Childcare

Top tips for transitioning to a new babysitter

November 21, 2022

As the great Greek philosopher, Heraclitus said – Change is the only constant. 1500 years on and that statement could not be truer! Helping your children find a healthy way through periods of change is a great life skill.

And as luck would have it – you might have the chance to work on this now! Changes in nannies and babysitters tend to happen most frequently at the end of the summer or the end/start of the calendar year. With a new year approaching, now is your chance for change!

A change in Nanny or Babysitter can be “good leavers”, i.e. there is a personal change of circumstances for your nanny or babysitter that means they cannot continue or maybe the change is driven by your growing child, such as starting to school.

There are also “bad leavers”, i.e. you have to let your Nanny or Babysitter go because it is not working out for whatever reason.

Whichever the circumstance, this type of transition does have the ingredients for becoming a stressful time for you as parents. But you need to pull it together and focus on the kids! Here are some tips to help make the transition to a new Nanny or Babysitter as easy as possible for your children:

  • Tell them as far in advance as possible so they have time to absorb the news and ask questions, particularly if this is the first transition.
  • Help them understand why someone who cares for them would leave and the difference between someone close to the family versus an actual family member (i.e. their sibling will not be leaving anytime soon!).
  • If possible, have the new Nanny or Babysitter over in advance of the transition. This will give the kids time to get to know the new person and time for the old and new Nanny to compare notes.
  • Carve out time to spend with your kids and the new Nanny or Babysitter once they start to provide comfort as they build trust and to help with the settling-in process.
  • Keep a closer than usual eye on your children during this period so you can give them any extra support they need. In most cases, they will just need time to adjust to the change, so be patient and be supportive. And remember, they are not only learning to adjust to a new Nanny or babysitter, but they are also learning a very important life skill... adapting and accepting change!
Paulina Podgorska
Founder of SOSsitter.ca

Like most women, Paulina wears many hats.  She is a mother, she is an entrepreneur, she is an at home child care expert.  This vocation manifested at an early age when she started being a full time nanny for her baby brother.  Later on, she used her experience to work as a babysitter while in college.  She then became a Mom and started to look for child care providers. Being a single mother, finding the right at home baby sitter was critical to her.  This quest for the perfect nanny gave her the opportunity to meet and work with numerous nannies and  babysitters and further develop her expertise. Realizing that finding the right nanny or babysitter turned too often into an obstacle course, Paulina created SOSsitter.ca, an on line service where parents and local in-home sitters connect, that’s fast, efficient and affordable. Through SOSsitter.ca, Paulina leverages her expertise to help families find the local help they need, when they need it.  The site gives parents the opportunity to use their own criteria to search through a large database of detailed profiles of local nannies and babysitters that have been reviewed by mothers. Paulina also has a blog where she shares advice to help families through the selection and hiring process of a babysitter or nanny.  She also describes on her blog her adventures as a mom entrepreneur and founder of SOSsitter.

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