Who needs a human?

Somebody asked us the other day if there had every been a robot babysitter that tried to register on our site. While that’s never happened, there have been several robot entrants into the caregiving world in the past decade, most notably in Japan. What got the ball rolling? Microsoft, always up for a challenge, created in the 90’s what they called “The Teddy,” otherwise known as a robot babysitter. It looked like a Teddy bear, but contained face recognition features that allowed a parent to talk to their kids through a special phone, and watch them via camera and wireless Internet. The prototype had some major issues even in development, like an occasional tendency to flash things like “Please update the driver for affection.” (At least some claim.) While the product debuted to much fanfare, it creeped almost every parent that saw it out and was rapidly removed from the company’s lineup.

What do you think? Will robots someday replace real flesh-and-blood people as babysitters?

Photo credit: www.globalwhelming.com

Rockin' the babysitter world too...

Musician Ben Folds was first inaugurated to the Frampton Comes Alive soundtrack—a track that influenced his music in later years-because his babysitter used to play the record and paint her toenails purple while working in his home.

Did your babysitter or nanny ever influence your current career in a certain way? Share!

Photo Credit: Google Images

Lots of good reading lies ahead...

Did you ever used to read The Babysitters Club?  We did, and we loved every minute of it!  In fact, we have the entire Babysitter Club series here in our office, so that we can dip into it every now and then.  Great news for fans…Scholastic is bringing back the series, and it’s hitting shelves sooner than you’d think.  Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia and Stacey are all included in the new books, and the new series is meant to capture young readers today who have not had much, or any, exposure to the books.

For more information, read the press release here.

Photo Credit: Google Images

Sittercity's caregivers are caring for more than just their charges.

Caring for children, pets and homes is just the beginning. Caring for the world…that’s next!

Sittercity has been finding various ways to support the Haiti cause and our partner, American Red Cross. For every follower that follows @sittercity on Twitter, we are donating $1 to the cause. But, in our sitter newsletter this week, I tossed out another challenge. I challenged caregivers on the Sittercity.com site to donate the proceeds from one sitting job (or a week of nanny wages) to American Red Cross’s efforts in Haiti. Sittercity.com would match every donation, up to $10,000.

You’ve stepped up!

Below are some of the notes I have received in my email inbox from you:

Andrzej Szremski
Sittercity Home Caregiver
Donation: $325

“Our family has decided to give to the Red Cross my one weeks salary as a home caregiver to help those in Haiti. ($325.00 ) I wish we could do so much more. We are so fortunate here in America, and have more than we will ever need. What does it say in the Bible? That when we help those in need we are giving to God. Our 5 children would not go to bed tonight until I promised them that I would send this money, and I pray that it will find its way to those who need it so very much. Thank you for matching my gift, Sittercity!”
Sincerely,
The Szremski Family

It’s utterly inspirational that someone who is working so hard, with five mouths to feed, would give so much!

Here’s another example of your generosity:

Christina Tucker
Sittercity Sitter
Donation: $40

“This cause is important to me because of all the children that have been affected by this earthquake, whether they have been newly orphaned or orphans that were in the middle of the adoption process that has now been hindered. I personally know of a family that has adopted a 7-year-old little girl from Haiti and when the earthquake hit, the adoption was complete. They were in the process of getting her passport and visa in Haiti, but with the Department of Immigration in ruins, they had many problems getting the little girl out. They were very persistent, and with the help of an American man in Haiti, they were finally able to get the little girl out and bring her home. They flew out to get her late on Tuesday January 20, 2110, just hours before a 6.1 aftershock hit. The orphanage she was living in as well as many others are running out of food and water.”
Sincerely,
Christina

Rebecca Goula
Sittercity Sitter
Donation: $75

“My aunt has spent a lot of time in Haiti volunteering her time to help people in need in this country. The organization that she has worked with for a long time is called Partners in Health, and I chose to donate to their organization. She always had such an inspirational time whenever she was down there, and has only the most gracious words to describe the Haitians that she met along her way. I hope that my donation and the matching of Sittercity, Partners in Health can help to provide more food, water, shelter, and medical assistance to those affected by this terrible disaster. Thanks so much to sittercity for matching the gift, it’s so great to be able to donate twice as much to this relief fund!”

Thanks,
Rebecca

I’m in awe of how much you’re rallying behind this cause, and absolutely thrilled to have you as caregivers on the Sittercity.com site.

Please keep the support, donations, notes and ideas coming!

