It's a busy morning but you've got all the kids packed and ready to head to school. Phew. You've finally sat down to enjoy probably the first and last sip of coffee before you head out the door and buzz, your phone is ringing. Hello? It's your boss. She sounds awful. She has called to let you know that she is down with a fever and will be having you cover the client dinner tonight. In a frenzy, you message your regular babysitter to see if she can take care of the kids tonight. She immediately writes back, but unfortunately she's sitting for another family tonight. What am I going to do?

 

 

An unpredictable schedule and sudden changes are just a part of life as a parent. Cancellations and sudden commitments are bound to arise and are always going to. Almost as inevitable as earthquakes and typhoons in Japan! It just comes with the territory of being a parent. So, just as you'd prepare for an earthquake with extra food, water, flashlights and backup batteries, you should prepare for sudden changes in your schedule with a backup babysitter.

 

 

At CareFinder, we are committed to meeting all of your babysitting needs whether you are looking for just an evening babysitter, an international babysitter, a hotel babysitter, a weekend babysitter, an overnight babysitter, a great au pair or a summer babysitter. And this includes backup sitters too. As a parent, there are only a few things as important as reliable childcare. But just like everyone else, babysitters are humans and as humans, we have our own lives with schedules, emergencies and commitments. Babysitters can't always accommodate your schedule on short notice. You can make your childcare system more reliable by expanding it.

 

On CareFinder, you can schedule and post multiple jobs with multiple babysitters. Take advantage of the platform and not only communicate with multiple babysitters, but have trial sittings with multiple sitters. Not only will this save you from high levels of stress during unexpected cancellations or childcare emergencies, but it will also increase your child's exposure to a diverse group of caretakers. When you put up a job post on CareFinder, you will get a number of applications from quality sitters. This is the perfect opportunity to also pick some backup sitters! Instead of picking just one sitter to be your regular sitter, pick one primary sitter and have a number of sitters sit for you once in a while. For example, if you have a primary sitter to pick up your kids from the bus stop and spend the afternoon with your kids on weekdays, have another sitter take care of your kids on weekend date nights. This way, if your primary sitter has to cancel or can't work with your last minute change in schedule, you have another sitter that your kids are already comfortable with!

 

 

But last minute changes or cancellations are not the only reason for getting backup sitters. Sometimes your schedule changes too and unfortunately, it doesn't always match up with your current sitter's schedule. Maybe you needed babysitting on Thursdays previously but now you need it on Fridays and your current sitter already sits for another family on Fridays. Having a backup sitter means you have more reliability and flexibility in your life as a parent.