The first time you let a stranger watch your children
Netflix was already on while we were still putting on our jackets. Uh, well, at least she feels at home in our house.
Hop and there you go. Off together. Kids in bed. You leave your children with someone you’ve only known for five minutes. And that’s why I find babysitters quite strange. ‘Hi, yes, here’s the dad, here are the diapers, well bye then! We’ll be home by half past one!’ We definitely waited nine months for a ‘real babysitter’, before that we always asked an aunt of Bodi and Daaf, a friend or one of our parents. Now I think they are old enough for a babysitter, at almost eleven months, but still. A complete stranger is already watching Netflix while we aren’t even gone yet. That worries me. Is she really taking good care of my children? Can she comfort them if they suddenly miss mom?
I left my number on four notes and we could even peek at the camera in the nursery to see if they were sleeping nicely. You want to know, when you’re having your second glass of wine in that trendy restaurant. Look, I love that a babysitter gives you freedom, also to do something fun together. But I also find it strange, because asking a sister feels much nicer than a girl I’ve literally seen for two minutes.
According to experts, there are 7 rules when it comes to asking for a babysitter for your children:
1. Feed your children yourself as much as possible, that is not really her job. So make sure your children are ready when you leave. Bath, food, bottle, pajamas on: make it easy for the other person.
2. Make sure there’s something nice for her at home and offer that as well.
3. Don’t panic and don’t call six times to ask how it’s going. You can send a text halfway through the evening, but let her be the babysitter. She can really handle it.
4. Don’t let one babysitter look after more than four children at the same time.
5. Don’t ask if she can do some extra chores, like folding the laundry. That’s not what she’s there for, she’s there to take care of your children.
6. Always let her know if you’re going to be home later. Don’t think: oh, she’ll see that by herself.
7. Always pay the babysitter on time, not three weeks later. That doesn’t really motivate.
By the way, we arrange a babysitter through an app. Very handy, then you can see someone’s profile in advance and you can get to know them a bit. I even joked to my husband that I would just ‘choose a girl who wasn’t his type for safety’s sake. Just, you always hear that a man runs off with the babysitter, haha.’ Well, based on her profile picture, I recently chose a babysitter. I thought: this will be fine. Uh. Then the most stunning girl ever walks into my house. A model. White teeth, long wavy hair, much slimmer than I will ever be after a twin birth… And she was also super sweet to Bodi and Daaf. Next week I’ll definitely ask my parents again. Then you’ll know for sure.
Image: Instagram Tessa Heinhuis
