Updated: Aug. 3, 2016
Originally Published: July 24, 2005
When I was a teenager, I had a regular babysitting job for a single dad in my neighborhood every Thursday evening. I’d stroll over to his house by 5 p.m., ready to prepare dinner for both myself and the kids—usually a simple pasta dish with store-bought sauce. After dinner, I would tidy up, play some games, give the kids a bath, read them a bedtime story, and finally tuck them in. I was effectively stepping into the role of their parent for the evening.
Once the children were asleep, I would often doze off on the couch until their father returned home, typically around 11 p.m. There were times when he would drive me home afterward, even if he had been drinking during his night out, leaving the kids upstairs alone until he came back.
Oh, how things have shifted!
My daughters have been of babysitting age for a few years now, and the landscape has changed dramatically since my own babysitting days. Nowadays, there’s often no need for a long walk in the dark, and cooking is rarely part of the equation. My teens struggle to prepare meals for themselves, let alone for small children in someone else’s home. Instead, parents usually take care of the kids’ bathing beforehand, have scheduled activities, and even order pizza to be delivered.
Moreover, as the parents of the babysitter, we now find ourselves involved in a different way. When I did babysitting, my parents were uninvolved; the hiring parents ensured I had transportation. Now, I am responsible for driving my daughter to the job and picking her up later. It seems that hiring parents expect the babysitter’s family to handle the logistics, perhaps thinking that if they’re already paying for the service, the sitter should arrange their own ride home.
Interestingly, all arrangements for the evening often happen directly between my teenager and the other parents, with little involvement from me or my husband. We sometimes find out only the day before that we need to drive our child to a job or wait to pick her up. While I am cautious about allowing my daughter to ride with someone who may have been drinking, I still feel that it’s the hiring parents’ responsibility to ensure she gets home safely.
It wasn’t long ago that we were the ones employing babysitters, and we might have inadvertently crossed some of these boundaries too. The transition from hiring sitters to being the parents of sitters is swift, and both roles come with their own set of worries.
So, have these changes improved the babysitting experience? That largely depends on perspective. Today’s babysitters seem to have it easier, receiving cash for simply overseeing pizza deliveries and ensuring no accidents occur. On the flip side, whether we are hiring parents or parents of sitters, it feels like we’re sometimes at a disadvantage. The silver lining? My daughter will soon be able to drive herself, which is a change I wholeheartedly welcome.
To learn more about navigating the complexities of parenting and family life, check out our related post on couples’ fertility journeys. For further information on health and fertility, visit Science Daily—a great resource for understanding these topics better. Also, if you’re interested in health matters, Influenza is another area worth exploring.
In summary, the babysitting landscape has evolved significantly, with modern babysitters enjoying a more structured and supported environment. However, the responsibilities and concerns of parents—whether hiring sitters or supporting their children who babysit—remain a constant challenge.