One of the reasons I opened SeekingSitters DFW Southwest babysitting business was because I was impressed with the safety of the franchise system and how it provides parents with an easy and safe babysitting solution. Let my husband tell it, I am paranoid and overly concerned about safety. Safety in the car, safety on airplanes and of course safety in our home. After all, who buys a business in order to find a babysitter? I do! Here's a little history of what drove my paranoia into hyper speed;
Back in 2008 we had a younger relative living with us who innocently told his friends and co-workers that we were going on vacation. Long story short, our home was broken into while we were away. I was devastated! At the time I was a new stay at home mom to a five month old. I was terrified of the fact that I did not know who invaded my humble abode. Could it be the person bagging my groceries in the check out line at the neighborhood grocery store? It could as well be the person next to me pumping gas at the gas station. Overall my biggest fear was that they would come back while I was home alone with my son. Were they watching us?
Eventually I began to feel safe again. I realized the culprit was probably just some high school juvenile delinquent who knew no one would be home. Having a sense of security is priceless! Safety is the number one priority for SeekingSitters. From our franchise owners to the office staff, to our sitters and finally onto our members, everyone is background screened.
SeekingSitters member families want to know that a safe, reliable and experienced babysitter is coming into their home. The number one quote I get from my new members is that they've never had anyone outside of their own family babysit. Well our sitter team has grown to become our extended family! This would not be accomplished if we did not have the systems that we have in place. It sounds good on paper but its even greater to see our processes at work.
There is a joy my husband and I feel after we've interviewed a wonderful sitter. It's not just great experience that "wows" us but it's great personality and character. All of our sitters display a genuine passion and desire for children that shines through when they talk about their goals and aspirations in the childcare industry. There is also "something" about those that don't have the "gift." An applicant can have excellent experience but still not be the right fit for our SeekingSitters babysitting S.T.Y.L.E.
After every first sitting event almost all of our members feel the same thing that we felt and they are extremely impressed by our sitters. The children consistently warm up to the sitters immediately after the first couple of minutes. I feel like a proud mom every time a hear the wonderful sitter feedback from our members. These ladies definitely earn their title of Certified Professional Sitter.
I've said all that to say never compromise the safety of your family for anyone. Never feel guilty or uncomfortable for going above and beyond to secure the safety of yourself and those around you, regardless of what anyone says. There are safety measures we all can take. My lessons...never tell anyone when you'll be away from home. Even a small mention on social networking sites could clue someone in. Make sure your family is on board with this also. Always trust your intuition and always make family more important than money. It never feels good to turn down a sitter, or a member for that matter. As hard as it is I always ask myself, "would I feel safe leaving my children with this sitter," or "If I had a daughter, would I feel safe sending her into this home?"
With all that said the below email is the reason I began to write this post. I guess I just went off on a tangent. It's always easy for me to do that! :-) It's hard not to boast about my business. I believe in the concept so much and it's much more than just an occupation for me. It's a lifestyle and truly a safe solution to the needs of families with children who mean the world to them!
Oh yeah the email! I usually don't forward or share chain emails but this is a great idea that I will begin to implement and encourage my family, blood and SeekingSitters, to develop this habit.
Put your car keys beside your bed at night.
Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr's office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night.
If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies.
This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage.
If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around. After a few seconds, all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.
P.S. I am sending this to everyone I know because I think it is fantastic. Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone.
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