Genevieve Thiers
Founder and Sitter #1
Sittercity.com
gthiers@sittercity.com

Photo Credit: Google Images

Consider Jackie Chan as your next babysitter.

Who doesn’t love Jackie Chan?  I was invited to a screening of his new movie The Spy Next Door in Chicago this past weekend, and it brought back lots of memories for me.  My dad and I are huge Jackie Chan fans–I remember many late nights when I was younger “ooo-ing” and “ahhh-ing” at various stunts in his movies.  It was easy to create a review—and a pleasure to watch.

The Spy Next Door is a fun family show.  It’s a perfect way to fill an afternoon when you need to keep the kids entertained.  It might be a bit much for some adults–it doesn’t manage, like some subtler shows (Sesame Street, etc.) to be funny without being completely free of cheese, but there’s several parts of it that are guaranteed to have the kids rolling the aisles, so at the very least you know they’ll be entertained.

Some highlights: Jackie Chan trying to make oatmeal (it ends up glomming together into a gigantic mess stuck on a fork,) the smallest family member Nora (Alina Foley) dressing up as a cyborg for Halloween, several funny dress situations with the teenage daughter Farren (Madeline Carroll) who has ensembles throughout that get shorter and shorter as time goes on, and a TV being dropped on someone’s head.  And of course, every single fight scene, including an amazing scuffle in and around a fridge.

Less believable: Jackie Chan’s chemistry with the female lead (the engaging Amber Valletta,) the kids’ dialogue, the Russian accents and the overall plot.  Some elements border completely on cheese, such as the casting of Billy Ray Cyrus as the loyal partner, or the repeated shtick of the Russian enemy being dressed like a rap star.

But even despite some of the less believable elements, it’s got Jackie Chan in it, which makes it great.  He’s perhaps the only star I know that can easily dip into a role as a babysitter and make a good career move.  The outtakes are particularly hilarious, and perhaps the one section of the film that adults will howl at.  Repeated attempts by Jackie to say lines, several stunt wipeouts at strategic parts of the movie, and line flubs are all worth the wait.

Photo Credit: Sittercity photography files

The economy might be doing better than you think

Think the economy is still not doing well? Think again. Sittercity.com reported a 128 percent increase in job postings in the last quarter of 2009 over our first quarter postings and more than 9,700 new jobs posted in December alone. We asked you why, and a recent survey of you all showed that almost a third of you that posted a job on the site did so because you recently found a new job or changed jobs.

Even better, the number of actual jobs being generated on Sittercity.com might be even higher, too, than the above statistic since it leaves out those of you that find a sitter through search rather than posting a job. On average, half of you post jobs when seeking a sitter on our site, while the other half of you conduct searches to find your perfect sitter match.

Caregiving is a necessity, not a luxury, as you all know, but we found this bit of news particularly exciting. We’re also excited at the number of jobs that we’ve been able to create during a hard economic period–at this point, there’s a new job posted on Sittercity.com every four minutes!

So start 2010 on a high note…things are getting better, and a positive attitude never hurts either. Happy sitting!

Photo credit: Google Images

Some people just don't have the knack a babysitter has...

Dear Confused,

That’s a great question!

For some people, being around other people’s children ranks right up there with public speaking, driving downtown and going to the dentist — they do anything they can to avoid it.

There’s just something about those high-energy little ones that can turn a completely secure individual into an unusually awkward adult. You don’t know what to say to make them like you, you don’t know how to act, you don’t know what to do… It just feels uncomfortable.

I once knew a guy who could never get comfortable around kids. Oh, he tried! But for all his present buying, Sponge Bob fluency and high-five attempts, the kids simply didn’t warm up to him. If only he knew the secrets of Sittercity’s professional babysitters…

Babysitters are a part of the select few who can always, always win over a child, so if you want kids to be more comfortable around you, just use these 7 simple babysitting tactics to make all that awkwardness go away.

1. Relax

First things first: Don’t psyche yourself out. If you put too much pressure on yourself to be super likable and super playful, you’ll come across as just the opposite. Remember, hanging out with kids is FUN.

2. Get Down to Their Level

Towering over children makes you seem very “adult” and can make you appear intimidating. If you want to make a child more comfortable, kneel down to his level when you introduce yourself.

3. Find Common Ground

If, for example, a child is clutching a stuffed animal, you could say something like, “What a cool-looking bear! I used to have one just like that, named ‘Teddy.’ I took him everywhere with me — to the playground, on car rides and even the beach!”

