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Copyright of the Sun Herald
It's meet the parents as sitters go speed dating
CAROLINE MARCUS
January 31, 2010
Photo by Jacky Ghossein.
It's the latest trend in social connection – speed recruiting to find the perfect babysitter.
Once or twice a week groups of up to 10 mothers and prospective carers meet in a suburban hall. They have a maximum of five minutes to get to know each other before a bell rings and it's on to the next candidate.
Desperate parents juggling longer hours in the workplace and scarce child-care places have turned to the Meet a Sitter founder Mei Koon for help.
The 34-year-old from Rozelle and her husband Paul Nickodem, 46, had trouble getting a place in child care for their son James, 1, despite putting their names on waiting lists when she was just three months pregnant.
With busy work schedules – she was a marketing executive and he is an aircraft engineer – Ms Koon could not devote weeks to interviews with potential candidates found through ads or employment agencies.
"The moment they walked through the door and I saw them face-to-face, I would know they weren't right. I thought, 'There has to be a better way of doing this.' "
She began holding Meet a Sitter events in November and since then has found work for 100 experienced carers, all personally vetted and background checked.
When parents arrive at an event – held in the inner west, eastern suburbs, North Sydney and the city – they are handed résumés to peruse, before being led to another area to "speed date" the sitters.
"Most times people are called and booked within a day of the event," Ms Koon said. "Often, parents walk away with at least two to four people that they want to have on their speed dial."
Phoebe Humphreys,20, a nanny and second-year classical singing student from Pyrmont, joined the service in November and has so far participated in three events.
Having already found work with five families, she said she found working with children fulfilling after jobs in retail. "When I started working as a nanny, I realised I was working with a real family, not just a product. Just that everyday help can make a mum and their kids really happy."
For Ms Koon the business has also translated into a happier relationship.
"My husband and I just had date night two weeks ago and it's been a long time coming," she said. "He has thrown it back at me to say, 'Honey, you can't say we can't go on dates now.' "
The spokesman of parenting information website raising children.net.au, Warren Cann, said that it could be challenging for parents to find a trustworthy babysitter.
"If the person has difficulty controlling their temper or is prone to lashing out or becoming angry, that is something to watch for," Mr Cann said. "Try to find out if they have drug and alcohol problems.
"This is particularly tricky for single parents who often need babysitters and who need to make decisions when they're repartnering. Do they leave their child in the care of their partner? Make sure they can handle tricky situations like temper tantrums. They might have very little experience with children."
Mr Cann said with families more dispersed, parents often did not have relatives to care for their children nor did they want to impose on those who were around.
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Online version: http://mosman-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/parents-find-a-babysitter-in-nanny-second/
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Copyright of the Inner West Courier
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