Meet the Angel: Anne!

“I started babysitting quite early, at thirteen. A friend and I went around the neighborhood, dropping flyers in mailboxes. That’s how we found a few families to babysit for together.

Now, she has a different job, so I babysit on my own. Sometimes, if parents tell me I can bring a friend, she still joins me. The kids love it, and so do I—especially when I babysit in the evening after they’ve gone to bed. But also when it’s a family with four kids, having an extra pair of hands can be really helpful.”

“Since I live in a small town, I quickly noticed that moms were sharing my contact details with each other. That helped me find a lot of great babysitting families. I’ve been babysitting for some families for years, while others have outgrown the need. But over time, new families have also come along, for example, when a new neighborhood was built. So I just went door to door again.”

“Last year, after my exams, I had a lot of free time. I wanted to find a few more babysitting families because I honestly think it’s the best side job ever. Then, I came across Charly Cares through a girl on TikTok, and now I’ve been babysitting through the app for a while! I think it’s such a great way to find new families in my area.

A babysitting day is never the same: I often babysit during the day, but recently, I’ve been doing more evening shifts. I really enjoy the variety. I also have experience with kids of all ages—I currently babysit a one-year-old, but I’ve also looked after ten-year-olds and everything in between. Still, I enjoy taking care of preschoolers the most. I’m in my first year of Pabo now, and I’d love to teach kindergarten in the future.”

“Whenever I tell a babysitting family that I study at Pabo, they’re never surprised. They always say it suits me perfectly, which I take as such a great compliment! I’ve always wanted to be a teacher—when I was little, I 'played school’ all the time. That’s why I’ve loved babysitting for so long, and it also ties into my studies. Babysitting really helps me build a bond with the kids and constantly reminds me why I love working with children so much. It doesn’t even feel like a job—it’s so different from my hospitality job, which I do one day a week.”

“I’ve been babysitting for some families for years now, and it’s amazing to see how comfortable we’ve all become. You build a strong connection with both the kids and the parents. And when parents tell me their kids had a great time with me, it makes me so happy. That’s why I do it! One of my favorite babysitting memories is when I had to stay overnight while the parents were away. It was so much fun—we had breakfast together and baked things. Spending that extra time together really helped strengthen our bond.”