Would you hire a college student to come into your home for childcare?

[Anonymous]

My DD's summer job at a day camp isn't happening as far as we've heard. She wants to find a family to provide childcare for the summer.

I guess I have two questions:

For parents, would you let an unknown, but as fully vetted as possible, babysitter in your house?

And do you think it's safe for our household to have her work for another family, possibly exposing us to whatever they bring home?

I would make my DD ask questions about their social distancing, cleaning, etc.

She's taking a summer class online in June but otherwise has nothing else to do until school starts in some form in late August. She is already having a hard time dealing with quarantine, so if it were safe, having some sort of job would be the best option.

[Anonymous]

I have no doubt a working family whose camps are canceling on them will want a college kid! Definitely a good idea. As for distancing...neither party can guarantee they’ll be covid free the whole time. It’s the risk you take, just like when you go to the grocery store.

[Anonymous]

No. I cannot control who all a young person is meeting if they are not living with me.

[Anonymous]

I’m trying to hire one now for my 4 and 6 yr olds in Herndon. Their camps are already about 30% cancelled

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have no doubt a working family whose camps are canceling on them will want a college kid! Definitely a good idea. As for distancing...neither party can guarantee they’ll be covid free the whole time. It’s the risk you take, just like when you go to the grocery store.

Not really. Your grocery store exposure is very minimized if you are wearing masks, gloves, social distance and follow sanitary and hygiene routine. Your time in the grocery store is also short and you are certainly not interacting closely with anyone.

Are you and your child going to keep 6 feet away at home from the baby sitter, wear gloves and masks and be exposed to them for only an hour or so, and then promptly sanitize everything and change your clothes? I don't think so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. I cannot control who all a young person is meeting if they are not living with me.

Even if she were a live in nanny, would you be able to tell her that she can’t see people on her time off?

[Anonymous]

I had originally planned to hire a college student this summer (pre-pandemic), but then changed my mind because I assumed that most college aged kids would want to be socializing with others their age outside of working hours. I wouldn't feel confident that most students would take social distancing seriously (the stories from some of my friends who are college professors about campus parties in March come to mind) but if your daughter is going in to interviews asking potential employers about their social distancing and cleaning plans, then she may have a good chance of matching up with a family that would be compatible.

[Anonymous]

Yes. If we can work out a way to have at least one parent teleworking each day, and could afford it (i don't know if paying a college student to watch two kids with a parent home for backup/help would cost more or less than two kids in day care), I'd love to do this. I can't see how the exposure could be worse than day care.

Where are you located, OP? You may have some of us asking her to name her price!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had originally planned to hire a college student this summer (pre-pandemic), but then changed my mind because I assumed that most college aged kids would want to be socializing with others their age outside of working hours. I wouldn't feel confident that most students would take social distancing seriously (the stories from some of my friends who are college professors about campus parties in March come to mind) but if your daughter is going in to interviews asking potential employers about their social distancing and cleaning plans, then she may have a good chance of matching up with a family that would be compatible.

+1. I'm not looking yet but if/when I have to, the bolded would be reassuring.

[Anonymous]

It's all chance- both the parents and the sitter can be very careful but if either somehow picks up CV, then it will likely spread to household. Given this, you have to do what you have to do- people need to work and college kids need summer jobs, so I'd be on board with it.

[Anonymous]

It would honestly cause less spread to just send the kids back to school / camp than bring random college kids into homes who will be out at restaurants and bars etc. Society has this so backwards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had originally planned to hire a college student this summer (pre-pandemic), but then changed my mind because I assumed that most college aged kids would want to be socializing with others their age outside of working hours. I wouldn't feel confident that most students would take social distancing seriously (the stories from some of my friends who are college professors about campus parties in March come to mind) but if your daughter is going in to interviews asking potential employers about their social distancing and cleaning plans, then she may have a good chance of matching up with a family that would be compatible.

+1. I'm not looking yet but if/when I have to, the bolded would be reassuring.

Agree. If I needed a summer sitter I'm reasonably confident I could find one who was living with a family that was taking similar precautions to us.

[Anonymous]

I would be fine with this option.

[Anonymous]

Yes, and we have for my 1 year old and 4 year old

[Anonymous]

OP here. She is not doing any socializing (we're in Maryland, so nothing is open anyhow) except with one friend at 6 feet+ outside. She is going to stores a few times a week and picking up takeout food occassionally. Hence, she's really bored but also is pretty paranoid about getting covid and/or passing it on to me since I'm in my 50s.