Love for the work makes for an outstanding sitter

Families all over the world are talking about Debbie. Visitors she’s babysat for recommend her to their friends who will be vacationing on Oahu, and request her for their return trips to paradise.

“I love my job,” Debbie said. And the families she sits for love her, too!

Debbie has been working for Keiki Sitters for about a year. Most of the families she babysits for are visitors; her Waikiki location makes it convenient for her to get to the hotels where they’re staying so the parents can get out and enjoy the island together.

“I love going to all the hotels. I love the families, I love the kids. It’s the perfect job,” Debbie said. “I really like the fact that I get to interact with people from other countries and I like the fact there’s all ages of children that I sit. I like that it’s always different.”

Before arriving for a babysitting job, Debbie does her homework. She prepares for the job by learning the ages of the children and if they’re boys or girls so she can fill her small suitcase with the appropriate activities. She always makes sure she looks neat and clean, wearing her Keiki Sitters shirt and a flower in her hair, which the kids and parents love to see.

 

Understanding that every parent has their own style of parenting, Debbie takes the time to talk with and listen to the parents. “I follow all their instructions to the T,” Debbie said. She also always makes sure she has a phone number available and tells the parents to feel welcome to call or text her. “A lot of parents do check,” Debbie said. “I make sure I’m always accessible.”

She also writes down what the keiki did while she was sitting for them, so when the parents return they know how much the kids ate, or napped, and of course, all the fun they had together! No matter what the age of the child or children she’s babysitting for, Debbie reminds herself that it’s their vacation, too. “They need to be safe, number one, but they need to be comfortable and they need to be having fun,” she said.

Debbie loves her job, which is what makes her such an outstanding sitter.

“It’s a gratification knowing that the families can enjoy themselves and also, it’s gratifying to me that I know the child – whether it’s a 2-month-old baby or a 12-year-old boy or girl – I know they’re having fun,” she said.

How to interview your sitter

The interview is an important step in finding the right sitter for your ohana. Keiki Sitters makes the process easier by vetting potential sitters for you to choose from, but it’s important for you to meet with and interview a sitter to ensure you find the one that’s perfect for your family.

We recruit our sitters from the local universities and community colleges. We specifically visit the classrooms of students majoring in early childhood development, education and nursing. These sitters have a passion for caring for others and plan on making a life-long commitment to it.

Keiki Sitters has two requirements for someone interested in joining our services:

1. The sitter must be at least 18 years old.
2. The sitter must return a clean background check.

The background check is a national criminal search that checks all 50 states for felonies and misdemeanors. It is so thorough that we can even sometimes see minor traffic violations.

Once the sitter has returned a clean background check and her age is verified, she can then log onto www.KeikiSitters.com and upload her photo, fill out her profile, resume, references and availability calendar.

Because we are an online service, anyone can sign up. It is very important that parents conduct interviews to ensure the sitter has the qualifications they are seeking (CPR/First Aid, a certain number of years of experience, etc.) and that the sitter's personality is a good match for their family.

Sitter interview questions

To help ensure you find the right sitter for your ohana, ask these interview questions:

• What do you like and dislike about babysitting?
• What would you do if a babysitting job lasts longer than expected?
• Would you have a backup ride home in case we could not drive you home?
• What is your past childcare experience?
• How old are the children you’ve babysat for in the past?
• Do you have any allergies to or are you uncomfortable with cats, dogs or other pets? (Tailor this question to the pets in your home)
• Can you drive in the case of an emergency?
• What do you do when a child won’t go to sleep?
• What is your proudest babysitting moment?

It is very important that you speak with parents who employed this sitter in the past. Ask them questions such as:

• Did she ever cancel or not show?
• Was she ever late?
• Did she ever bring crafts or toys from her home?
• Does she do light house keeping while the children are sleeping, without being asked?
• Does she dress conservatively?
• Did your children ask for her when she was not there?
• Do you trust her with the valuables in your home?

One important question to ask toward the end of your conversation is:

“I understand that this sitter has done a fabulous job caring for your children and that you strongly recommend her, but if there was just one thing that you could change about her, what would it be?”

Past employers who have had a good experience with their sitter will often share the positive things and neglect to tell you the little things that bothered them. Using this question will show them that they can open up to you, because you understand how wonderful this sitter is. If the parent still has nothing that they would change about her, then you know you have found a keeper!

Find the perfect sitter for your family; join us online at http://KeikiSitters.com.

From Keiki Sitter to Mom, Valuable Experiences Benefit Both Roles

Being a Keiki Sitter has helped prepare Danielle Guthrie for motherhood, and now the experience she is gaining as a Mom is having a positive influence on her role as a sitter.

