Babysitting to us, is so much more than ‘babysitting’ and we live for stories that highlight the incredible impact a good babysitter can have, not just on a child’s life, but on the life of the whole family!
Our amazing co-founder, Corinna Bordoli grew up with au pairs and babysitters, many came and went. Corinna however, remembers one babysitter in particular, this is their story.
“Barbara came as an au pair to live with me and my family in Milan - Italy - when she was 21 and I was 5 years old.
I already had many au pairs before Barbara, from all over Europe thanks to the connections of the au pair agency my family used. No one else stayed for 3 years though!
Barbara grew up with us starting as a young adult who was learning Italian to being an adult who fluently spoke Italian and English as foreign languages. To me, she was a second mum. My mum was very busy working as a freelancer and spending countless hours finding the perfect sitter for me, until Barbara arrived. Barbara would pick me up from school, take me to the park or to after-school activities and play with me until my mum came back in the evening. She also joined us during some of our holidays.
The reason why my parents decided to extend her contract for so long is the same reason I remember her so fondly - she never turned the TV on, we were too busy using our creativity with regular items we found at home. We used flour, water, salt, toilet paper, cardboard boxes, all sorts of colouring tools we could find hiding in drawers around the house and spent our afternoons creating something new and different every day. To this day, when I visit my parents' house, our creations live on:
Photo frames with seashells we collected at the beach, paper mache boxes, decoupage-decorated biscuit tins, pen holders and all sorts of tiny statues made with home made play dough and painted over.
We also listened to music a lot and Barbara liked reading out loud to me while I was tidying up my room at the end of a playing session.
I was so happy to have her around, my second mum/big sister. Barbara took care of me everyday after school, listening and teaching me life lessons.”
Now what we love the most about this story, is not only the amazing influence Barbara had on Corinna’s life, but the fact that the story lives on. Early this January, Corinna went to visit Barbara, now established in Edinburgh after having travelled the world. The two have kept in touch throughout the years and Corinna was now able to meet Freya, Barbara’s little girl of 2 years. Corinna looks back on this day as “one of the best of her life!” and is now organising a trip with Barbara to visit Corinna’s parents in Milan next September.
Things that seem impossible but happened during their meeting:
Barbara still remembered the names of Corinna’s childhood friends and asked about all of them!
Corinna still remembered a Hungarian children song Barbara used to sing to her when she was small
Barbara might be interested in collaborating with ToddlerTunez in Edinburgh soon!
Barbara is the perfect example of a creative babysitter:
A babysitter is so much more than a 'babysitter'. She/he spends a lot of quality time with the family and can form a very important relationship with the child. This is why we only have the best sitters at ToddlerTunez and we aim at establishing strong communication with the family from day 1, finding the perfect match for them
Creativity is everywhere. You do not need expensive tools and professional equipment to introduce children to the arts and play. Your home already holds the tools needed. Add a pinch of imagination and fun and there you have it, guaranteed learning!
Families stick to the sitters they like - this is why we want to offer our clients the best sitters to begin with without asking for commitment or booking fees. If you like our service (which we are confident you will) you will keep booking your creative sitter through us
Amazing sitters are golden! This is why we offer career development opportunities for our sitters and encourage them to keep us updated on their success stories
Ultimately, what counts is a community. A family made up of parents, children and their sitter is a happier family where parents can stay guilt-free knowing that their children are having fun and learning in a safe environment with a professional. We are looking to come to you and grow our ToddlerTunez community all over the UK!
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