4. Ask Questions

Kids like talking about themselves, so be observant and pick out things that you can ask about. If you see a baseball mitt in the corner, ask if the child likes baseball, whether he likes batting better than fielding and which hand he throws with.

Ask for demonstrations too. For example, “You throw with your right hand? Okay, let’s see it! Pretend you have a baseball in your hand and show me how you would pitch to me.”

5. Be Expressive & Encouraging

Since children are so expressive themselves, it’s good for you to be expressive too - even if it feels a little silly and exaggerated. For example, if you see a child’s drawing on the fridge, get excited and say, “Oh WOW, that is an awesome drawing! You really did that? You’ll have to teach me.”

You’d also be amazed at how a big, genuine smile can put a shy child at ease. Remember that building up a child’s confidence is always a great way to get them to warm up to you.

6. Avoid the Baby Talk

There’s no need to talk to children in a high-pitched, singsong voice — trust me, it doesn’t make them understand you any more or like you any better.

7. Be Flexible

Let kids take the lead. Even if you decide that you want to take the child outside and toss a baseball around, you have to be prepared for when he or she decides to switch gears and head over to the swing set.

Image credit: momlogic.com

It's a new year, filled with new sitting. Get excited!

“Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.”

~Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1850

Or, as our very own Chicagoan Oprah would say:

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”

-Oprah Winfrey

Happy New Year, everyone! Remember please to be safe–if you’ve had a bit too much to drink, or suspect that the parent you are sitting for might have had one too many, TAKE A CAB HOME.

Here’s to 2010!

Photo credit: Google Images

Don't we all want Jackie Chan for our babysitter?

While Sittercity doesn’t boast of having former CIA spies as part of our sitter pool, when you cross one with a babysitting gig it certainly makes for big fun!  And that’s exactly what you get with The Spy Next Door, where Jackie Chan as former CIA spy Bob Ho takes on his toughest assignment to date: looking after his girlfriend’s three kids, who haven’t exactly warmed to their mom’s beau.

And the plot thickens when one of the youngsters accidentally downloads a top-secret formula, leading to Bob’s longtime nemesis, a Russian terrorist, paying a visit a visit to the family.  Screenings of The Spy Next Door will be happening in select cities and you are invited to attend. 

Click here to see screening dates and locations and get free tickets for you and your family.  Tickets are limited, so reserve your complimentary tickets today.  (Important note: These screenings have limited seating and are first come, first serve, so make sure you arrive early to ensure you get a seat!)

One more time folks! Book your New Years Eve sitter now!

Sometimes our blog posts from last year are so relevant and so canny that we just have to post them…again. The following post was posted on December 12, 2008, and by golly, we can’t find a good way to say it anew, so we’re just going to say it over.

New Year’s Eve plans? Check. Champagne? Check. A reliable, experienced babysitter? Oh, right. With the chaos of the holidays and the speed with which December moves, some parents forget or put off this crucial part of the New Year’s Eve puzzle. Because the holiday season is hectic enough, here is a complete guide to finding and hiring a great babysitter for New Year’s Eve.
(more…)

Too bad they don't give awards for caregiving.

To Warren Beatty’s claim that he was eager to have a child on Letterman in 1991, David Letterman replied “the only reason he had a child is so that he can meet babysitters.” But Beatty did get the last laugh on Letterman. Wife Annette Bening used Warren Beatty as a full-time babysitter on the set of her movie Being Julia. Their four children, Kathlyn, 11, Benjamin, 8, Isabel, 6, and Ella, 3, were seen on the set and wandering around Budapest (where the filming was taking place) with their dedicated dad.

If you were a movie star, would you be willing to care for your own kids? Or would you hire a nanny of your own? Share!

Photo credit: Google Images

When a baby is just born, people often say that there’s no better sound than the infant’s first cry. That first shriek is a clear sign that the baby is responsive, healthy, conscious and finally here.

But what about all of the other shrieks after that? Several months after the birth, many parents and caregivers find themselves scratching their heads, wondering WHY the baby is crying now. Is he hungry? Tired? Cold? Hot? Bored?

A baby may cry for a number of reasons, so the first steps are to check to see if the baby is hungry, needs a diaper change or needs a nap. If everything seems fine, and you simply don’t know how to calm the child, try some of these tips to comfort your crier.

1. Create a Soothing Motion: Rock the baby in a rocking chair, vertically while doing knee bends, put them in an automatic swing, put them in a stroller and walk around, or hold them in your arms while you sway.

