Childcare While Travelling (Tripsitta Life)

Balancing The Juggle As a freelance writer and parent educator I’ve been working from home since the first few months of my daughter’s life.  Post-Covid, with so many more parents swapping the office for the home, the question is; how to manage the juggle? Older children may be at school for much of the day. Parents of babies, toddlers and preschoolers face a different challenge. How do you work from home with young children?  First there’s no denying it, children need buckets of attention to thrive. Expecting an under 5 to play independently while you work isn’t realistic. Even older children need plenty of parental input.  However, depending on your workload,  there are ways to be there for your kids and your boss.  1. Give your child focused 1-1 attention When you’re trying to work from home with young children, you might hope they’ll happily play independently while you answer emails. But young children need plenty of connection and attention throughout the day. One approach that can help is Special Time: a short period of completely focused one-to-one attention. No matter how hectic the work schedule, having 5-10 minutes to spare isn’t too difficult. ‘Special time’ is a way of harnessing the power of giving your child 1-1 attention.  Set a timer for maybe 10, 15 minutes or even 5 if that’s all you have available. Tell your child it’s special time and they can do whatever they want with you. Five or ten minutes might not seem like much. But, in this concentrated quality time your child gets to soak up your warm attention. Special time is like a ‘connection vitamin,’ that can last the whole day. It’s perfect if you have to leave your child with a nanny or babysitter. Or, if you just want five minutes to answer a few emails; your child may be more likely to play independently after special time as they have internalised a sense of connection with you.  2. Hire A Babysitter or Nanny You Can Trust  Being at home means you get to soak up little moments with your kids. They run to you to show you a picture they’ve just drawn, or the cat they made out of playdough. However constant interruptions can play havoc on your attention span, and make it impossible to get anything done.  Hiring a nanny or babysitter you can trust can help you to focus on work. You are always going to be the best expert on your child. However, resist the urge to micromanage every activity which can easily eat up your time. Instead, hire the kind of nanny that you trust to take your kids out of the house to the park or soft play from time to time so you have uninterrupted time to focus.   3. Decide When Your Door Is Open, (Or Closed) As a nanny and babysitter I’ve worked with some parents who go into their garden cabin, or others who stay in the living room and have more of an open door policy. Every family works differently, and it may be entirely dependent on the kind of work you do, and what you’ve got on that day. When figuring out how to work from home with young children it’s worth fostering a flexible environment where your child understands there’s times they can’t come in because ‘mummy’s on a work call,’ and other times when you can easily take a pause to admire their Lego spaceship.   4. Set Clear Boundaries Around Your Working Time  Helping your child with big feelings is an inevitable part of figuring how to work from home with young children.  That closed door can result in a huge meltdown or screaming fit when a child is having difficulty processing the fact that you are both there but not available. If you do need to leave your child with another parent or babysitter, then set a limit with warmth and empathy. If they are crying and tantrumming then it can help for the other adult to just be with them as they process their emotional upset. The other adult should just stay close and offer comfort rather than feeling they have to immediately stop the tears. Sometimes children simply need time and support to process their disappointment. Once a child is free to express what they are feeling fully they will soon get through the stormy emotions, start feeling better and be able to enjoy playing. They’ll also have more of an understanding and flexibility about the fact that sometimes mummy or daddy has to work.  5. Let Go Of Working Parent Guilt There’ll be days when adults get behind with work and need to make the kids the top priority. There’ll also be days when work occupies a lot of your time, and the children don’t get the amount of attention they want. It’s all too easy to feel guilty when you’re not with the kids, and guilty when you’re with them for neglecting work.  It can help to remember that this world is far from perfect, and it’s not a reflection on your parenting (or working!) skills that you can’t get the balance right. So drop the parent guilt and go easy on yourself. Trying to find balance is hard work. Give yourself plenty of time to rest and recharge. 

