Overview

One of our star SmartSitters from a decade ago has had a perfect baby girl, now just 3 months old. Mama SmartSitter is heading back to work the end of April (she'll be working Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, around 9 AM - 4 PM) and dad will be working full-time as well, Monday through Friday. The family is looking for support with their incredible little one, who is snuggly and sweet and totally wonderful. Roy, the pup will also need some love and attention, at least some of the time (some times he'll be in a different spot and mom or dad will be with him). The core schedule is Thursdays and Fridays, 8 AM - 5 PM, and then it can be another full day on Saturday (8 AM - 5 PM) or a part day on Saturday + a part day on a forth day (flex). Consistency and building a long-term relationship is key, and the family is flexible to make it work!

The Ideal Sitter for this Job

The ideal candidate is empathic, and intuitive around how you can be more helpful, as mom isn't the delegating / asking for help type of mama! (In true SmartSitter fashion, she's more the type of mama who will ask you how she can help you!) The parents' apartment is a 5th floor walk up (not even allowed to leave a stroller downstairs), so it's key that you feel comfortable walking up and down the stairs with the baby or the dog (not both at the same time). Also, flexibility and adaptability is important, as the position will shift to grandma's house here and there, more so after the dog has surgery. It may go without saying, but it's also key that you are a true dog lover, as Roy will need support and love!

Schedule

The schedule is a work in progress, and there's also some flexibility to it, so we can work with you someone on this! The core coverage times will be Thursdays and Fridays, 8 AM - 5 PM. The family can offer another full day on Saturday (8 AM - 5 PM, or a part day within this time frame, nanny's choice) and possibly an additional 4-hour shift (flexible) on another flex day, also nanny's choice), with a guarantee of 25-30 hours/week (happy to work with you on this!)

About the Children

The baby girl is just coming out of the 4th trimester now, and she's alert and interested in everything, namely her hands, other people's faces, and looking in the mirror. She's sweet and snuggly and she loves her milk and her mama and dad and grandma, and she will love you too just as soon as she meets you!

Responsibilities

Upon arrival, take stock of the moment, and then dig in where you can be most helpful. This could mean taking Roy, the pup, up to the roof to go to the bathroom (it's a 5th floor walk up, so the roof is easier than taking him downstairs!), helping with the dishes, putting on a pot of coffee, making a little extra breakfast if it makes sense once the baby starts solids (making oatmeal? make a bowl for the mom if it flows within your routine that day!), taking baby so mom and dad have a moment to get ready for their day. In the beginning, mom will be working from home. Grandma lives just a few blocks away (she's very sweet, and recently retired), so some days it may be easiest to take the baby out for strolls, bring her to grandma's house for playing, napping, and then walk her back home so mama can feed her. Mom is exclusively breastfeeding at the moment, and will transition to a combo of pumped milk and breastfeeding soon. Roy may stay at mama SmartSitter's apartment some of the time, and everyone will be at grandma's apartment in a few weeks for a while, as Roy will be having ACL surgery and will need some time to heal (sans the 5 story walk up). Once you are comfortable with the routine, we'll include laundry for the baby (and parents if it's something you're flexible with, totally flexible either way). Once baby starts solids, it will be helpful for you to support the family on introduction to new solids, and keeping an eye on the fridge, stopping by the supermarket for restocking if you notice anything is getting low. Baby care is always the #1 priority, and pup support if he's with you is #2. Everything else is gravy, and totally appreciated.

Additional Information

The apartment is a 5th floor walk up. In your application, please include your experience working with infants and any experience you have working with dogs and/or disabled animals in particular. If you are looking for transportation reimbursement and/or a monthly health stipend, please include this as well, and if you have a minimum guarantee that you're looking for. Thanks so much! Pets: Roy, he's a big bundle of love pup, he's big (a lab mix?), a rescue, he has a torn ACL at the moment and will head into surgery soon, and he's deaf and suffers from epilepsy (seizures). He sometimes stares into space for a while and then barks and pounces, if you physically touch him before he barks, this calms him down. He sleeps a lot and also will appreciate having some love and attention.