What if you don’t like your babysitter?
They said she was good, why didn’t you like her then?
Booking a babysitter should be an exciting experience, for both the children and the parents who get to go out and get things done or have some fun.
What happens though if you get a babysitter, but no-one is in a hurry to have them back again?
The main thing to note is that it does not necessarily reflect on the capabilities of the babysitter. They may be more than experienced and know how to care for and keep your child safe. Maybe you think they are not the best match for your family. If this has happened to you, please read our previous blog ‘How to choose a good babysitter?’ .
Before being too rash in complaining about your babysitter, here are some things to consider, which may have influenced you or your children’s perceptions of them…
Expectations – Have you had babysitters previously? Do you expect a Nanny McPhee or someone from ‘The Babysitters Club’? Are you expecting them primarily to keep them safe? What about entertaining them? Do you think they will bring a book to read or homework? Are you expecting them to do any housework? If you haven’t had a babysitter before, be realistic on what you are wanting from them. Work out your essential minimum requirements, and what would be the next step up from that. Find out what the babysitter does when they are babysitting, so your expectations will be more realistic.
Previous experience – If you have had a young active loud babysitter and your children gelled with that, how will everyone react when a quiet grandmotherly type babysitter attends next time? Or vice versa, would you and your children be overwhelmed going from quiet to extroverted carer? If you haven’t had a good experience with one babysitter, how is that going to affect future babysitters?
Personalities – It is human nature to gel with certain people and not others. There are those that are a ‘bit rough around the edges’, those that are down to earth, and those that have higher standards. Some are easier to talk and interact with than others that may initially feel stand offish. If you or your children click better with quiet carers, or younger carers, or extroverts, or those that are more straight to the point, or fussy, or motherly carers, then you need to consider that when choosing a babysitter, or mention it when booking through a babysitting agency.
Ways of doing things – Some children need time to warm to their babysitter. It is often the case that a babysitter will often play with an interactive 5-year-old and let the shy 2-year-old warm to them before entering their personal space. For a parent, this may look like the babysitter is not engaging with the younger child, when in reality, the babysitter is allowing time for the child to feel comfortable. This can happen at any age. In other circumstances, some parents prefer babysitters to be soft and gentle with their children, whereas there are babysitters that are more active and challenge the children with their activities. If a parent has a specific way, they would like things done they must be clear in conveying this at the very start, so everyone is on the same page.
At Cherished Cherubs Babysitting we do our best to match families to babysitters, so everyone is happy with the whole experience. If, however the match does not work out the way we all hope, it is always good to know why. Was it the personality of the babysitter, was it the expectations of the parent? Our policy is to try and keep the same babysitter for you each time if we can, but we do not take offense if you would like to try someone new next time. We book babysitters ourselves, and we have our favourites that suit our families ☺.
Call us on 0417 927 525 to discuss how we can best match your babysitter to your family. Or book online now at: https://cherishedcherubs.com.au/about-us/meet-our-babysitters/
