“Babysitting job perfect for a college student”- dog whistle?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would rather have a first year college kid who wants $16 an hour (going casual babysitter rate in my town) than a middle aged mom who is looking for hourly jobs in that same price range. The college kid is likely to be more responsible, middle class or higher background, have a car or other reliable transportation and most importantly, low drama. I'm not really looking for someone in their mid 30s, not in school, hustles on various hourly jobs, has kids, etc. When i've used a few of them, they don't have a car, their ride bails, their kid gets sick, they don't present as much professional or responsible, etc etc. That's the other reason to specify college kid.

The biggest issue I've had with sitters who are also parents is that they have asked a few times if they can bring their own kids. That's a hard no. Otherwise I wouldn't have an issue with a mature sitter who may not be a teen or college student. But I have noticed they are more flaky and have car issues, sick kids, random crises, etc like you mentioned above. It does make me more wary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would rather have a first year college kid who wants $16 an hour (going casual babysitter rate in my town) than a middle aged mom who is looking for hourly jobs in that same price range. The college kid is likely to be more responsible, middle class or higher background, have a car or other reliable transportation and most importantly, low drama. I'm not really looking for someone in their mid 30s, not in school, hustles on various hourly jobs, has kids, etc. When i've used a few of them, they don't have a car, their ride bails, their kid gets sick, they don't present as much professional or responsible, etc etc. That's the other reason to specify college kid.

The biggest issue I've had with sitters who are also parents is that they have asked a few times if they can bring their own kids. That's a hard no. Otherwise I wouldn't have an issue with a mature sitter who may not be a teen or college student. But I have noticed they are more flaky and have car issues, sick kids, random crises, etc like you mentioned above. It does make me more wary.

Parents slaming other parents. What happened to "it's a village" and we help each other? I guess this is only for you when you need help. I bet you love other parents when you ask the SAHM to" just watch precious Snowflake" for two hours today because you have a meeting.

[Anonymous]

I take it to mean they don't want a professional nanny because they aren't offering enough hours.

[Anonymous]

I thought this was code for "the hours are few and the pay is low and my kids may be assh--les."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I read that language as, they want to pay a modest hourly wage (“a little extra money”), not what a nanny would charge.

It’s this. It’s code for “we’re cheap and not willing to pay market value for childcare.”

+1 the only dog whistle here is “this is a great job for someone who doesn’t need the money and won’t judge us“

Wtf? There are tons of teens who are thrilled to make $15 an hour. Retail pays way less than that.

No, it doesn’t, unless you’re in Alabama — or are you writing from 2019? Companies trying to pay under $15/hr for retail aren’t able to hire, because even high school kids can make more money now.

In my city (wealthy but not NE wealthy) the teens and college kids all happily take $15 an hour to babysit on Saturday night.

You do realize that watching tv and sitting on your phone for four hours on Saturday night is way better than working at target right?

Babysitting = no commitment, choose your hours, no stress, get your homework done, no taxes, nice customers.

Target = taxes, need to work a lot more than 4 hours a week, no control over schedule, sometimes get calls last minute that you have to come in, have to do actual labor and work, rude customers, ectc.


But sure, making $17 an hour (before taxes) at target is soooo much better than babysitting for $15.

Sure, Jan. Keep dreaming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On our community FB page I’m frequently seeing people post looking for a part time nanny or date night sitter and then announcing it would be a perfect fit for a college student or a teacher looking for extra money on weekends or perhaps a local stay at home mom looking to make some extra money. It always rubs me the wrong way, as if they’re blatantly stating “I want an UMC type of white woman to babysit”. Is it just me? Like why not just state the job you’re offering without adding that you think it would be a great fit for an educated young woman who lives in your neighborhood. And by “great fit” meaning, “this is who I want”.

It would tell me that they are cheap. Many people think college students will accept $10-12/hr.

Exactly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When people on dcum say anything is for “a college student” they usually mean they don’t want to pay the market rate. I think it’s usually a fantasy about an employee who wants to work weird hours for a low rate. But in your case perhaps a dog whistle.

It’s not a fantasy. My neighbor’s son was home for college, but taking an online class that met mid-morning and it meant he couldn’t get a “regular job”. My other neighbor has kids who are home from camp at 3pm. She hired him to pick up her kids and watch them for a few hours. It’s a very niche thing to only need coverage for 90 min to 3 hours a day. No one would commute for that job.

A different neighbor literally needs coverage from 4:30-6pm daily because her husband is a reporter who is often filing stories at 5pm. She found a preschool teacher who works a mile away who gets off work at 4pm and then comes over on her way home.

College students and people who work at businesses that open late or close early often have 2-4hr chunks of time they want to fill with paid work.

It is a fantasy. Your examples are unicorns. The “after school for a few hours” is the job every parent wants to hire for and no one wants to do consistently unless you pay a LOT, and even then, they’ll throw you over the minute a better offer comes along.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would rather have a first year college kid who wants $16 an hour (going casual babysitter rate in my town) than a middle aged mom who is looking for hourly jobs in that same price range. The college kid is likely to be more responsible, middle class or higher background, have a car or other reliable transportation and most importantly, low drama. I'm not really looking for someone in their mid 30s, not in school, hustles on various hourly jobs, has kids, etc. When i've used a few of them, they don't have a car, their ride bails, their kid gets sick, they don't present as much professional or responsible, etc etc. That's the other reason to specify college kid.