2. Create a Soothing Sound: Turn on a mobile that has music, hum or sing to the infant in a soft voice (our CEO, Genevieve Thiers, is a trained opera singer and can get any infant to sleep within 3 minutes–we’ve seen her,) turn on a fan, radio or white noise machine, or make a continuous “Shhh” sound.

3. Check In: See if the child is too hot or too cold, swaddle the baby to see if it prefers to be bundled (babies love bundling,) offer the baby a pacifier, or pat or rub the baby’s back.

4. Find a Quiet Place: Take the baby to a calm, dark room, give the baby a soothing bath, put the baby on a blanket and let him or her rest, or try placing them on their stomach if you suspect that they are colicky. Colicky babies, especially, are more comfortable on their stomachs.

5. Whatever you do, NEVER: Shake a baby, put a baby in a car seat or carrier on a washing machine or other surface, or leave a baby unattended. If the crying begins to hurt your ears, earplugs are a nice option that can soften the noise.

What have you found to be effective to calm a crying baby?

Photo credit: Pedro Klien

Babysitting can go to the birds.

Alfred Hitchcock, smarting from the price of local childcare, once quipped “A good film is when the price of the dinner, the theater admission and the babysitter were worth it.”

Parents, what do you think? Have babysitting prices gotten out of control lately?

Photo credit: Google Images

There are so, so many reasons you need a sitter to handle this...

Seven reasons why you need a sitter for Black Friday:

1. If you’re buying gifts for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named that lives in icy climates, best not to do that in front of prying little eyes.

2. It’s hard enough to keep a handle on yourself in ravening hordes of shoppers, much less anyone much smaller.

3. Do you really feel like having the kids along will help?  Really?

4. People tend to get a little…how do we say it…intense when there’s only three of something tempting left.  Best to let tempers fly while the kids are away.

5. No, the kids won’t be good at organizing your coupons.   They will likely toss them all over the floor.

6. Coordinating with your sitter allows you to keep the kids absorbed in a TV show while you sneak the gifts up the back stairs.  (Remember, it’s not just getting them, it’s getting them in the house…)

7. Your sitter will be relieved that she can sit at your house and be away from her own mother, who is likely to be cackling in a Lenox boutique and frantically emailing every relative in the family pictures of

ceramic dwarves.

See, it’s so easy.  And of course, you know where to find your sitter if you need one.

Happy Shopping!

Sometimes it's nice to talk to others that do what you do.

Ever felt like you’re a bit overwhelmed, but that you didn’t know where to turn to? Caregiving can be a hard profession—after all who cares for the caregiver. There’s actually many resources out there for nannies that want to talk–you just have to know who to call. The following list was submitted to us as a guest blog by Andrea Flagg, Co-Founder/Moderator of the Nanny Alliance of NY & NJ. This is their list of nanny support groups nationwide that you can call on if you need to talk. (Of course, you’re always welcome to call Sittercity too–888-211-9749 will reach us any day, 7am to 7pm central time.)

INA~ International Nanny Association
Nation wide
Wendy Sachs and Susan Tokayer
admin@nanny.org
www.nanny.org
Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/International-Nanny-Association/72424900834?ref=ts

NANC~ National Association for Nanny Care
Nationwide
Lora Brawley and Sue Downey
info@nannycredential.org
www.nannycredential.org
Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/National-Association-for-Nanny-Care/75005696486?ref=ts

Niñeras en Español
Nationwide
Jany Lauren
chilean.nanny@gmail.com
http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/Nineras_ En_Espanol/

APN~ The Association of Professional Nannies
Nation wide
Jennie Krogulski
jkrogulski@nannyassociation.com
www.nannyassociation.com
Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/Association-of-Professional-Nannies/123152177034?ref=ts

*CALIFORNIA~

Bay Area Nanny Assoc. (BANA)
San Francisco Bay area
Margaret Felton
B_A_N_A@ hotmail.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BayAreaNannies/

East Bay Nannies
East Bay, CA
(Walnut Creek, Orinda, Berkeley, Oakland, Concord, Lafayette,
Moraga, Emeryville, Martinez, etc.)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Eastbaynannies/

*COLORADO~

Denver Area Nanny Association
Laurie
laurieaseguin@gmail.com
Yahoo Group ~ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DenverAreaNannyAssociation/

*CONNECTICUT~

Nanny Alliance of NY & NJ
Southern CT, -Metro NY and NJ
Andrea Flagg
info@nannyalliancenyandnj.com
www.nannyalliancenyandnj.com

