The holiday season is in full swing, which means holiday party invites are starting to hit your calendars. New Year’s Eve is the penultimate of the holiday date night party. It’s also one of the few holiday events that can’t be easily tailored to kids. (The main event taking place at midnight doesn’t help.) It’s probably one of the best times of the year to make sure you have a good sitter on call.
When is New Year’s Eve This Year?
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
Here’s a checklist to help secure a babysitter for New Year’s Eve and more:
1. Book in Advance
First things first, put the signal out to find a sitter sooner rather than later. This is a busy time for babysitting and sitters get booked quickly. There’s no need to wait for all the details for your plans to fall into place before starting to reach out to sitters. The beauty of New Year’s Eve is that you know the date and the rough timeline. That’s all you really need to start the conversation and lock in the coverage.
2. Set a Holiday-Worthy Rate
With that said, this is not the time to low ball what you pay your babysitter. Not only is this a time where good sitters are highly sought after, but it’s also a holiday. In almost every job, holiday hours mean more pay. Babysitting included. Like time-and-a-half in retail settings, your rate needs to be too good to pass up for people who are waffling on whether or not they’ll celebrate the holiday themselves.
3. Find Other Parents
One way to get a holiday sitter within your budget is to coordinate with other parents you know and trust. Yes, adding more kids to the equation increases the cost but it’s still cheaper than getting a dedicated sitter for each the individual families. Start thinking about who you can plan an NYE sitter-share with!
4. Make it Special
Remember, it’s the holiday season for kids too. Think about ways you can make the sitting experience special for the kiddos so they can build fun memories too. If you are bringing multiple kids together, you can set up a mini-party plan for them. Let them dress up in sparkles or dress down in matching PJs. Pick up a few bottles of fizzy apple or grape juice and some fun glasses from the dollar store. Prepare a tray of their favorite finger foods and set out cards for them to write or draw their 2020 goals. In short, make it a special moment for them. When you’re looking for your sitter, mention that you are hoping to have themed activities for the kids that night. A good sitter might go the extra mile to make it a celebration sitting!
5. Plan a Pre-Toast with the Kids
NYE doesn’t have to be one of those holidays that is all or nothing when it comes to kids. If you’re getting dressed up for your night out, plan to get dressed early and have a faux NYE countdown with your little ones before you walk out the door. Netflix has created a whole series of countdown shorts for just this occasion. Or you can sync with an NYE clock in another part of the world, where the new year starts at a more reasonable hour in your timezone. After taking a special moment with your family, hand it over to the sitter to host the living room dance parties and other activities.
Having a well-rounded New Year’s Eve celebration is possible, it just takes a little planning. Start by finding a sitter that will be a helping hand in crafting a magical night of memories.