The biggest issue I've had with sitters who are also parents is that they have asked a few times if they can bring their own kids. That's a hard no. Otherwise I wouldn't have an issue with a mature sitter who may not be a teen or college student. But I have noticed they are more flaky and have car issues, sick kids, random crises, etc like you mentioned above. It does make me more wary.

Parents slaming other parents. What happened to "it's a village" and we help each other? I guess this is only for you when you need help. I bet you love other parents when you ask the SAHM to" just watch precious Snowflake" for two hours today because you have a meeting.

“It takes a village” is pop psych BS. People only trot it out when they want something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought this was code for "the hours are few and the pay is low and my kids may be assh--les."

Are you reading some of these responses? Everyone thinks their kids are a dream to watch. So easy that it's not even "real labor."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When people on dcum say anything is for “a college student” they usually mean they don’t want to pay the market rate. I think it’s usually a fantasy about an employee who wants to work weird hours for a low rate. But in your case perhaps a dog whistle.

It’s not a fantasy. My neighbor’s son was home for college, but taking an online class that met mid-morning and it meant he couldn’t get a “regular job”. My other neighbor has kids who are home from camp at 3pm. She hired him to pick up her kids and watch them for a few hours. It’s a very niche thing to only need coverage for 90 min to 3 hours a day. No one would commute for that job.

A different neighbor literally needs coverage from 4:30-6pm daily because her husband is a reporter who is often filing stories at 5pm. She found a preschool teacher who works a mile away who gets off work at 4pm and then comes over on her way home.

College students and people who work at businesses that open late or close early often have 2-4hr chunks of time they want to fill with paid work.

It is a fantasy. Your examples are unicorns. The “after school for a few hours” is the job every parent wants to hire for and no one wants to do consistently unless you pay a LOT, and even then, they’ll throw you over the minute a better offer comes along.

+1 I see ads looking for this all the time and these parents never seem to be able to find coverage!

[Anonymous]

It’s a dog whistle that you think minorities aren’t educated

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:On our community FB page I’m frequently seeing people post looking for a part time nanny or date night sitter and then announcing it would be a perfect fit for a college student or a teacher looking for extra money on weekends or perhaps a local stay at home mom looking to make some extra money. It always rubs me the wrong way, as if they’re blatantly stating “I want an UMC type of white woman to babysit”. Is it just me? Like why not just state the job you’re offering without adding that you think it would be a great fit for an educated young woman who lives in your neighborhood. And by “great fit” meaning, “this is who I want”.

It would tell me that they are cheap. Many people think college students will accept $10-12/hr.

Exactly.

+1 - I assume they are looking for someone on the cheap and really think that college students can't find any other work

[Anonymous]

I think it's more of a pay scale thing. They don't want someone professional and expensive.

But it runs both ways. I won't hire teenagers and college students and have explicitly stated that. So I'm blatantly agist.

I've only hired older Hispanic women as nannies (we've had 3 in 12 years). I won't even interview a non-Spanish speaker. So I guess it goes both ways?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:On our community FB page I’m frequently seeing people post looking for a part time nanny or date night sitter and then announcing it would be a perfect fit for a college student or a teacher looking for extra money on weekends or perhaps a local stay at home mom looking to make some extra money. It always rubs me the wrong way, as if they’re blatantly stating “I want an UMC type of white woman to babysit”. Is it just me? Like why not just state the job you’re offering without adding that you think it would be a great fit for an educated young woman who lives in your neighborhood. And by “great fit” meaning, “this is who I want”.

I think this is more about your particular community than the post. When those posts come up on my community Nextdoor they get recommendations for college students from Howard, and there's no implication that the babysitter need by UMC or white, just 1) not looking for or expecting a full-time job, and 2) somewhat fond of/familiar with kids. Wanting someone who lives in the neighborhood is more about convenience than an income limit, but again - my neighborhood is not uniformly rich or white.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When people on dcum say anything is for “a college student” they usually mean they don’t want to pay the market rate. I think it’s usually a fantasy about an employee who wants to work weird hours for a low rate. But in your case perhaps a dog whistle.

It’s not a fantasy. My neighbor’s son was home for college, but taking an online class that met mid-morning and it meant he couldn’t get a “regular job”. My other neighbor has kids who are home from camp at 3pm. She hired him to pick up her kids and watch them for a few hours. It’s a very niche thing to only need coverage for 90 min to 3 hours a day. No one would commute for that job.

A different neighbor literally needs coverage from 4:30-6pm daily because her husband is a reporter who is often filing stories at 5pm. She found a preschool teacher who works a mile away who gets off work at 4pm and then comes over on her way home.

College students and people who work at businesses that open late or close early often have 2-4hr chunks of time they want to fill with paid work.

It is a fantasy. Your examples are unicorns. The “after school for a few hours” is the job every parent wants to hire for and no one wants to do consistently unless you pay a LOT, and even then, they’ll throw you over the minute a better offer comes along.

This.
I need an hour of care for my 6yo first grader each day. I can’t find it so, instead, we have resorted to paying a local daycare center nearly $800/month for her to be enrolled in their aftercare program. They provide transportation from school and care from 3 to as late as 6PM, but I don’t need that. All I really need is someone to get her off the bus and watch her for an additional hour. we are willing to pay very well for this, but that person doesn’t exist.