THE PROS AND CONS OF EXTERNAL BABYSITTING
In this article, I will be talking about the pros and cons of external babysitting, but before I do that, let’s get into the meaning of babysitting.
Definition of babysitting
Babysitting means to care for kids whose parents are away, usually for a short period of time. It means to temporarily care for a child or children when parents are away. In babysitting, you can get paid or do it for free, in cases like your little siblings or your neighbour next door. You require certain skills before you babysit a child, like practical childcare techniques, responsibility skills, communication skills, enthusiasm, and safety skills. There are other skills to have before applying for the position of a babysitter.
Now there are different types of babysitting, internal and external babysitting. Internal babysitting has to do with a nanny or babysitter, watching over your kids in your home while you are away. External babysitting or childcare is the professional form of babysitting, where children are kept in a childcare centre outside their homes to be looked after while their parents are busy with work or other things.
With all these said, I will proceed to the main thing we have to talk about. The pros and cons of external babysitting. Almost everything that has an advantage also has a disadvantage. External babysitting is not exempted.
PROS OF EXTERNAL BABYSITTING
- Working at home made easy:
If you work from home and you have toddlers who play and cry a lot, you are likely to be stressed out and worn out with all the work you have to do. Taking care of the kids and trying to make ends meet can be very tiring and stressful. That’s when you seek for an external babysitting centre where you can keep your child or children for the meantime while you work peacefully.
- Sometimes you need a break:
If you’re a stay-at-home parent, you might feel the need to have some space and quiet from all the workloads and noise in your house. You are human, and you need some time to yourself too. Having kids can make that hard to happen because you and I know how kids are, so taking them to a daycare center is a good way for you to chill without bothering about what the kids are destroying next or who’s crying later.
- Single Parenting:
This can be tough when you have work to do, groceries to buy or any outdoor activities to attend, but you have kids, and you’re a single parent. If you do not have any relatives around or anyone you can trust your kids with, this is where external babysitting comes in.
- Helps in socialization:
External babysitting is an impressive way to boost your child’s social skills. Meeting other children at the daycare centre will make them comfortable around people and help them overcome anxiety when they see unfamiliar faces. It also helps in boosting your child’s self-confidence and makes it easier for them to make conversations and interact with peers.
- Reliable backups:
External babysitting centres have backup workers you can count on at any time. There is always someone ready to respond to you and answer questions when you call to check up on your child. There is more than one person taking care of your child, unlike a personal nanny or relative who might get sick, have things to do or have an emergency to take care of when you’re away.
- Good education:
Most daycare centres have different educational services for children. Early exposure to education will lead to better performance in school.
CONS OF EXTERNAL BABYSITTING
- Time problem: Unlike home service, external babysitting can be an issue when time clashes with yours. In cases where you have to go to work by 6:30 am but your child’s daycare centre opens by 7 am, this could lead to you going late to work or any other activity you have to attend to on that day.
- Holiday period: There are times when you have to work even on holiday periods like Christmas and new year, but you have kids around, most daycare centres would be on holidays, and you might end up looking for other means to take care of your kids and things you have to do.
- Reduced quality time: One of the main issues of external babysitting is the inability to spend more quality time with your child. You get to see your kids less than you should, as a parent, and the bond you are meant to have might be small.
- Different Morals: Someone else or different people are raising your kids for you. This means that what they learn at this age was inculcated in them by strangers.
- Health problems: In as much as your child’s daycare centre cleans the environment, you need to know that there are people going in and out of that place, and there’s every chance that your child will get infected or sick at some point.
- Risk of Abuse: There could be the possibility of your child being abused by the worker or workers in the daycare. There are numerous stories about daycares abusing kids physically, verbally and even sexually. Your child might never tell you. If yours is the shy type, you may never find out. Daycare centres are good. They have lots of advantages, but then, there are very sick people in the world, and you need to be careful to whom you entrust your child.
Conclusion
Those are the pros and cons of external babysitting, and now, it’s up to you as a parent to choose what works best for you. Just like a coin has two sides, so does external babysitting. You have to look at both sides and decide which is best for you and your kids. You can enquire from other mothers and elderly people around you who have more knowledge of things like this. Good-luck!
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