Mom's Requirements For Potential Babysitters Labelled As Unreasonable — 'No Social Media Accounts, I Don't Need My Kids Seeing That'
She would only be paying them $200 for five days a week.
fizkes / Shutterstock After a mother posted an ad in search of a babysitter for her four children, many online pointed out that she would have a difficult time finding one due to her lengthy and rather irrational list of qualifications.
The ad for a babysitter included requirements such as no social media, no tattoos or piercings, and at least a Master’s degree.
A photo of the controversial ad was posted to the r/antiwork subreddit.
“BABYSITTER NEEDED ASAP," the flyer read. "I need someone to watch my 4 kids (ages 2, 3, 5, and 7) from noon to 6 p.m. M-F (occasional weekends).”
Photo: Reddit
The job qualifications consist of: "must be a great cook and avid cleaner," must be over 25 years old, must have a minimum education equivalent to a Master’s degree, must not have any social media accounts, must not drink, smoke or vape, must not have any tattoos or piercings, must have at least five professional references, and must undergo a background check and drug test.
The job pays only $200 a week, and the advertisement insisted that the applicant must have their own method of transportation, as they will have to get to the mother's house and run all of her errands.
“PLEASE CALL TAMMY IF INTERESTED,” the ad concluded.
Many online believed that Tammy’s qualifications were absurd and that she would never find a sitter as long as she enforced them.
“How about no, Tammy?” the person who posted a photo of the ad to Reddit wrote.
“This can’t be real. I refuse to believe someone is this entitled and simultaneously stupid,” another Redditor commented.
“There’s just no possible way someone can be this out of touch with reality,” another user wrote.
Other commenters noted that paying a babysitter only $200 a week, especially with what Tammy was asking for, was ludicrous.
“So sad how people only pay $200 for raising their [expletive] kids,” a fourth user pointed out.
“How is this possible when most daycares charge around $1,500 per month,” another wrote.
While it is certainly reasonable to want to hire someone responsible and trustworthy to babysit your children, requiring them to have a Master’s degree, banning them from using social media, and forcing them to run personal errands should not be included in the job description — especially when you aren't even offering a competitive wage.
What babysitters choose to do in their free time and whether or not they have their ears pierced do not reflect on how well they will be able to perform their jobs. According to Care.com, some more appropriate qualities to focus on when selecting a babysitter include enthusiasm, playfulness, responsibility, accountability, professionalism, and CPR and First Aid certification.
Frankly, if Tammy is expecting to find an incredible cook and talented cleaner who doesn't use social media or have any piercings, she should probably up her rate.
Megan Quinn is a writer at YourTango who covers entertainment and news, self, love, and relationships.