Have you been dreaming of travelling to a foreign country but just not sure it’s worth it with a baby or toddler in tow? After all, you spend all that money and they might not even remember it. But the benefits of travel for children go far beyond the memories they take home. From experiencing different cultures and foods to navigating unfamiliar environments, travel gives children opportunities to learn, adapt and develop in ways that simply aren’t possible when life follows the same routine every day. Traditionally travel has always been a way of broadening the mind. As Mark Twain wrote; ‘travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.’ In the 17th and 18th century when the average person didn’t travel further than their own village, English nobles went on ‘grand tours,’ to advance their education.  Now, thanks to mass air travel and other forms of transport more and more people can enjoy the mind-expanding benefits of exploring different countries and cultures. That’s not just good for adults. There are plenty of benefits of travel for children too.  Travel exposes us to different food, and routines in the different cultures we explore. For example, In Italy and Spain people traditionally take a siesta at lunchtime and smaller shops still close till late afternoon. In Spain dinner is served late in the evening. In some parts of south East Asia people eat with chopsticks and share large dishes of food, whereas in the UK or US people tend to have their own individual dish.  These differences all contribute to the benefits of travel for children. It helps adults and children alike to be open to different ways of doing things, which teaches resilience. It also helps brain development on a more structural level.  Scientific studies have found that novelty and change are vital for healthy brain development. When the brain discovers something new it rewires and forms new neural connections; this promotes intelligence and neural plasticity which helps your brain adapt to change and different situations throughout life. Too much routine can cause learning to stagnate, and boredom to set in. A break from the usual routine could be just what’s needed to help your child’s development.  There are other benefits of travel for children that may help to facilitate their brain development. Being happy and relaxed creates the optimum environment for learning. Holidays are fantastic for this, as parents can escape the stresses of daily life, they have more attention for the kids which in turn makes them happy too.  There’s really no age restriction on travel’s ability to expand the mind, whether someone is 9 months old or 99! Older kids can learn about different cultures and practise saying hello and thank you in a different language. With younger kids just the simple fact of you being there with more concentrated attention than in regular daily life can be highly beneficial.  Here are some things you can do to optimize the benefits of travel for children.  Follow Your Child’s Lead  Relaxed time doing what a child loves is vital for ‘attachment play.’ While you might want to see the sights, factor in time for what the kids want to do. It might be just chilling at the hotel pool, or playing with their toy cars. It might not look like very much at all but doing what children love and showering them with quality 1-1 attention, is vital for development. When your child feels well-connected to you they feel safe and relaxed which is the best environment for learning.   Keep Stress to A Minimum  While change and novelty can be good for the brain, too much difference can spill over into stress and anxiety. Getting the balance right is vital to tap into the benefits of travel for children. Gently stretch them to explore new places and cuisines, but also back off it gets too much. Balance newness with chill out days for child-led play or the beach or pool.  Pack some familiar snacks from home for when their tastebuds are craving something familiar.  Balance Safety With Adventure  If a holiday was spent doing only what the kids want, it might lead to them staying in their comfort zone, doing the same things they’d do at home, and not benefiting from the newness of their environment. If you notice your child being in their comfort zone, or not being very open to explore them, then give them a little extra encouragement to dive in and try something new whether it’s a different activity, like swimming or surfing in the ocean, climbing a mountain, or trying a new food.      Why Not Hire A Babysitter on holiday?  Inevitably there’ll be times when what you want to do is at odds with what your kids need. The benefits of travel for children isn’t just about little ones having fun, but adults getting some much needed respite too.This is exactly why Tripsitta was founded; to give adults the time they need on holiday to do what they want, while knowing the kids are in safe hands. If your holiday isn’t meeting everyone’s needs for play, adventure and relaxation, then a Tripsitta babysitter could be just what you need!

