Thousands of parents across the UK are now booking babysitters on Bubble every single day, and two things we see quite clearly are:
- For many parents leaving our kids with a babysitter for the first time can be daunting.
- Booking a sitter is no longer something we only do for special occasions or Saturday nights.
Both of these factors are contributing to a trend of mums (and dads too) increasingly using the app to get help when they need it – whatever they need it for.
We’re calling these occasions a parent’s ‘mundane luxuries’.
They’re the type of sits that help us, as parents, get on with the everyday things. And aside from allowing us to get those simple-but-necessary tasks done, these sits are also being used by many of us as a great way for both us and our kids to get comfortable with using a babysitter.
A Parent’s Mundane Luxuries:
Having the freedom once more to do the simple, boring, everyday things all over again. Treating myself and keeping my sanity – without a second thought, or the requirement for military-type planning.
It means booking a sitter…
1. So I can work:
Many freelance, part-time or work-from home mums are using Bubble ad-hoc to get a sitter over so that they can get their head down in the spare room. They don’t want or have long-term childcare arrangements and instead use Bubble to dip in and out of great childcare when they need it. And what’s more, if they aren’t used to leaving their kids with someone else, it’s a great way for them to meet and use a babysitter whilst they’re still in the house.
2. So I can rest:
Increasingly, parents are turning to the app to hire an extra pair of hands for times when they’re feeling unwell, overworked or just a bit worn out. Parents with a newborn, heavily pregnant mums with other toddlers to look after, as well as everyone else who simply wants (and deserves) a lie-in on the weekends are turning to the app to bring in some help on the hoof.
Getting a bubbly and enthusiastic sitter over to help with the bed and bath-time routine is another scenario we’re seeing on the app a lot. And again – you’re all in the house together and it’s really nice way to get to know the babysitter before venturing out by yourself in the future.
3. So I can play:
Need a haircut? Have a Pilates class? Out of groceries? Want to catch up on your favourite shows? There’s a sitter for that. We love seeing parents booking sitters to come and give them a couple of hours to do the every day things we all took for granted before our kids came along. The things that are actually quite key to us keeping our sanity.
For appointments, they’re either asking babysitters to come with them to tend to the bubbas while they’re in the salon chair, or they’re using someone for a short period of time whilst they’re typically off somewhere local. Calling a PTA meeting or House viewing a “luxury” might be stretching it, but we’re seeing babysitters booked for these too!
When, how and why we might feel the need for a sitter – and what we each do to get comfortable with the people we book – may differ, but what we can all (probably) agree on is that parenting is incredibly tough, and we all deserve some more time to work, relax and simply do more of the things we love.
So the next time you think that a babysitter is just for Saturday night, think again.
Download Bubble for iOS or Android and book your sitter today.
