Remember those weekend nights when your parents went out for the evening and your favorite sitter came to stay? For some, it’s when you learned how to braid your hair. For others, it’s memories filled with a special snack and getting to stay up a little bit later to finish the movie.
Often kids create authentic bonds with their favorite sitters while their parents can rest assured that their kids are in trusted hands.
It might be challenging for you, as a parent, to justify the time and expense of a night out. But get this, it’s scientifically proven that taking time away from your kiddos (even just once a week) leads to a better feeling of contentment in your daily life. A study done by Brad Wilcox & Jeffrey Dew from the University of Virginia, found a direct link between one-on-one couple time and the quality of a couple’s relationship.* After surveying 2,000 married couples, they found, “Husbands and wives who have frequent date nights were significantly more likely to report being “very happy” in their marriages, compared to those who did not.” So, if you’re looking for some date-night support, nothing beats science!
The next step, of course, is how to find a quality sitter you can trust. One who will bring fun and enrichment to your kids’ lives. This is where I want to introduce you to Carmen Sansone.
While still in high school in St. Louis, Sansone had an idea for a babysitting company, one that would take the guesswork out of finding the right fit for families. With the support of her family and friends, she launched her company, Find-A-Sitter. It’s elegantly simple. All potential sitters must be CPR certified and have previous experience working with and caring for children. They also undergo a thorough interview, background check, and drug test. Each sitter who gets hired then creates an online profile that potential families can choose from.
“From a personal standpoint, my main goal is to give parents time for themselves. I am one of 10 children in my family, and when I was younger my parents would take at least one date night a week. It was important to them, and their marriage, to take time to themselves, and they never used having 10 kids as an excuse. Growing up watching them take that night for themselves made me want to give other parents that opportunity as well. And as a bonus, my siblings and I always loved the nights we had sitters! We hope to take the stress out of finding a trusted sitter for parents to find their time as well.” Sansone says.
The best news for Columbia families? Find-A-Sitter is up and active here. Simply go to https://findasitter.net to get started!
* Wilcox, Brad, and Jeffrey Dew. National Marriage Project, 2023. University of Virginia, 2023.