If you have a question, please send me an Email. Many thanks, Nick.
What age children do you care for?
I specialise in caring for young children. I mostly work for families where at least one of the children is under the age of 5. I am often working for families with babies, toddlers and infant school aged children.
Do you provide daytime childcare?
I provide occasional daytime childcare, at weekends and on Mondays. It is best to send me an e-mail with the date(s) you require daytime childcare and I can then check those against my current schedule.
Who does the babysitting... will I get the same babysitter?
Yes, you will always have the same babysitter as all childcare is provided by myself. Your children get to know me and thus are happy and contented to be left in my care whilst you enjoy an evening out.
I do not want to leave my children with someone I do not know... can I meet you before I book you to babysit?
Yes, I encourage families to arrange a meeting prior to babysitting for the first time. This meeting enables me to meet you and your children. I will bring along original documentation such as qualification certificates and references from families, so you can be reassured that I am a professional childcarer.
Do I have to pay travel expenses?
No, there are no travel expenses to pay. I do however have a minimum charge of 3 hours (£30).
Why is there a minimum booking of three hours?
I have found over the years that typically parents will go out for three hours or longer. Once an evening is booked, it is not available to any other client, thus it is not cost effective for me to only work for a couple of hours. You can book for a shorter time period, but the minimum charge of £30 will apply.
Is there a membership fee to use your babysitting service?
No, I do not charge a membership fee. You only pay for my babysitting service when you actually use my service. I like to keep pricing as simple to understand as possible, so I just have an hourly fee.
Do you charge more if I have 2 or more children?
No, my hourly rate is the same regardless of the number of children you have. My insurance however does limit me to caring for a maximum of 6 children. Please note: All children must be your own. If you have relatives or friends staying, please contact me to discuss.
Do you Double Charge after midnight?
No, my hourly rate remains the same regardless of the time of day or night. Therefore unlike cinderella, you can stay out past midnight. If you intend to return home past 1am, it is useful to know this at the time of booking, so I can plan my sleep!
I have 6 month old twins... will you care for twins?
Yes, I will provide care for families with twins, triplets or more. I am very experienced in babycare and my experience has included working with newborn twins and twins older in age.
My child has just been diagnosed with Autism (Autistic Spectrum Disorder)... will you care for children with special needs?
Yes, I will care for children with special needs, particularly children with autism as I have experience of working with autistic children. Please contact me to discuss your child's specific needs.
How much notice is needed to book you to babysit?
The amount of advance notice required varys a lot, so I publish my Availability Calendar, which provides a 9 week view of evenings booked and evenings available. Registered families can receive my Availability Calendar via weekly email - which my clients say is really useful.
Can you babysit overnight?
Yes, I can provide babysitting which extends to cover part of the following day. Availability for Overnight childcare may be limited at times, depending on my commitments the following day. Typically overnight childcare can be provided on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Please contact me to discuss your Overnight Childcare requirements.
Your testimonials are great... can I speak with any parents who use your babysitting service?
Yes, I can put you in touch with families who already use my babysitting service. To keep this information more secure, this information is provided only to families who I have met. Please contact me to arrange a meeting.
I want to book you to babysit... What is the best way to contact you?
As I am often working with children, my preferred method of contact is via Email. The next best method is via Text Message / SMS - Send to 07853 981917. You can also call me, though my answerphone will be on if I am working with children so please be prepared to leave a message.
Do you care for premature babies?
Yes, I have cared for premature babies. I recall a set of twins who were several weeks premature, whom I started to care for before their original Expected Due Date.
Will you bath my baby, as a bath is part of our daughter's bedtime routine? I contacted a national babysitting agency and they said they did not permit their sitters to bath children.
Yes, I will bath your baby. I feel it is important to stick as closely to bedtime routines as possible, thus will take over at whatever stage of the routine you are at when I arrive.
I have a question not answered above.
Please Email me your question and I will respond to you as fast as I can.
© Nicks Babysitting Service 2007