*FLORIDA~
Central Florida Nannies
email: centralfloridanannies@yahoo.com
blog: www.centralfloridanannies.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/search/?q=abigayle+ihde&init=quick#/group.php?gid=109323411683

Nannies of Southwest Florida
Naples, Ft. Myers, Marcos Island, Cape Coral and surrounding areas.
Jodi Lepp
nanniesswfl@yahoo.com

*GEORGIA~

Metro Atlanta Nannies
Metro Atlanta
Deborah Brown
admin.metroatlantanannies@gmail.com
www.metroatlantanannies.webs.com

North Atlanta Nanny Association
North Atlanta, and beyond
Jocelyn K-B
1nanasg@gmail.com
www.nanasg.webs.com

*ILLINOIS~

Nanny Circle
Pat Rung and Diane King
mrs_pat@hotmail.com

Chicago Professional Nanny Association
http://chicagoprofessionalnannyassociation.com
nannyjessica@live.com

*MARYLAND~

ADCAN Association of DC Area Nannies
Maryland, Northern Virginia, Washington DC
Kellie Geres
adcan2000@yahoo. com
www.dcareanannies.com
Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/Washington-DC-Metro-Area/Association-of-DC-Area-Nannies-ADCAN/94362833033?ref=ts

*MASSACHUSETTS~

BANSG Boston Area Nanny Support Group
Boston and surrounding suburbs
Janice St. Clair
janstclair@aol.com
http://bansg.info/

*MICHIGAN~

Ann Arbor Nannies
Great Ann Arbor, Michigan Area
Sandra Tracey and Kathy McGee
annarbornanniesowner@yahoogroups.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/annarbornannies/

Michigan Professional Nanny Association
Metro Detroit/Statewide
Tara Lindsay, April Krause, MaryAnn Meddish
MPNAinfo@gmail.com
www.michiganpronannies.org

*MINNESOTA~

Twin City Professional Nannies (TCPN)
St. Paul, MN area
Mallette
tcpn_mn@hotmail.com
http://www.tcpnannies.org/home.asp

*NEW JERSEY~

Nanny Alliance of NY & NJ
Metro NY/NJ/CT area
Andrea Flagg
info@nannyalliancenyandnj.com
www.nannyalliancenyandnj.com

NJ Nannies
Sara Sandstrom and Penny Larson
njnannies@gmail.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NJNannies

*NEW YORK~

Nanny Alliance of NY & NJ
Metro NY/NJ/CT area
Andrea Flagg
info@nannyalliancenyandnj.com
www.nannyalliancenyandnj.com

*NORTH CAROLINA~

TANG ~ Triangle Area Nanny Group
Triangle Area of North Carolina, which is Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill.
Tracey Chipps and Leanne Osborne
TANG@nc.rr.com

*OHIO~

Ohio Nannies
Kim Boland and CE Harris
ohionannies@yahoogroups.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ohionannies/

CincyNanny
Greta Schraer
gretaschraer@mac.com
www.cincynanny.com

*PENNSYLVANIA~

Philly Nannies
Philadelphia Area
Sue Downey and Sibyl Snow
Suedowneypa@aol.com
www.phillynannies.org

Pittsburgh Nannies
Pittsburgh and surrounding areas
Kate Oaks
www.groups.yahoo.com/group/pghnannies/

*TEXAS~

DFW Nannies
Dallas, Ft. Worth Metroplex area
Rowlanda Smith
DFWnannies@yahoogroups.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DFWnannies/

*VIRGINIA~

ADCAN Association of DC Area Nannies
Northern Virginia, Washington DC, Maryland
Kellie Geres
adcan2000@yahoo.com
www.dcareanannies.com
Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/Washington-DC-Metro-Area/Association-of-DC-Area-Nannies-ADCAN/94362833033?ref=ts

Nanny Network of Richmond
Richmond, VA and surrounding counties
Angela Jackson
nanniesinrichmond@yahoo.com
www.geocities.com/nanniesinrichmond

*WASHINGTON DC~

ADCAN Association of DC Area Nannies
Washington DC, Maryland, Northern Virginia
Kellie Geres
adcan2000@yahoo.com
www.dcareanannies.com
Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/pages/Washington-DC-Metro-Area/Association-of-DC-Area-Nannies-ADCAN/94362833033?ref=ts

*WASHINGTON STATE~

Northwest Nanny Association
Greater Seattle area
Jenny Brown
brownjenny60@hotmail.com
www.northwestnanny.com

Emerald City Nannies
Greater Seattle Area
Anna Stivers
emeraldcitynanny@gmail.com

*WISCONSIN~

Northshore Professional Nanny Alliance
Metro-Milwaukee area
Mary Boyle
northshorenanny@gmail.com
www.nannyalliance.blogspot.com

Photo credit: thelifegroupla.org

Running around after kids can burn pounds like nothin' else...

