I Hired Babysitters to Help Me With My Child’s Birthday Party

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ana Sheppard, who finds and posts about fun places in London to go with kids. It has been edited for length and clarity.

For my son’s seventh birthday, I rented out a community space in an art gallery, initially thinking I would just invite some of his friends for a science-themed party.

The venue turned out to be quite big, so we decided to invite all the kids he is in school with. After I’d sent out the invites, I panicked about the thought of entertaining 60 children for two hours. If parents dropped their kids, rather than sticking around, I was going to be responsible for their safety and for them having a good time. I knew I would need more hands on deck to help.

Even though I knew my family would be there to help, I also knew that familial help can sometimes lead to unmet expectations, frustration, and tension. Plus, I wanted my family to enjoy the party too.

I hired 2 babysitters

I booked an entertainer, but wasn’t sure even he could keep all the children occupied. I’d previously teamed up for work with a childcare app in the UK called Bubble and had the idea to book babysitters to come along and help with the party.

In the advertisement, I let applicants know I would need two people for five hours to help decorate, take photos, make sure the kids were fed, safe, and having a good time, and just generally help if I needed anything done during the science party. I wrote that I just wanted someone who would make sure everyone was happy and comfortable, even the parents that came along.

I ended up choosing two women for the job.

As soon as they arrived at the venue two hours prior to the start of the party, I knew I’d made a good decision. They showed up, and with a short briefing, they started decorating alongside me.

When a handful of kids showed up early, one of the babysitters took them to the park nearby. I knew they’d be safe because this was someone qualified to take care of kids. It wasn’t just an older sibling or friend’s child. It gave us an extra 30 minutes to make sure everything was ready.

They took care of all the guests

During the party, they took great initiative to take care of all the guests. If a child looked left out, they made sure they felt included. When one little boy fell and hurt his knee a bit, someone other than me could manage to make sure he was taken care of. If a child’s cup was empty, they’d fill it with water. They were so good with the kids.

They were also amazing with parents. If one of the parents had an empty glass of prosecco, the two babysitters offered to top up their drinks. They’d see me offering food or drinks, and they would do the same without being asked.

Perhaps I could have paid a catering company to do similar tasks, but I wouldn’t have known if they’d be comfortable or capable around kids. It was also much cheaper to hire babysitters than caterers.

It was also cheaper to hire babysitters than to hire a photographer.

Throughout the party, both babysitters took photographs of all the fun. I’d previously priced up a photographer because I didn’t want to be responsible for taking pictures — I just wanted to enjoy the moment. A professional photographer would have cost twice the price for half the hours. The photos they both took were incredible too. They captured the best parts of the party.

I was able to enjoy the party

At the end of the party, people asked who the babysitters were, commenting on how delightful and helpful they were.

With so much help, I could relax and enjoy the party more than if they hadn’t been there. All the pressure would have been on me otherwise. Everyone — my family, my son, and all the guests — had a good time, and it was in large part due to the babysitters.

In the spring, my son has his Holy Communion. I’m planning to hire another babysitter to help me with the celebration, even though only six kids will be coming along.