Long Live the Sisterhood
May 14, 2012 § Leave a Comment
Where’s a mom to find a good sitter? One word: Sorority.
This is the best gig going. Here’s how it works:
1. Get in touch with the chapter president of a sorority. (Obviously, this only works in a college town or university city.)
2. Say “OMG” a lot in your email. Use exclamation points, and if you can stand it, emoticons. (Use the winky versions. Like ; ) and ; o instead of : ) and : o — it sets the tone like you’re already BFFs and/or like you’re half-kidding about everything you say because you’re winking when you say it, and that’s good, because it keeps them on their toes, thinking, “Does she really have 11 kids or was that a joke? I want to find out!”)
3. Tell her how cute your kids are and how early they go to bed and that you always keep tons of Diet Coke in the house. (Be clear about the “diet” part — if you say, “I have tons of coke, and you’re welcome to it,” you’re just setting expectations that are doomed to be dashed. Unless that’s actually true. In which case, you should really lock up your coke — you have KIDS now.)
Bam! Your request is forwarded to their list of interested sitters, and you’re tapped into their NEVERENDING SITTER BLOODLINE for all of eternity.
Bonuses: If you have a son, he will develop crushes on the sitters and behave extra nicely for them. If you have a daughter, she will enjoy benefits such as hair-braiding lessons and free manicures. Also, assuming it’s not the weirdo sorority, you can get good outfit advice from your sitters before you go out. (If it is the weirdo sorority, don’t fret. They often have great ideas for elaborate theater projects with the kids.) And then, when you get home and your wine buzz has you feeling philosophical, you can give your sitter wise life advice on careers and tattoos and whatnot.
This was posted today on Mamas Against Drama, a forum dedicated to taking on parental issues with a chill attitude and a conversational tone. Read more responses in today’s What Mamas Have to Say Monday, which posed the question: Where do you find a good babysitter these days?