Johanna House, winner of the 2004 America’s Next Top Model, was a 23-year-old babysitter from Jackson Mississippi when she won her model status. Formerly obese, House slimmed down fifty pounds during her full-time babysitting job before entering the lineup of girls for the 2004 Top Model show. When she won, supermodel Tyra Banks told the fashion industry to watch out because House was going to “rock their world.”

Have you ever heard of a babysitter losing weight on the job, or achieving some other life goal while working as a sitter? Share!

Photo Credit: Google Images

Ironically, one of the most frequent questions we get at Sittercity is, “Am I asking the right interview questions?”

When hiring a sitter, parents will often conduct an interview. Methods of interviewing vary widely from parent to parent. Some parents set up a phone call and some meet with the sitter in a local Starbucks. Regardless of which style fits you, you should make sure you’re asking the most critical questions before the sitter is left alone for their first job.

Here’s Sittercity’s list of the top three most important interview questions to ask:

1. Do you know CPR, First Aid and the Heimlich maneuver?
Don’t assume that your sitter knows this–ask! If you find out that they are certified, ask to see their certification. If they are not certified or can’t produce a certificate, consider sending them to a local class. The American Red Cross in Chicago offers local classes for just $50. (https://www.redcrossonlinetraining.org/Distance/Default.aspx?CID=53)

2. What is your previous experience?
Your sitter might have been a mother’s helper in the past, a nanny, or even an au pair. It’s key to ask your sitter what she’s done previously to understand what she is capable of while she is working for you.

3. What are your theories on discipline?
A caregiver’s job is to care for children by following the same family rules that Mom and Dad implement in order to keep the consistency. Different families have different rules, so it’s important to choose a babysitter or nanny that is able to adapt.

To read more interview questions visit our Interview Checklist at Sittercity.com.

Photo Credit: MSNBC

Have triplets? This might be the job for you.

Moms–are you expecting twins, triplets or more?  If yes, and you are delivering between November 2009 and February 2010, True Entertainment wants to hear from you.  See their listing below:

ARE YOU EXPECTING TWINS, TRIPLETS OR MORE?

If you answered YES and are delivering between November 2009 and February 2010, we want to hear from you!

We are interested in passionate, high-energy expecting parents for a national television show that will document the birth and first weeks of your newborns’ lives. We believe our show will be a great resource for expecting parents across the country to see families experience the joys and trials of multiples.

If you are interested, please email ”multiplescasting@gmail.com“ with your name, location, and due date in the subject line, and a little about your story. We look forward to hearing from you!

Rockers are sitters, too.

Singer Stephen Medd, an early influence on grunge singer April Lavigne, described her not only as a singer with promise but a great babysitter. “She babysat both my kids.” Medd said. “They will say to this day that she is the best babysitter we ever had.” Speaking of Lavigne, her former babysitter once called into Bellevue, WA radio station 97.1 FM at one point to request her song “Complicated,” and to reminisce about the singer, stating that “even back when Avril was a kid, she knew that she was something special.”

Do you think that a rock/grunge singer can also make a good babysitter?

Photo credit: Timeinc.net

Hmmm...we want to hear the one about Dan, too!

Happy Halloween, everyone! In the Sittercity.com office, we can’t pass up a good babysitting urban legend. We started collecting them in 2004 when a power outage in our office had us sitting in our office kitchen, reminiscing about babysitting jobs of old. Urban legends are often meant to impart a moral, however insignificant, to the masses. Babysitting urban legends got started in the 1970’s, most often being imparted with wide eyes from one disbelieving sorority girl to another, preferably on the train or subway when everyone else could hear. What are most fascinating are the morals underneath these stories. Meant to impart a fiendish lesson to parents and babysitters, these tales contain laughably disastrous effects for small infractions, or something no infraction at all. If you’ve never heard a babysitting urban legend, let me tell you the one where…

No Laughing Matter

1. The babysitter is weirded out by a clown figurine in the children’s bedroom. Later, the mother calls and she mentions that she put a sheet over its head because it made her feel odd. The mother yells for her to take the kids to a neighbors, and that her children have never had a clown doll. The clown is caught trying to escape on the back lawn.

