At CareFinder, we are proud of our diverse, talented community of babysitters. The CareFinder team puts a lot of time and effort into finding sitters who are not only qualified and trustworthy, but who will also work well with the equally amazing and diverse community of families who use our platform.

 

Every month, we like to showcase a babysitter who epitomizes what the CareFinder community is all about. This month, we're highlighting Ruby!

 

Originally from the Netherlands, she's currently a student at Meiji University. Fluent in Dutch and English, Ruby also speaks some German, Spanish and French.

 

Ruby's been a babysitter for 10 years and spent part of that time as an au pair in the United States, where she looked after a four-month-old, and three children ages five, seven and 10. She loves to bake, do arts and crafts and listen to music with the children she watches and is available in Tokyo and Kanagawa.

 

We asked Ruby some questions to learn more about this super star babysitter!

 

When I was working at my parent's flower store, I would always joke around with the kids, especially if they were shy. Many parents liked this, and one day a parent asked me if I wanted to babysit. I always loved kids, so this was the perfect job for me! I’ve been babysitting for almost 10 years now, and I still love it as much as the first time. Being around kids is very natural for me, and I think that’s why I started babysitting at such a young age.

 

When I first moved to Tokyo, I already started missing some of my babysitting kids. I have a great relationship with all parents and they all send me messages while I’m here. So, I wanted to see if I could babysit here too! Carefinder is really easy to use, and I like getting to know all the families. Most of the families are visiting or live here for a longer period, so it’s nice to meet people who are in the same situation and I love meeting kids from all over the world!

 

I like interacting with different kids. They are all different, but my goal for all of them is to make them feel comfortable and to enjoy our time together. It’s fun to hear stories about their lives here, and we often compare it with our lives at home. The thing I like the most, is positive feedback. I want the kids to have a good time, so I love hearing from the parents after I babysat for them. So far I’ve only received great feedback!

 

Sometimes kids are sad that their parents leave, and they make it very clear that the babysitter is not ‘wanted’. This might be my favorite situation, because it’s a challenge! It is hard for the parents to leave their kids like this, so I always try to make the kids and parents feel comfortable about the situation. In my almost 10 years of experience, I’ve never had a babysitting experience where the kid didn't turn around. It makes me really happy when we have a great time together, and I love telling the parents this at the end of the evening. It’s challenging, but it’s a great challenge!

 

In my free time I love to travel! I’ve been to 34 countries, and I can’t wait to explore more of this amazing world. Because I babysit, I can afford to travel.

 

Kids have definitely made me more open and social. They can talk to anyone, about anything and that is a great skill! As a babysitter, I believe you need this skill as well so I’ve been improving this skill for the past few years.

 

I worked as an au pair, which means you are a full time babysitter for one family. I took care of a little girl, and each day she would be able to do new things. I saw her take her first steps, and I loved it when she said my name. It is really special to work with a family for a longer time so you can see the kids develop.

 

Every kid is different! I adapt my babysitting style every time, because nobody is the same. Everyone interacts differently, so I try to make the kids feel as comfortable as possible. Some kids want to interact more, but others are fine playing by themselves. I think that it helps that I have a lot of experience, because I can always feel what each child wants and needs. My goal every time is to bond with the kids and be asked to babysit again!

 

Thank you for featuring me as your babysitter of the month! I’m having a great time meeting all these wonderful families, and I can’t wait to meet many more in the next few months!