It’s normal to feel a bit nervous about booking your first childcare sit with Bubble. Here’s a quick and easy guide to booking so the process goes as seamlessly as possible:

1. Open Bubble Childcare app and select ‘Single sit’

First open the app on your phone. You’ll see a couple of different options and click on ‘Single sit’. Select the date and time that you want the sitter to come. Remember you might want to try a daytime sit whilst you’re at home, and then you can ‘dip your toe in the water’ childcare wise. Once you’ve selected the time, you can add any notes so the sitter can get more information on the sit. If you’re planning to be home then type – ‘I’ll be at home for the sit and will be working upstairs.’ This helps the sitter better understand what the booking will be like. You can also decide whether you want the sitter to speak a specific language or whether you want the sitter to be someone who has experience looking after newborns.

2. Click on the ‘see who’s free’ button

Now comes the exciting bit (sorry maybe that’s just us that finds this exciting!). This is when your childcare request goes live, and sitters can see your post. You can now go away/make a cup of tea/ get on with stuff whilst the app does the work for you (don’t worry it’ll carry on working if you put your phone down).

3. Browse sitters who have applied

The next step is you’ll see sitters who’ve applied for your job. Browse their profiles, read about their childcare background, see if they’ve done a Q&A session and then select the sitter that feels right for you. You can also read reviews and see what other parents have to say about their experiences.

4. Book your sit

Ta da! Now it’s time to book your sit. Was it really that easy you ask? (yes it really was). Remember you can message your sitter once you’ve booked, or arrange a phone call or meet in person. Again remember the first childcare sit might feel nerve-wracking. The thing to remember is that Bubble has the systems in place to ensure everything runs smoothly. All sitters go through rigorous background checks and many have specialist skills when it comes to childcare i.e. lots of experience looking after newborns or are used to looking after more than one child at a time.

5. Say hello to your sitter

What to write in that first message? Well how about a quick introduction and any details you want to get across or things you want to check up about? So you might say something like – ‘Hi, I’m excited to meet you and just wanted to let you know I’m planning to work upstairs during the sit. My daughter is 3 years old and fully toilet trained. I’ll provide snacks and she no longer naps at lunchtime but likes to play in the garden.’ Shaping a successful sit is also about managing expectations and ensuring everyone feels they have the information they need and so are properly prepared.

Remember the first sit (as with many things in life) is the first hurdle, and once you’ve done it, it’ll be plain sailing using Bubble’s flexible childcare app for finding a babysitter. You’ll wonder why you felt those nerves in the first place! For more helpful parent guides visit here.