Moral: Try this with a Brad Pitt figurine in your own room and see what happens…

Hippie for Hire

2. A babysitter taking some…ahem…illegal substances on the job accidentally places the baby in the oven and the turkey in bed, then tells the parents later that dinner is ready, effectively frying her job prospects for the rest of her life…

Moral: If your babysitter’s skirt has more than three colors, don’t hire her.

Frank the Prank

3. A babysitter answers the phone to hear a man laughing hysterically and then a voice saying, “I’m upstairs with the children, you’d better come up.” Thinking it’s a prank call, she slams down the phone, only to get the same call again and again. She consults an operator, who tells her to try and keep him on the line. The babysitter does this during the next call, but fails. Finally, the operator calls and says “get out of the house, the man is on the extension. The babysitter flees, and the police find that she was next in a string of grisly murders.

Moral: spoil your local operator. Send them chocolate.

A Total Gas

4. One babysitter on the subway confides to another that she always has trouble getting little junior to sleep. The other babysitter says “No problem, I just take them into the kitchen and give them a little bit of gas from the oven and they always go out like a light…”

Moral: Don’t listen to people on the subway. It only leads to life complications.

People Can Lick Too

5. A young girl comes home and jumps on her computer. She chats to a friend and is more than happy to confide in her, openly telling her that she has the house to herself for the evening. Her parents go out for dinner and her sister sneakily goes out also, without babysitting her younger sister like she’s asked to. The young girl has a shower, then lays on her bed and hangs her hand down the side of the bed and her dog licks it. Knowing it’s okay with the dog there, she goes to sleep. A few hours later she is awakened by a noise. She goes downstairs to investigate but finds nothing. She then wanders back upstairs, climbs into bed, and flings her hand down again to feel a wet tongue on her fingers once more. At this point, she glances in the mirror and sees the words “People can lick too” written across it. Also, in the reflection she sees a man, licking her fingers, with the decapitated dog on the floor next to him.

Moral: Don’t let a dog lick your hand for hours. That is totally gross.

Captain Hook

6. A crazy lunatic escaped from a nearby lunatic asylum with a hook for a hand rips off urban legend #2, above, but this time also scrapes the walls, carpet, and anything else he can find to leave his mark behind…

Moral: For that ripped wallpaper look, call Captain Hook Buggy Baby Bumper Babysitting Service.

The Vicious Cycle

7. The crazy lunatic from Urban Legend #6 originally does an Urban Legend #3 on her, killing all the kids in her care, then holds a grudge against her for getting away and returns later to do it all again, this time with the babysitter’s own kids…

Moral: Die the first time, would ya?

Bing! Next?

8. While a girl is babysitting the phone rings. She’s watching TV and so she just hangs up in annoyance when she hears heavy breathing. It rings again, this time she hears the kids. She heads all over the house looking for them, but all she can find is a pair of abandoned PJ’s. The phone rings again, and the caller says “you’re next,” then laughs maniacally. When the parents get home all they find of the babysitter is the phone hanging off the hook.

Moral: When babysitting, never answer the phone. Just imagine how frustrated your killer will be.

Home Alone

9. A young couple is racing out the door to the airport, late for their flight to Bali. As they were leaving the babysitter still had not come, so they telephones her and told her the baby was in his highchair and waiting for her. Then they left. When the babysitter arrives, the door is blown shut and locked. She thinks that the parents have made other arrangements, and so she leaves. When the parents get back, they realize the baby is still in his highchair.

Moral: As parents you deserve no enjoyment of life whatsoever. Give up now and never plan another vacation again.

Photo credit: Photoshoptalent.com

That's one busy fridge. Help it get more organized.

You know that thing that you stick on your fridge? The thing that has all the emergency numbers on it should the sitter need help? Oh yeah, and your cell phone? And oh, wait, maybe the kids allergies? And hmmm…shouldn’t it include their medicines?

Sometimes in life it’s great to have a guide.

Enter Sittercity.com’s Babysitter Cheat Sheet–an online, interactive form you can fill out and stick on the fridge that walks you through all those tricky little things you need to know about when you leave your sitter with the kids. From safety phone lines to child information to dietary procedures, it’s comprehensive, easy-to-use and best of all, free!

That’s some staying…or should we say sticking…power.

Photo credit: mashable.com

Sittercity had a whirlwind of a day Friday when Senator Dick Durbin came by the office to hold a press conference regarding small businesses and credit. We were thrilled to host the event and hear the exciting discussion.

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Discipline can be a tricky subject.

