Babysitting Angel Mirte: “So special to watch the children grow”

I've basically been babysitting my whole life. I used to live in a village just outside of Amsterdam, where I had lots of babysitting addresses nearby. I have been living and studying in Amsterdam since 2019 and I heard from a classmate from Pedagogy that she worked at Charly Cares. I looked it up and immediately became very enthusiastic. I really liked the idea of arranging my babysitting job via an app. I immediately signed up!

I started babysitting at Charly Cares about 3 years ago. I just graduated so I have a lot of time to babysit. I mainly do so for fixed families, where I babysit about 4 to 5 times a week. Most children I babysit are young and don't go to school yet, so I often babysit for a full day. That can be quite intense, such a young age. But it's also always very fun! The youngest child I babysit is only 4 weeks old. That's very different from children of 3 years old, who I can take to the playground or do some other activity with.

It is so special to see children develop through my job as a babysitter, especially since I usually work with a family for at least six months. I feel like I can explore the world with the kids and I love how much fun they have playing outside or being creative at home. I really get to see them grow up!

My favourite outing during a babysitting service is the petting zoo, especially when the weather is nice. Children always really like animals. In general, I think going outside and being out and about is the most fun thing to do while babysitting. I've noticed that children's imagination really runs away with them then. Children can also be more energetic outside, especially when they're a little older.

Last summer, I often babysat for full days, or multiple days for the same family. That's great, because then you really get to know the children well, and they get to know you too. You will then know better what they need from you as a babysitter. Many parents were still working from home around that time, so I preferred to take the children outside. I noticed that they could get bored quite quickly during the holidays, so it was occasionally challenging to keep them occupied. Fortunately everything worked out all right!

Thanks to Charly Cares, I have found many fixed babysitting addresses. The app is really convenient, because I can indicate exactly when I am and am not available. Also for some time in the future, for example. And it's very useful that I can take my time and view the parent's profile and they can view mine. I often hear that they read my bio and are therefore quickly reassured when they read that I studied Pedagogy. As a result, the families I visit will often become fixed families. That works very well for me.

Thanks to GigCV I also have more insight into what kind of experience I'm actually gaining. It's nice to see when I started, how often I've babysat, and what skills I use while babysitting. When I see it like that, I think ‘Oh yes, that's actually quite a lot!’. A babysitting job is not just any part-time job: you have to do quite a lot and be flexible, and you always have a fun day.