Vera's golden babysitting tip

February 1, 2022

Meet one of our Babysitting Angels: Vera! She is 20 years old and is studying interdisciplinary social sciences in Utrecht. She babysits about 4 times a week for many different family. Curious about her story? Then keep reading...

When did you start babysitting?

‘‘Before I went to university, I always used to babysit for families from our neighbourhood. When I moved to Utrecht in 2019, I actually immediately started babysitting via Charly Cares after a friend told me about the service. It really appealed to me, because I really missed babysitting in Utrecht.’’

How often do you babysit?

‘‘My experience with Charly Cares is good and I babysit a lot. The other day, for example, I had a week where I babysat twice a day because the schools unexpectedly closed, meaning I got a lot of requests. But on average, I think it's about 4 times. Sometimes I feel like I should actually babysit a bit less, so that I can spend more time studying. I just always feel very responsible for helping parents, and I enjoy doing so.’’

When has your babysitting day been truly successful?

‘‘If I have connected with the children. Plus when I notice that the kids really like spending time with me. With some children, you click a bit more than with others. Sometimes, I really learn something from them, for example by how they look at things. But the connection and the feeling that we have done something together is really the most important.’’

What is your golden babysitting tip?

‘‘Try to find what suits the child. For example, if I babysit boys and notice that they like cars, I'll start asking questions about that. When a child is less quick to open up, I really try to delve into their lives and their interests.’’