Finding the right babysitter is an ongoing quest for parents in metro Atlanta and elsewhere. After all, deciding who you can trust with your child is an extremely important decision – and often a stressful one.
You'll want to be sure of your sitters' credentials and background and know that they'll engage your child rather than parking on the couch and watching scary movies all evening.
SitterTree, a babysitter request and scheduling tool, has compiled a list of their top 10 metro Atlanta sitters, providing a helpful resource for parents. It's the brainchild of Jody Stephenson, who started the company in 2000 as a sophomore at Oglethorpe University in Atlanta. The company has now doled out more than 25,000 babysitting jobs. This is the first year the company has compiled its top 10 list, Stephenson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The company recruits experienced local college students and professionals, requiring in-person interviews and extensive background checks.
Not only do the sitters often work through several years of college, but they also often stay with it through grad school, Stephenson said.
“They’ll stay with us throughout college and typically a few years throughout their career – grad school, law school and even the first few years of working so they can pay off student loans.”
To be considered for the top 10 list, babysitters must have been named a favorite sitter by at least 25 families and have a minimum rating of 4.95 out of 5 stars. It's the first such list compiled by SitterTree, and it's designed to reflect on the sitters' accomplishments and commemorate reaching the milestone of 25,000 jobs, Stephenson said.
The following were named as the top 10 babysitters in Atlanta and parts of Florida, listed alphabetically by their first names:
Alsha McGilvery – Kennesaw State University student from Jackson, Miss.
Sitter hacks – a sitter bag of arts and crafts materials as well as playing games, reading books or talking
Ashley Melendez – Kennesaw State University student from Alpharetta
Best moment – winning over a family's shy girls by braiding their hair
Hannah Matthews – Kennesaw State University student from Marietta
Sitter hacks – inexpensive, fun and easy activities from Pinterest, Google and the dollar store
Khadijah Grier – Clark Atlanta University student from Athens
Best moment – running to the car in the pouring rain with twins after a visit to Fernbank
Lace McGuire – Clayton State University graduate from Covington
Sitter hack – cranking up parent-approved music and giving text updates to parents
Nadia Nkansah – Kennesaw State University graduate from Italy
Best Moment – helping a child prepare for a Junior Master Chef audition
Sarah Frances Tomlinson – University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill graduate from Atlanta
Best moment – babysitting for a three-year-old who matter-of-factly told her, out of the blue, "We have beer. If you want one. I don't know all the kinds," as if she were playing host
Tamara Kenon – Warner University graduate from Miami
Sitter hacks – engaging with kids on their level to play games, color, pretend play, etc.
Toyin Adebayo – Clark Atlanta University graduate from Maryland
Best moment – getting to see a baby's first steps
Victoria Donnelly – Emory University student from Maryland
Best moment – having kids be excited to see her and having one tell her she's the best babysitter
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