We bet you’ve used an app to book a taxi, order a food delivery or book a table in a restaurant. And we’re certain that most of you have browsed and paid for things using an app before, ordering items to arrive at the home or office – or someone else’s address - at a designated time. We’re living in an age of uber-accessibility where arrangements can be made at the touch of a screen, so has anyone ever ordered a babysitter before? Having seen more and more in the press recently about babysitting booking apps, we thought we’d take a closer look at this latest phenomenon in childcare arrangements.
It seems that today, parents can as easily book a babysitter for an impromptu Saturday evening out as they might order in a pizza or book a last-minute hotel break. Ruth Maurandy, owner of Rockmybaby.co.uk, puts the popularity of these apps down to the fact that many parents these days simply do not know their neighbours. In urban areas especially it is harder to tap into a network of local babysitters, and since “these parents are using their phone or tablet for everything else… why not childcare [too]?” It’s no wonder, perhaps, that agency nannies are in higher demand than ever as the workplace becomes an ever more demanding arena for mothers and fathers. Nursery hours rarely accommodate the needs of parents commuting to work and working long days, and meanwhile there is a new wave of parents forging freelance careers from their kitchen tables: both need ultimate flexibility, whether that comes in the form of a last minute babysitter or a full time nanny.
Another new app called Little Ones specialises in finding childminders rather than babysitters, and was created by Viviana Rossios in order to give mothers a ‘well-deserved break’. Like Uber, you simply log into the app when you need help, you can then see who’s available online – and then you can book them. Each carer has their own profile with previous families’ reviews – rather like AirBnb - and each sets their own rate of pay. If references aren’t enough for parents to feel confident enough to make a booking, face-to-face meetings can be scheduled before a childminding session or arrangement is made, ‘but they don’t have to leave the home the first time they try Little Ones’ explains Rossios, ‘they could simply book someone for an hour and then get some chores done while remaining in the house.’
Our pennyworth? Nothing replaces the sense of security in hiring an agency nanny through a real-life bricks-and-mortar nanny agency. Nothing surpasses the quality of care and experience that nannies like ours bring to the role. These things are invaluable. But for establishing a network of local babysitters and helpers for ad-hoc childminding sessions we think these apps could be the perfect thing for busy parents.
What do you think? We’d love to know your thoughts on nanny apps – join in the discussion on our Facebook page!