysitter or nanny. Here are some tips that I’ve found make the transition as smooth as possible: Make introductions before the job 
I schedule time for my sitter and children to meet before the job, as part of a working interview. This provides more intimate getting-to-know-each-other time in my home with me close at hand. It’s also an excellent way to acclimate the sitter to my home, pets (in my case, goldfish and caterpillars) and parenting style. Give kids plenty of notice 
 It’s not fair to spring a new babysitter on a child, nor to the sitter, who may be left with a sobbing, distraught little one. I let my son know when a new caregiver will be coming by marking it on a visible family calendar on the fridge and casually reminding him that a new friend is coming. I also schedule the sitter to arrive with plenty of time for acclimation before I actually need to leave the house. Get the kids involved 
 Kids love to be involved in decision-making. Before hiring a new sitter, we talk about the qualities of a great babysitter—“nice,” “pretty hair” and “fun with cars” is the job description in my house. My 3.5-year-old son also loves watching sitter videos on UrbanSitter and I try to let him pick which famous sitter will ring the doorbell next. Put the kids in charge I find that if I put my child in charge of helping and teaching the sitter everything she needs to know when she arrives, he’s so busy making her feel at home that he may not notice his own apprehension. Have an itinerary 
To help my kids (and the sitter) feel in the know, I make a list of the day’s activities: lunch, coloring/crafts, walk to the park, stop for ice cream, and finally “Mommy/Daddy comes home.” Having something written down (preferably in my own handwriting) can create a sense of calm for an unsure child. Bend the rules 
I always give a sitter a little leeway to break the house rules. This sets her up to be the fun one who lets the kids get away with things I normally don’t, and creates an association between having a babysitter and getting some special perks! Dessert after lunch? A little playtime after dinner? Extra books at bedtime? Chances are, the sitter will love you for it, too. Just make sure she knows the real house rules! Remember, when a new caregiver is hired, everyone might be a little apprehensive. Do what you can to ease the transition by starting the process before the job begins. Hopefully, that babysitter will become an indispensable part of your lives and, with any luck, your kiddo will be begging you to go out!