I am a stay at home mother of 5, all under 5, but just because I'm a good mother to my own kids, doesn't mean that I'd be THE BEST childminder, childcarer, babysitter or nanny to another family's offspring, likewise just because my babysitter is a mother of two and has babysat sleeping children over 500 times doesn't mean she'll know what how to cope when my 9 month old screams for her night time feed and my 3 yr old starts crying out from his painful eczema on the opposite side of the house.
One just doesn't know how they will react in a certain situation especially if it's her first time with MY family. If the first time goes swimmingly THAT'S GREAT RIGHT? IS she the best babysitter in the world then? But what if you come back home to a frazzled babysitter because just by sod's law both babies woke up screaming at the same time waking up the other three and she's running around like a headless chicken, or worse? (is crying herself, has hit one of the kids, or screams at them out of frustration as you've just walked in) Does this make her the babysitter from hell?
It is so hard to judge someone when
a. you're not there
b. you can't get any constructive feedback from the babies because they are all too young
c. you don't get to really talk in detail with her of how it all really went before she leaves
Speaking from personal experience, I have whole heartedly, naively sometimes just trusted in babysitting websites without questioning what i'm getting. Why shouldn't I? I pay a one-off fee or subscription fee or booking fee and membership fee and pay the sitter all under the assumption they've done ALL the admin work for me to ensure I can relax....we bloody hope so, but the only way to judge the quality of a childcarer in the company of your children is by observing them in action yourself, once or twice or three times, because EVERY time is different (that's just my opinion).
SO I have read many bad and good reviews of all the websites in the UK. BUT what I never get to read is any detail as to WHY that particular experience was good, ESPECIALLY if it was the Parent's first time. Was it because the sitter constantly updated the parents? Did she do a bit of washing up? Did she do great first aid to a deep gash on a child's knee? Did she manage to clear all the chips off the floor after dinner so that no one would slip up on them later and go flying across the kitchen?
And then the bad reviews, mostly concerning last minute cancellations? Again no detail, how close to the appointment did she cancel? What was her reason? Did the website not check and double check and triple check that she was still available? How did they compensate for the disaster of a cancellation that has ruined an anniversary date with the husband that you have booked in advance months ago?
I have many stories of my own, good and bad but I just wanted to know what in your opinion Mums and babysitters out there is your account that makes an experience AN EXPERIENCE. What is it that helps you then rate a babysitter the best thing since sliced bread? OR you babysitters how do you rate a family being manageable or not?
Has anyone had the experience of being able to rate the babysitter directly by name? Does the rating feedback appear on her profile on the website? Because all the scathing reviews I have read have been towards the website itself, not the babysitter who should be a self-employed experienced self-managed professional indivdual (again in my opinion)
Please feel free to share stories, and just because I have asked ever so nicely pretty please, can it be in detail?
Look forward to hearing both sides
Just an interested mum x