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In today’s day and age, parents may be the busiest people in the world. Most households depend on both partners to work in order to make end’s meet. And this means that they not only have to run a household, but keep up with the children’s schedules, work obligations, a social life, their partner and make time for themselves. And this means that any help that they can get is priceless. They are so high in demand that now they have started to steal babysitters from each other. The problem is that good reliable help is hard to find. Finding a great babysitter is a long process as it is. You need to have sit downs and interview them before you let them near your kids. But retaining one is even harder. Some other parent is always going to be willing to pay more or be more flexible. And you can’t keep the identity of your sitter a secret forever. So, if you’re wondering what sitter stealing is, and how to deal with it, we’ve got the answers. Keep reading!
What Is Sitter Stealing?
Sitter stealing is using another family member’s or friend’s babysitter without asking them for permission first. You’re probably asking yourself what the big deal is as sitters usually work for multiple families in the same locality. The issue arises when parents start to offer special perks to the sitter such as higher hourly rates just to get ahead and have a good sitter in their retainer. And this isn’t fair to all the other parents in the block who have agreed on an affordable rate and who need a sitter just as desperately.
Why Does Sitter Stealing Happen?
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If you’re a parent, this question will be answered by itself. It’s tough to find someone you can trust to watch over your kids. Your children are the most precious beings to you, so it’s understandable why you may hesitate to leave them alone with anyone who is less than absolutely capable of handling any situation. However, finding a sitter that checks all the boxes is a miracle as well. They need to have specific experience with a certain age group, they need to be able to do CPR and have safety certificates.
They need to be kind and sound of mind. And most importantly, they need to stick to the rules and schedule you’ve laid out for the kids. So, it’s no surprise why parents are doing everything they can to get the sitter when they find one who may be the perfect fit. But that doesn’t make it acceptable to sabotage every other parent on the block. Sitter stealing can lead to other parents having no other options and no one to care for their kids. If you’d like to approach a sitter used by other families in the area, there are more respectful ways to go about the situation.
Here Are The Do’s And Don’ts Of Sitter Stealing
1. Be Transparent
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Sitter stealing is unkind and disrespectful, but one family can’t have the monopoly over a sitter. Especially if the babysitter wants to work for several families in the locality. When you know that this is the case, communicate with the fellow parents so that everyone is on the same page. If a parent wants to hire their neighbors’ babysitter for example, they should notify the neighbor before reaching out to the sitter. This way, you will maintain a good relationship with them and work out a schedule that works for the two of you.
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Sharing a babysitter is sometimes the best solution for everyone involved. You get to keep your commitments, your kids are well taken care of, the babysitter get’s paid and there’s no drama involved. So, if you’re really good friends with your neighbor, or you’re borrowing a family member’s or friend’s sitter, why not just ask your sitter to watch over the kids together? Chances are that your kids will already be friends and may be overjoyed with the prospect. Simply pick a home where all the kids can stay in and then go on about your plans. This job will also seem more enticing to the sitter as they will get a bigger paycheck.
3. Borrow, Don’t Steal
If you’re in a fix because your sitter canceled last minute and you’ve got plans, ask your friend if you can borrow theirs for the night. It’s okay to ask for help while you find a better go-to sitter but make sure you understand that this situation is temporary.
Finding good help can be hard but you don’t need to resort to stealing and burning bridges in order to procure a good sitter. Simply approach the parent first and enquire if it would be okay for you to approach their sitter. Once everyone is okay and aware of the situation, you can go ahead with your plans.
