Social distancing has become a phrase we hear all too often. People in the UK have had to rethink their lifestyle and behaviour, we all now need to play our part by self-quarantining or isolating.  However, this does not mean that parents need to feel alone and unsupported. 

Babysitters at Babysits are still providing a valuable resource for parents - even when they can’t be there in person! But, how can people make use of a babysitter if we are isolated, I hear you ask! Welcome to the world of remote or virtual babysitting!

What is remote babysitting and why is it useful?

Remote babysitting involves entertaining, educating, looking after and caring for a child remotely. It can be done through video apps such as Facetime, Skype, and the increasingly popular Zoom. As many parents are now faced with the challenge of working from home, remote babysitting can be a valuable resource. Parents may need to take important phone calls or join meetings throughout the day and during this time, you can schedule a remote babysitter to play games, do arts and crafts or read a story for your child. However, the situations in which babysitting remotely takes place may differ from situations where in-person babysitting would take place. It is not advised that a parent leaves their child with a remote babysitter the entire day to go out and run errands.

What does a virtual babysitter do?

Although there are limitations surrounding remote work, a babysitter can still provide a lot of help! They can do plenty of different things to help look after kids, keep them entertained, and help them learn, here are some of our favourite ideas:

Arts and Crafts!

There are plenty of DIY projects that are achievable through video calls. Depending on the age of the child, you can choose the difficulty of these activities. Think of things like drawing, painting, or making origami! Parents can also prepare some materials in advance to make it easier for the babysitter and child. Look here for some DIY inspiration!

Playing Games

Virtual babysitting can be so much fun! Why not prepare some fun games to play with the children? It will cheer them up as they may not have any siblings and cannot visit friends. Here are some ideas to help spark your imagination:

• Simon says
• Storytelling
• I Spy
• Pictionary
• Charades
• Guess who

 

Reading to children

Reading is one of the best ways to stimulate a child’s mind. You can both read along together or take turns. This not only entertains the children but helps them with their reading skills. This type of quality time is important for a child’s development as they have more opportunities to learn and have fun because they can stop and ask questions and learn new words. This engagement can also be fun to improvise and change up what's happening in the story - creating your own story!

Tutoring

Another significant way babysitters can help care for kids remotely is by helping to tutor them or by becoming a homework assistant. This is a great way to help them continue learning new things! Here, babysitters can help children learn and understand homework that they may have been provided by their school or otherwise maybe even create their own lessons and teach them things in different subjects. This can have a positive impact and enormous benefit on their education and intellectual curiosity while also freeing you up to do what you need to do!

For babysitters looking to help tutor kids virtually, we have some helpful tips for how to best help tutor children online. 

To find out more about getting a virtual babysitter, follow this link!