Babysitting is the favorite side job of young teenagers, broke college kids, and many stay-at-home parents. Some people go on to care for other peoples’ children for years. I’ve always thought that these people chose the most underappreciated and underestimated occupation.

When I had my daughter a little over a year ago, I was extremely stressed out when looking for a caretaker for my newborn. I was only allowed a two week medical out of class, which served as a maternity leave. As a first-time mom (I’m sure second, third, and twenty-second-time moms feel the same) I was scared to death to leave my brand new baby with a stranger. However, I go to a college over 1,000 miles from home, so I had no choice.

I interviewed over 50 people online and narrowed it down to 3 wonderful women. My husband and I then went to each of their homes and interviewed them, watching them interact with our little Kyra.

This was not an easy decision for us because our daughter’s caretaker is way more than just a babysitter.

We found an amazing woman to care for Kyra the two days a week I had to be on campus. Having been a nanny and a babysitter in the past, I thought I understood the job pretty well. However, there was much that I didn’t know about being a babysitter until I hired one.

When I leave Kyra with our sitter, I trust her with our daughter’s life. She does so much more than simply watch Kyra. She is responsible for feeding her, changing her, playing with her, and most importantly, keeping her safe.

A good caretaker is worth so much more than parents pay. A good caretaker teaches, nourishes, and comforts baby when she’s scared. She will laugh and make funny faces. She will sometimes have to make the same sacrifices that parents do. A good babysitter will love your child, and not look at them like a paycheck. They will care that their lunch is healthy, and that baby has a good day full of smiles. They will understand that your child (and all children) will have bad days and mean habits, and will do their best to work through them. A good caretaker will care about and respect the parents choices and preferences, even if they are different then their own.

These babysitters can be a rare breed. But if you are lucky enough to find one, they deserve all your thanks. Making cookies for them now and then is a good choice, as well.

My husband and I were lucky enough to find one of these amazing people to care for our daughter. She offers us perfect care at a price that a college kid and soldier can afford. She cares about our well being, and treats our daughter like her own. A good babysitter is so much more than “just a babysitter”, and we are so very grateful that we have found one.

For those who are considering babysitting, remember these things. Watching someone’s child should not be done solely for the extra cash. When a parent leaves you with their child, they are trusting you with their lives.