“Sofia and I have inside jokes and specific activities that we enjoy doing together”

“At the moment, I have a family where I babysit every Tuesday and Thursday. Before this, I had vacation and during that time, I saw my babysitting child a lot as well. I particularly like a regular family because you really get to know the child and they get to know you. This way, Sofia and I have inside jokes and specific activities that we enjoy doing together.”

If you are going to babysit with a new family, weekly at set times for a longer period, it is nice to have a connection with the family. How do you, for example, get to know the new family? And how do you put the kids at ease?

“When I am going to babysit with a new family, I usually make sure, together with the parents, that I am on time. This way, the child can get used to me in a familiar environment. While the parents are there, I try to make as much contact with the child as possible. I then talk to them and sometimes play with them if they are open to it. Once the parents are gone, it's a matter of assessing how comfortable the child already is. If it is not the case yet? Then it is better to give the child some space, I know from experience."

And last but not least; if you could give a parent a tip about a booking request, what would it be?

“I always really appreciate it when parents tell me what they expect from me as a babysitter in a booking request. Every child is different, and a message with the request already gives an impression of what the child needs.”