Article
Babysitters in Johannesburg
Modern Lifestyles Call for Modern Babysitting Solutions
Throughout the modern world, urban families have a vastly different lifestyle from that of their predecessors, when grandparents, their offspring and their grandchildren usually lived with or in close proximity to one another.
Life Revolved Around the Home and Family
Getting someone to watch over the children was never a problem, since the extended family was close by and intimately involved in their upbringing anyway, and few moms were formally employed to work outside the home. The majority were housewives and house-proud homemakers.
“Going out” typically meant visiting family and friends, with youngsters in tow. Mom and Dad, as a couple, seldom went out at night, and if they did do so, family members stood in for them as babysitters, long before this word entered the lexicon.
People Move
Nowadays, the majority of those erstwhile forefathers’ descendants are scattered across their respective countries or live abroad, far away from their nuclear family – siblings and parents.
Few people remain in the area in which they were raised, moving away to pursue higher education opportunities or careers, and once there, they usually settle down, setting up their own homes near the workplace. Their traditional support systems may be far away.
Altered Lifestyle Demands
Times, lifestyles, human expectations, ambitions, the cost of living and most things have changed a great deal since those earlier days, and at a rapid pace too. Living standards may be far more sophisticated now, but one consequence is the need to generate more income in order to meet all one’s latter day commitments.
Likewise, the role of women (and men) has changed. Modern mothers either choose to pursue a career of their own, or are compelled to take up employment for financial reasons, while juggling time, upkeep of the household and umpteen other family responsibilities, including child care.
Safety at Home
Unfortunately, urbanisation is all too often accompanied by an increase in crime rates. This is evident in major cities all across the world and most certainly, also in Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest metropolis.
If you reside in Johannesburg and its surrounding towns and suburbs, it’s very likely that both you and your husband/wife are employed. During the hours when you are not available to take care of your youngsters, you need the assurance that they are safe and secure while at home.
It’s imperative that you have someone – a babysitter, who is competent, trustworthy and reliable to take care of your little ones and all their needs while you are away at work. Moreover, when older children are at school, who looks after them at the end of the school day or when they are ill, unable to attend school, and you cannot take leave from work?
Babysitters
The answer is clear. You need a babysitter, and at least one who complies with certain universal requirements and at best, a person who has been vetted, checked and registered with Nanny Maids. Children are precious and their safety and wellbeing are serious considerations; you require the services of an experienced, bona fide babysitter who knows how to take care of them in your absence.
Recommended Minimum Requirements
- Name, home address and copy of ID document.
- Marital status.
- General health.
- Able and willing to work during the hours required of her? (Working hours should be reasonable).
- Availability of transport to get to and from your home, unless you provide accommodation and the sitter is happy to live-in.
- Does child minder have children? (Those who do, are likely to have more hands-on experience in looking after youngsters).
- Previous child minding experience.
- Verifiable qualifications.
- Valid driver’s licence, if required.
- CPR training – highly recommended.
- Has the babysitter looked after one or more than a single child simultaneously?
- Are contactable references available; these should be checked and not simply taken at face value.
- Is the potential babysitter able/prepared to perform additional tasks, if required.
- Salary expectations.
Our Professional Service
Never employ someone off the street to mind your children; this is just not wise or safe. NannyMaids was established to eliminate the risk element when engaging staff to fill a variety of domestic positions. Nannies must pass a criminal clearing fingerprint test.
We address all the above-mentioned issues prior to –providing you with a list of likely candidates which best match your unique requirements. When you cannot afford to take chances, call on NannyMaids for perfectly professional babysitting solutions in Johannesburg – for the wellbeing of your children and your peace of mind.