Working Momma Diaries: Childcare Options - Timeout Sitters
Photography by @happenedbychanceproductions
We have talked a lot about my 5x5 rule - to always have 5 friends and 5 types of sitters on hand especially as a working momma. One of my archetypes of sitters is to have a baby sitting service. If you have not tried one before, or maybe have always relied on family or friends' referrals, you are lucky but missing out! I've found as someone whose family is far away, especially when we moved to a new neighborhood, that a baby-sitting service can be a lifesaver - particularly when they also do house siting, hotel sitting, group sitting, pet sitting and plant sitting! One of my must have resources, that you can also find on my Momma Resources Page, is Time Out Sitters.
Time Out Sitter's mission is simple: "As moms, we understand. We too feel the need for a night out, as well as the stress of finding affordable and available sitters. That’s why we created the service we wish we'd had!"
And that's what they do. Time Out Sitters is a trusted, affordable sitting service for children, pets, or your home. Founded in 2009, they provide a range of specialized services that include date night sitting, group/event sitters, special needs accommodations, overnight care and more. With over 3,000 clients and more than 1,000 requests monthly, Time Out Sitters has become the sitting service San Antonio, Waco and Austin families trust and depend on!
Photography by @happenedbychanceproductions
They are growing so quickly in fact that Time Out Sitters is also so excited to announce that Babysitting Austin is becoming Time Out Sitters as of August 15, 2019. They are thrilled to expand their network of sitters and families in the Austin community.
So I wanted to talk about my experience with them, why I love them and why they are SO easy to hire as a sitter for your babies, fur-babies, plant babies and more!
To start, you can go to their website and sign up in less then 3 minutes. You fill in your information like your name, where you live, the names/ages/special instructions for your house, babies, pets, and your credit card information. For example, my profile has me, Adelaide, Schatzi, Blitz and Oliver and all of the details a sitter might need about us right there. This is great because it means any time a new sitter is assigned to you, he/she can do their 'homework', before coming over and have a record of your needs so you can cut down on the time when you're showing the sitter around, talking through nap times, etc.
Your sign up includes a one-year membership ($50 value). In fact, if you sign up today and use code "BBDMOMTRIBE" you get a free membership for the first year ($50 value!). All of the rates and services, or their prices, are detailed on the Rates & Services page. Every baby-sitter, for example, costs $15.50/hr + an $8 travel fee + $1 for hour for each additional child. This is awesome cause you don't have to negotiate prices, WOHOO.
After you sign up, you enter the "appointment" or service you need and can pick a sitter from past appointments if you'd like. Then you're done. Time Out Sitters assigns you someone 5-7 days in advance and they are guaranteed to give you a call to introduce themselves, confirm your address and time within 24 hours of the appointment so you can rest assured you know who is coming over!
Your membership also comes with a dashboard (see above) where you can track your upcoming and past appointments and even rate/review your favorite sitters. You can even request ones you LOVE! This feature is exciting for me because one of the things I struggle with when I have a new sitter come over is how long it takes to walk around the house, go over my emergency contacts, where food is, bed time/nap time/food time routines, etc. Selecting a sitter I already know, like and has been to my house before saves me so much time and lets me leave knowing I know the person watching over my family.
Photography by @happenedbychanceproductions
We had an amazing sitting come and watch over Miss Adelaide. They played 'Tea Party' and 'Roller Coaster' and Adelaide promptly ushered us to the door, to freedom after just a few minutes with her new friend.
Photography by @happenedbychanceproductions
After a quick walk through, especially since we had the chance to connect the night before, the hubby and I were off on our date! I left with a sense of ease because all Time Out Sitters' sitters are background checked, interviewed, CPR certified (and some have lifeguard CPR) and have releases with Time Out Sitters so you can rest assured a trusted, vetted person will be watching your kids.
And you don't have to worry about taxes or cash because Time Out Sitters has a mobile friendly website portal (and eventually an app one day for you and the sitter!) for the sitter's phones where they can clock in and out and once the job is done, you sign a receipt on the phone, provide a tip if you'd like, and then your credit card is automatically charged. Simple. Quick. No ATM trips.
Photography by @happenedbychanceproductions
Have you used a baby-sitting service before? If you haven't and you are in the Austin, San Antonio or Waco areas, I highly recommend checking out Time Out Sitters and taking advantage of a free membership on me with code "BBDMOMTRIBE".
xo,
KB