Contracts, Salaries, Trial Periods, Interviews & Setting Expectations It’a an art learning how to hire a nanny, especially when welcoming someone into your home in a new country or unfamiliar environment. From defining the role and interviewing candidates to understanding salaries, contracts and trial periods, there are many important decisions to make before finding the right person for your family. For international and expat families, the process can involve additional considerations: language skills, cultural compatibility, relocation, travel requirements and understanding local employment expectations. Whether you’re hiring your very first nanny or expanding your household support, taking the time to carefully plan the recruitment process will help you build a long-lasting, positive working relationship from day one. When hiring a live-in nanny abroad, a multilingual nanny for an international household, or childcare support while relocating, this guide will walk you through the key steps to finding the right fit. Step 1: Before You Start Searching: Define Your Needs The first step in hiring a nanny is understanding exactly what your family needs. Before looking for candidates, take time to discuss what role you want your nanny to have within your household. Many unsuccessful placements happen because expectations were never clearly defined from the beginning. Consider: What responsibilities should your nanny have? Will they: Provide childcare only? Prepare children’s meals? Help with children’s laundry and organisation? Plan activities and educational experiences? Support homework? Drive children to school or activities? Travel with your family? Help with household organisation? Being specific now makes it much easier to find someone who genuinely enjoys and masters those responsibilities. What type of schedule do you need? Think about: Full-time or part-time? Live-in or live-out? Fixed hours or flexible support? Weekend availability? Overnight care? International travel? What qualifications are important for your family? Depending on your children’s ages and needs, you may prioritize: Newborn experience Sleep training knowledge Experience with multiple children Special educational needs training Teaching background First Aid certification Language skills Driver’s license Consider your parenting style A successful nanny placement depends on more than qualifications. Personality, communication style and values matter enormously. Ask yourself: Do we want someone who follows a structured routine? Montessori or Steiner philosophies? Someone independent who takes their own initiative? Someone who works closely alongside parents? Someone discreet and professional? There is no right or wrong approach—the important thing is finding someone whose style aligns with yours. Step 2: Decide How You Will Find Your Nanny Once you understand your needs, it is time to begin your search. Families typically find candidates through: Personal recommendations Local parenting groups Facebook nanny groups Job platforms Specialist nanny agencies   For international families, finding the right nanny often requires looking beyond location. Language abilities, cultural understanding, previous international experience and flexibility around travel can all become important factors. A nanny who understands your family’s background and lifestyle can make the transition into a new country significantly smoother. Recruiting independently may offer a larger pool of candidates and full control over the process, but requires families to carry out reference checks, interviews and background screening themselves. This often proves to be a time consuming, hands-on process. Working with an experienced agency reduces the amount of administration and provides additional reassurance that candidates have already been professionally vetted by someone who knows exactly what they are looking for. Step 3: Interview Candidates Carefully The interview is your opportunity to understand not only a candidate’s experience, but also their personality, values and approach to childcare. When learning how to hire a nanny successfully, remember that the right fit is about more than an impressive CV. Some useful nanny interview questions include: Career and motivation Why did you choose childcare as your career? What motivates you most about working with children? What is the most challenging aspect of your job? Experience Tell us about your previous nanny positions. What ages of children have you cared for? What responsibilities did you have? What was your longest placement? Why did your previous role end? Childcare philosophy How would you describe your approach to childcare? How do you handle boundaries and discipline? How do you respond to challenging behavior? (be spesific, ask about: tantrums, sibling conflict, refusal to eat, bedtime struggles, emergencies) Communication and teamwork How do you prefer to communicate with parents? How do you handle feedback? What does a successful relationship between parents and nanny look like to you? How have you handled any disagreements or conflicts with parents in previous work commitments? Travel and flexibility If your family travels frequently, discuss: Previous travel experience Passport requirements Availability for trips Comfort with changing environments and routines Remember that interviews are also an opportunity for candidates to assess whether your family is the right fit for them. Step 4: Check References Thoroughly Speaking with previous employers is one of the most valuable steps in the hiring process, often providing insights that cannot be gained during an interview alone. Ask former families about: the nanny’s reliability, communication style, relationship with the children, ability to work independently, initiative and organization, how they handled challenges, why the role ended, and whether they would hire them again. If you’re hiring for an international or travelling household, it’s also worth asking about their experience adapting to new cultures, travelling with families, language abilities and flexibility in unfamiliar environments. Step 5: Understanding Nanny Salaries: What Should You Expect to Pay? Salary is an important part of attracting and retaining high-quality childcare professionals. A nanny’s compensation should reflect the responsibilities, expectations and complexity of the role. In general, a position requiring greater flexibility, travels, experience or responsibility should be compensated accordingly. Factors that often influence salary include: Number and ages of children Newborn or infant care Overnight responsibilities Travel requirements Flexible or irregular schedules Live-in arrangements Household management duties Driving responsibilities Additional languages Educational background Professional childcare qualifications Specialist experience For international families, expectations around childcare responsibilities and household support may differ between countries, so it is important to clearly define the role before discussing compensation.

