How to End the Summer on a Positive Note with Your Sitter

Babysitters are your saviors during the summer since they take care of your children during the day while you’re at work, in addition to your date nights. Not only do they spend long hours watching your children and making sure they are following rules, entertained, and well taken care of, but it usually requires some other small chores such as cooking and cleaning. With the end of summer in sight, you want to make sure you end it on a positive note with your babysitter. 

You want to reward them for their hard work and ensure that they feel valued while making plans to maintain your professional relationship. While your babysitting needs will decrease in the coming months with school coming back in session, you want to keep smart and trustworthy babysitters on your contact list. You never know what the future will hold, so keeping things positive is worth it for everyone. You’re not going to just cut your babysitter off forever, after all!

End the summer the right way by continuously showing your babysitter gratitude. While you can tell them a thousand times, actions will speak louder than words. 

End of Summer Bonus

What sends a positive message at the end of summer other than a tangible monetary bonus to express your appreciation for all of your babysitter’s hard work this summer? As much as words and praise are appreciated, money is, quite literally, putting your money where your mouth is. This genuinely shows your appreciation for their tireless efforts to take care of your children this summer. After all, this summer would have been much more difficult for you and your family to manage without a helpful sitter taking care of your children. 

It is typically common for employers to give a bonus of one week’s pay, or more if they can afford it, but it all depends on their rate and experience level. Don’t feel pressured to provide something you cannot, but this is the right thing to do if you are able to. 

In addition to money, you may want to provide other end-of-summer bonuses like gifts and a handwritten thank you note filled with gratitude. Encourage your children to make gifts that they can give to your sitter as a thank you gift, such as drawings or small summer memory scrapbooks! These are sentimental gifts that can really make your sitter’s day as they can see how impactful their work with your children was this summer. 

You may also want to include small thank-you gifts based on your sitter’s interests and needs, including common beloved gifts of chocolate, lotion, or coffee. All of these combined will leave your babysitter feeling loved and valued, so don’t be afraid to go all out. This is sure to end the summer on a positive note. 

Offer Recommendation Letters

With an upcoming reduction in hours, you can end the summer by providing your babysitter with as much professional support as you can. Now is a great time to offer recommendation letters for your sitter to help them get new positions. Whether they are applying for other babysitting roles or have other professional endeavors, you can use your experience with them to show other potential employers that they are hardworking, trustworthy, and very valuable to have on their team. 

You can use other professional platforms to inform potential employers how reliable your babysitter is. Consider writing a recommendation on LinkedIn and endorsing their skills where anyone can see. This will increase their overall reputation with employers and will help greatly as the summer comes to an end. 

Confirm Fall Schedules

Just because the summer is over doesn’t mean you won’t need a babysitter anymore! Back-to-school schedules can be just as hectic, if not more, as all activities start to get back up and everyone starts to settle back into a more structured schedule. Now is the perfect time to confirm your sitter’s fall schedule and see if they are interested in working together after summer. You already know that you trust them, so keeping them as a babysitter is much easier than going through the whole interview and screening process to find a new one. 

If your babysitter will not be available come fall, ask if they know of any other available sitters that they know and recommend. This not only helps you, but further shows you value your babysitter’s opinion and network. 

Ending the summer on a positive note with your babysitter is always going to be the way to go. While the end of the summer changes everyone’s schedules and needs, keeping a positive relationship while continuously showing gratitude and appreciation will make things easier for everyone. It can help create a smoother transition for you, your children, and your babysitter while you head into fall.