Meet the Van Vliet family
In this blog, we would like to introduce you to the Van Vliet family. The family lives in Rotterdam and has been using Charly Cares for almost a year now. Mom Barbara talks about her experience, what she pays attention to when booking an Angel, and what having a fixed babysitter at home is like. Curious? Read on now.
Barbara, would you like to introduce yourself and your family to us?
“Hi, I'm Barbara! I'm the proud mother of three children: 9-year-old Rayan, 8-year-old Noah, and 4-year-old Sara. These ages are super fun, but can be quite exhausting at times too. They are all three in school, so our fixed babysitter Sterre comes and babysits for us every week on Wednesday afternoon. The kids love it and it offers great support to us, seeing as we are then able to work for a couple more hours. Sterre is a valuable addition to our family.”
How did you end up at Charly Cares?
“We were looking for a great babysitter, so we started searching the web. Soon we came across Charly Cares. We tried some other websites and apps before that, but unfortunately none of them worked out. Charly Cares is just that little bit easier to use. The app is user-friendly and we have a positive experience with the service.
For example, our babysitter recently had to unexpectedly cancel a booking. Luckily, the Support Team was there to help us out; that is how we soon found a new babysitter. I like the idea that both babysitters as well as parents feel comfortable using your platform.”
“During the time the schools were closed, our babysitter Sterre was truly indispensable”
“We have had our fixed babysitter Sterre around for some time now. She has been a huge help around the house. Especially during the time the schools were closed and homeschooling became the new norm. The babysitter came around four times a week to help the kids with their homework. That was a great help to us as parents.
Our work and the associated meetings continued on. Giving our three children the attention they needed became a bit much at time. During that specific period, our babysitter Sterre was indispensable; she helped us out immensely.”
“Now that the kids are able to go to school again, Sterre still comes around every Wednesday. The kids love her, and it suits us very well combined with working from home. We work on a different floor in the house, so she can do what she wants downstairs. Sterre knows her way around the house and so we always feel comfortable leaving the kids in her care. Even when ‘normal life’ returns, we feel safe with Sterre.”
What are you most looking forward to once the ‘normal life’ returns?
“I'm incredibly looking forward to the spontaneous things in life: taking the kids for an unexpected visit to the zoo, sitting down at an outdoor cafe while on a hike. Seeing as the children are so used to Sterre, I will certainly also book her for when we want to have a night out for just the two of us.”
Great to hear that Angel Sterre fits your family that well. How did you find her on our platform?
“Via the app, we saw Sterre among the Angels. Her profile fits our preferences very well. Whenever Sterre was unavailable, we would invite other Angels; they were great girls too. Before we invite someone to babysit, we pay close attention to the bit of text in the Angel's profile. That's how they can introduce themselves and the first impression that we as a parent get. I think it's important for such text to radiate trust. What is also important for us is for the Angel to have a driver's license, for emergency or parties for example.”
“Other than that, it's always good to discuss expectations during the first meeting. When the schools were closed, for example, the focus for us was really on help with homework. We create a sort of scrum board listing all types of tasks that were important for us. We also would prefer to see the kids busy with their hobbies, rather than stuck behind a pc or phone. The girls did a great job handling these expectations. I think this is a great way to prevent miscommunications.”
Lastly: Why is Sterre the Fixed Angel that fits your family so well?
“Sterre is great at playing with the kids. For example, the youngest, Sara, likes playing with dolls. Sterre really takes the time to play along with her. She'll brush the dolls' hair, dresses them, and does funny voices. You can simply see Sara enjoy that and come alive. And with the boys Sterre simply joins in when they're gaming online. I think that is one of the reasons the kids are so crazy about her.
I personally really appreciate her ability to truly listen to what the children want to tell her and her really being there for them. She is a great listener and help for our whole family.”
Curious about the stories from other users?
In this blog, you got to know the Van Vliet family. We would also love to introduce you to some of our Babysitting Angels. In this blog, Angel Adina talks about what she thinks about babysitting in corona times. And Angel Anouk discusses the benefits of babysitting on a fixed basis. Want to share your Charly Cares story too? Let our Support Team know and, who knows, the next Family Story might be about your family.