Danielle works for Keiki Sitters between three and seven times each week, and has done so since she became a Keiki Sitter just over 2 years ago. The experience she gained from Keiki Sitters has given her cultural insights and continuous improvement on childcare techniques as she meets people from all over the world.

“I learn new things all the time from the children and parents I interact with,” Danielle said.

Danielle and her son spending quality time together in a swimming pool.

As a Keiki Sitter, Danielle learned that every parent wants to be the best parent they can possibly be – a feeling she could certainly relate to as a new Mom. “Working as a Keiki Sitter creates a network of parenting information among parents and sitters. I have learned many soothing techniques for young babies, I’ve gained enhanced nutritional knowledge from other moms, and confidence in my ability to make sound decisions about the health, safety, well-being, and mental development of children,” she said.

Being a Mom has enhanced the way she cares for children – and not just because she’s more comfortable singing songs and acting silly in an effort to make them smile. “I feel like being a mother has opened up a part of my heart that naturally makes me feel like a warmer, more loving person, and I feel like children pick up on that,” she said.

How to handle an overactive child

Whether you’re a sitter or a Mom, you’ve probably been faced with an overactive child. There are safe and productive ways that you can help an overactive child to release their energy and remain in control.

Safety steps

It is important to childproof the home and to use products that will promote safety, both inside and outside. High-energy children tend to run or sprint, which can be dangerous, especially when turning corners or walking (or running!) close to the street. They may look a little funny, but children’s backpacks with a “leash” are an effective way to ensure a child is secure, walking within a safe distance from the parent or sitter. They’re available in fun designs, too!

Eddie Bauer Harness Buddy – Monkey, available at Target

Caring communication

It may sound simple, but using kind words is important to do when communicating with all children, and overactive children are no different. Typically overactive children get into more trouble than others, and it is very important for the child to still feel loved and cared about while being guided and mentored.

Bounce it out!

You have an overactive keiki – don’t let him or her bottle all that energy up – let your keiki bounce it out! 808 Bounce has an Indoor Fun Center at the Windward Mall and Pearlridge Center that lets keiki run wild and bounce out their energy for less than $10 all day long. Keiki will have a blast while you get a little time to relax!

What are some of your ideas for how to deal with overactive keiki? Please share them with us!

Kathy Custer named ‘Forty Under 40’ finalist

Kathy Custer, owner of Keiki Sitters & Ohana Helpers, has been named a Pacific Business News Forty Under 40 finalist.  

“Few things make parents prouder than watching their kids grow to adulthood and amount to something,” wrote Pacific Business News Managing Editor Jim George in his column “Forty Under 40 class is truly best of the best.” It’s a statement Kathy and her clients can certainly relate to, always putting keiki and their ‘ohana first. 

In his column, Jim wrote, “At PBN, we like to think of the members of our annual Forty Under 40 class as our kids. No, we didn’t raise them, or even select them for the class. But we’re proud of them, and we take great honor in recognizing them and their achievements.”

Kathy is one of 40 businesswomen and businessmen who will be recognized and honored at the Forty Under 40 event on June 21 at the Hawaii Convention Center. Of the finalists, one will be named the 2012 American Savings Bank Community Leader of the Year and one will be named the 2012 Pacific Business News Young Business Leader of the Year, and it could be Kathy!

More information about the event and ticket purchasing are available from Pacific Business News.

Please join us in congratulating Kathy on the Keiki Sitters Facebook page!

How to ease separation anxiety

When you’re ready for a day or night out of the house, the last thing you need is to feel guilty for leaving your little one home alone. When your Keiki Sitters childcare expert has arrived and you are heading out the door, don’t let your child’s separation anxiety hold you back. There are several techniques you can use to make saying goodbye to your keiki a smoother experience.

Have an adjustment period

Giving your keiki time to adjust to the sitter can be a wonderful transition from spending time with you to spending time with the sitter. Arrange for the sitter to arrive 1 hour early and play with your child while you are home. Your keiki will see that you are comfortable with and trusting of the sitter, so they will see the sitter as a fun playmate that can be trusted, rather than as a stranger.

Don’t say goodbye

Rather than saying goodbye and drawing your child’s attention to the fact that you’re leaving, slip out the door while the sitter distracts your child in another room. Your child will not noticed you left when he or she is happily busy with the fun activity the sitter has planned.

Sitter on stand-by

If you prefer to say goodbye, have the sitter be prepared with books, music, and something your child is easily entertained by ready for when your keiki begins to cry. This approach usually calms keiki in only 5 minutes.

What other ideas do you have to ease separation anxiety? Share them with us, and we’ll pass them along to our sitters!

Happy Mother's Day!

To all the Moms and Moms-to-be,

Keiki Sitters wishes all of you a very happy and loving Mother’s Day with your family!

What are you doing to celebrate? Whatever it may be, we hope you are having a lovely day. You deserve it!