Different families have different discipline preferences — but not all of them are appropriate for sitters. Spanking, for example, should never be implemented by a caregiver, even if it is the family’s preferred method of discipline. Instead, use this list of Sittercity.com common discipline tactics and consequences as a guide to the best approach your caregiver can take.

Logical Consequences
Consequences that are controlled/engineered by a babysitter or parent
Example: If a child runs into the street, he is no longer allowed to play outside.

Tips: The sitter should be able to remain calm, but state the consequences firmly. She also must be prepared to follow through on the consequences immediately.

Withholding Privileges
Telling the child that he will have to give up something he likes as a consequence of his actions
Example: If a child keeps throwing toys at the TV, he is not allowed to watch his favorite show that day.

Tips: Tell caregiver not to take away something the child actually needs (like a meal) and to also make sure this consequence is implemented immediately after the bad behavior.

Time-Outs
Isolating the child for a certain period of time as punishment for bad behavior
Example: Asking the child to go to their room for ten minutes if they’ve done something they know is wrong.

Tips: Be specific! Tell the caregiver to give the child a time-out period of 1 minute for each year of his age. (So, a 4-year-old would have a four-minute time-out.)

Photo credit: Getty Images

You’d be surprised how many common household products contain ingredients that are considered to be toxic to humans or possible carcinogens. But who has the time to do a biological research study on every potential product purchase?

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Oompa Loompas had nothing on Charlie when it came to babysitting.

Peter Ostrum, the child actor who played Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, was widely considered a great babysitter in his neighborhood before starring in Willy Wonka and eventually becoming a veterinarian.

What other child actors do you know that were also great babysitters? And who wishes that they lived next to Julie Andrews when she was young? (We’ll tell you one thing—anyone that used to have our CEO and Founder Genevieve Thiers as a babysitter is pretty smug now…)

Photo Credit: Google Images

While browsing through some babysitting jobs the other day, we came across a post that specifically stated a preference for “a younger sitter.”

As you’re well aware, Sittercity only features sitters who are 18 and older, so it’s not like this parent was looking for a preteen, but he definitely wanted someone who had just completed high school.

Which begs the question… why? And is this a common thing?

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Little Eva

Little Eva, the singer to first introduce the song “The Locomotion” in the 1960’s, was asked to record the hit song while playing around musically with a piano during a babysitting job for songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin. Babysitting can take you places!

Have you heard of any other famous sitters who got their career started on a babysitting job?

Photo Credit: Google Images

We came across a recent article titled “Nanny Positions Requiring College Degrees” which focused on this growing trend and argued against why an education is necessary when caring for children.

Said the mom who wrote the article: “While earning a college degree is a major accomplishment it doesn’t mean you know squat about parenting or caring for kids. As a working single mom, I relied heavily on nannies and babysitters when my daughter was much younger. The nanny my daughter loved the most was a high school dropout with three grown kids. She cared for my daughter for two straight years until it was time for her to start pre-school. She was loving, playful and creative. But she was also stern, disciplined, and organized. She knew my daughter so well she called my attention to things her pediatrician missed. When I panicked about certain behavior, she was able to tell me from her own parenting experience, not to worry, it was a phase. And she was flexible, which was a big plus in my line of work.”

When we asked our blog readers what their most important caregiving quality was, education never even came up.

You guys cited work ethic, flexibility, communication, patience — never “a college degree.”

Does that mean it’s unimportant? Or that it’s simply not as important as some of these other qualities? Sittercity parents, would you ever consider hiring a caregiver who didn’t have a college degree? Why or why not?

Sitters, what do you think? Is a degree important? Do you think you’ve even been turned down for a job because you don’t have a degree?

Photo Credit: Google Images

Lisa Marie Presley with Twins

Star Lisa Marie Presley is in the spotlight, but not for a good reason.  She’s facing legal action from her $650 a day nanny, Christine White.

Why?

Christine White the main caregiver for Presley’s 10-month-old twin daughters, Finley and Harper, is claiming that she’s been forced to work seven-day-weeks without any overtime pay, meal breaks, or even a few moments of rest.   While the Lisa Marie Presley example is the extreme and Mrs. White may have exaggerated her situation, it is important to make sure that you don’t overwork your nanny. Here are a few tips to help you maintain a successful relationship with your nanny.

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August is here and, if the moping and sighing is any indication, your kids have noticed that it’s back-to-school time.

Because you’ve got enough on your plate, we’ve put together a series of back-to-school tips and articles designed to make your back-to-school season run a little more smoothly.

So take a look through these back-to-school tips and get geared up for a great school year!

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