Sittercity Blog

Did You Know…? Babysitting as Weight Loss.

Admin — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:30:07 +0000

Johanna House, winner of the 2004 America’s Next Top Model, was a 23-year-old babysitter from Jackson Mississippi when she won her model status. Formerly obese, House slimmed down fifty pounds during her full-time babysitting job before entering the lineup of girls for the 2004 Top Model show. When she won, supermodel Tyra Banks [...]

True Entertainment Seeks Families with Multiples!

Admin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:10:37 +0000

Moms–are you expecting twins, triplets or more? If yes, and you are delivering between November 2009 and February 2010, True Entertainment wants to hear from you. See their listing below: ARE YOU EXPECTING TWINS, TRIPLETS OR MORE? If you answered YES and are delivering between November 2009 and February 2010, we want to hear from [...]

Did You Know…? Rockers Make Good Sitters Too.

Admin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:30:44 +0000

Singer Stephen Medd, an early influence on grunge singer April Lavigne, described her not only as a singer with promise but a great babysitter. “She babysat both my kids.” Medd said. “They will say to this day that she is the best babysitter we ever had.” Speaking of Lavigne, her former [...]

Babysitting Urban Legends, and Happy Halloween!

Admin — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:30:43 +0000

Happy Halloween, everyone! In the Sittercity.com office, we can’t pass up a good babysitting urban legend. We started collecting them in 2004 when a power outage in our office had us sitting in our office kitchen, reminiscing about babysitting jobs of old. Urban legends are often meant to impart a moral, however [...]

Stick This…To Your Fridge

Admin — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:30:14 +0000

You know that thing that you stick on your fridge? The thing that has all the emergency numbers on it should the sitter need help? Oh yeah, and your cell phone? And oh, wait, maybe the kids allergies? And hmmm…shouldn’t it include their medicines? Sometimes in life it’s great to have a [...]

Senator Durbin Visits Sittercity

Admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:16:03 +0000

Sittercity had a whirlwind of a day Friday when Senator Dick Durbin came by the office to hold a press conference regarding small businesses and credit. We were thrilled to host the event and hear the exciting discussion. You can watch the first few minutes of the conference below or click here.

Spanking, Meet Quiet Time

Admin — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:30:23 +0000

Different families have different discipline preferences — but not all of them are appropriate for sitters. Spanking, for example, should never be implemented by a caregiver, even if it is the family’s preferred method of discipline. Instead, use this list of Sittercity.com common discipline tactics and consequences as a guide to the best approach your [...]

Does your home need a detox?

Admin — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:31:29 +0000

You’d be surprised how many common household products contain ingredients that are considered to be toxic to humans or possible carcinogens. But who has the time to do a biological research study on every potential product purchase? That’s why we love www.mightynest.com, a newly launched site that serves as a resource for parents to learn [...]

Did You Know…? Babysitting and Chocolate Go Together.

Admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:30:47 +0000

Peter Ostrum, the child actor who played Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, was widely considered a great babysitter in his neighborhood before starring in Willy Wonka and eventually becoming a veterinarian. What other child actors do you know that were also great babysitters? And who wishes that they lived next to [...]

Age Discrimination in Babysitting

Lisa — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 14:30:57 +0000

While browsing through some babysitting jobs the other day, we came across a post that specifically stated a preference for “a younger sitter.” As you’re well aware, Sittercity only features sitters who are 18 and older, so it’s not like this parent was looking for a preteen, but he definitely wanted someone who had just completed [...]

Did You Know…? The Babysitting Locomotion

Admin — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:30:10 +0000

Little Eva, the singer to first introduce the song “The Locomotion” in the 1960’s, was asked to record the hit song while playing around musically with a piano during a babysitting job for songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin. Babysitting can take you places! Have you heard of any other famous sitters who got their career [...]

Save on Back-to-School Supplies

Lisa — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:30:09 +0000

We came across a recent article titled “Nanny Positions Requiring College Degrees” which focused on this growing trend and argued against why an education is necessary when caring for children. Said the mom who wrote the article: “While earning a college degree is a major accomplishment it doesn’t mean you know squat about parenting or caring [...]

Presley’s $650 A Day Nanny

Admin — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:30:04 +0000

Star Lisa Marie Presley is in the spotlight, but not for a good reason. She’s facing legal action from her $650 a day nanny, Christine White. Why? Christine White the main caregiver for Presley’s 10-month-old twin daughters, Finley and Harper, is claiming that she’s been forced to work seven-day-weeks without any overtime pay, meal breaks, or even [...]

Back-to-School Survival Guide

Lisa — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:22:14 +0000

August is here and, if the moping and sighing is any indication, your kids have noticed that it’s back-to-school time. Because you’ve got enough on your plate, we’ve put together a series of back-to-school tips and articles designed to make your back-to-school season run a little more smoothly. So take a look through these back-to-school tips and [...]

Babysitters in John Hughes Movies

Lisa — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:59:09 +0000

Legendary film writer and director John Hughes passed away yesterday at the age of 59 from a heart attack. EVERYONE knows his iconic films of the 80s, regardless of what decade you were born in. To pay homage to this incredible writer and director, we put together a list of surprise babysitters in John Hughes movies. Surprise [...]

4 Ways to Combat Curse Words

Lisa — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:28:52 +0000

It’s one of those parenting milestones, one you don’t forget (as much as you may try). The day your child utters his first curse word, everything stops. WHAT did he say? Where could he have picked that up? What should I do about it? How you choose to combat curse words may vary depending on your child’s age, but [...]

Ghostly Image While Babysitting

Lisa — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:55:52 +0000

Soooo, this is a little creepy. While babysitting her niece last week, a sitter named Kasey snapped a quick cell phone image of the child. Behind the little girl appeared an older woman’s face — even though Kasey and her niece were completely alone in the house at the time. “When I first saw the image I [...]

First Day of School Photo Tips

Lisa — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:40:04 +0000

When the first day of school rolls around, the house is often in a state of pure chaos. Kids are running around, lunches are being packed, the clock keeps ticking away and the air is filled with nervous energy. So why not capture all of that emotion with the time-honored tradition of first day of school [...]

Tips for Planning a Picnic with Kids

Lisa — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 14:48:46 +0000

As any summer nanny knows, late July is around the time where the kids are starting to get bored with the usual summer activities. If you’re finding yourself in the same situation (bored kids, tired mind), we’d like to suggest a simple summer idea to keep things fresh and fun: Have a summer picnic! Rather than just [...]