Travelling with picky eaters? Discover practical tips for stress free vacations, from packing familiar snacks to handling restaurant meals abroad.   Quick tips for travelling with picky eaters: Pack familiar snacks Research local restaurant menus in advance Try local cuisine before your trip  Choose child-friendly accommodation with kids options Book accommodation with a kitchen/kitchenette  Focus on keeping meals low stress Use a trusted babysitting service for those nights when you want to try somewhere exotic!  An overseas vacation can be an exciting opportunity to try new cuisine, but if your child is going through a picky phase it can end up being a stressful quest to find something they can eat.  What’s the best way to handle travelling with picky eaters?  I remember the scene vividly. Our bags had just gone through the scanner at security and the officer had searched through and extracted a small pot full of peanut butter. We were living in Switzerland at the time and my two year old daughter was very particular about the one German brand she liked. The officer weighed the pot, and found that it was 20g over the 100g limit. He refused to return it and my daughter started to cry.  I stood there not moving, having a fierce mama bear moment. I stood my ground, and the man, looking pained at my daughter’s tantrum, eventually handed the tupperware back. I was relieved that I had it returned to me – as the mother of selective eater, peanut butter was a lifeline, filling and packed with protein, spread on a rice cake or in a sandwich. It was ideal for those times when a restaurant menu didn’t cater for toddlers, or a last minute snack before bed.  As international travellers having lived in Asia and Europe, my husband and I enjoy many different cuisines. As my daughter has grown older I’ve loved seeing her palate expand beyond a few firm favourites. That doesn’t mean travel has always been easy. In fact there have been plenty of moments when I wished we’d packed more snacks, and been more prepared. There’s also other times when I wish I’d been more chilled about what she was eating when we were on holiday.  Here are a few tips I’ve picked up from a decade and a half of travelling.  Plan Meals Before Travelling With Kids  Research the area before travelling with your picky eater, making a note of any restaurants you’d like to try. Check their websites or Google maps for the menus to see if they have food that would appeal to your kids. Not all countries have kids menus, but many will offer simple options for little ones. For example most restaurants in Italy can easily whip up a pasta pomodoro.  Help Picky Eaters Try Foods Before The Vacation You might want to share the joy of new food with your kids, and help them out of their comfort zone, even if they are a little on the picky side. One thing that can help your picky eater before travelling is to try the cuisine of the country you’re going to before you visit. So head out to that Spanish Tapas bar or Japanese restaurant, and let them try something exotic while still returning to the safety of their own home.  Another tip for helping children be adventurous with food on holiday is to try cooking it at home. A number of studies have found that children are more likely to try new food if they’ve helped prepare it. Once you get to your destination a cooking class is a great opportunity for older children to feel confident trying new food.  Bring Familiar Foods For Fussy Eaters With young toddlers, you may be more focused on just getting through the day with enough snacks to keep them filled up, rather than persuading them to eat a meal in an a la Carte restaurant. When you are travelling so much is in flux; there are unfamiliar beds, new surroundings, and language. This can lead to more pickiness than normal, as children cling onto food that feels safe as a survival mechanism for being in the great unknown. It’s good to balance new food opportunities with a taste of home.  One option if you are travelling with a picky eater is to rent an Airbnb or a hotel with a kitchenette so you can easily prepare food you know your kids will like. Or packing snacks to balance out what’s available on the restaurant menus.  Use the local supermarket for easy kids’ snacks  In a foreign country just going to the supermarket can be an adventure. This can be an opportunity for kids to pick out what they’d like. While they might beg for candy they might also see a new fruit they’d like to try, or an old familiar favourite. Supermarkets are great for getting stocked up on snacks for when mealtimes aren’t a huge success. Fruit and raw veg are ideal as they’re nutritious, and can be eaten any time, anywhere. Snacking cheeses or yoghurt are filling and can be stored in the hotel fridge. Nuts and crackers are great for when you’re out and about so a sightseeing tour isn’t derailed by a hungry child.  Restaurant tips for travelling with picky eaters  Ordering something your child has never tried before can be a recipe for disaster. One safer option is to choose a bunch of appetisers. They are good for small appetites, and also so everyone can choose what they want without the pressure to eat something they don’t like. If you’re travelling somewhere like Asia, then this can be a great stress free option as all the dishes are shared so people can just pick what they fancy. You could model trying a bit of each other’s food, which can encourage kids to experiment. One time at a Thai restaurant my daughter tried Pad Thai, so she knew for next time that she liked it.  Keep Calm and Carry on

In our increasingly globalized & digitalized world, more and more families are choosing to move across borders and settle in countries away from their families and broader networks. Living abroad is always an incredible adventure – new cultures, multiple languages, international schools & global opportunities, all appealing for the modern family seeking expansion and growth.  While this international lifestyle is all very rewarding, it often also involves frequent travel, changing schedules, multilingual households and frequent transitions. For many expat families, a nanny is not simply practical support; they are a key component of creating a stabilizing presence in the family and home. At Tripsitta, we specialize in helping expat and international families hire multilingual career nannies across Europe. We find that beyond experience, successful nannies obtain discretion, flexibility & cultural intelligence as their core qualities.  Read: Our Permanent Nanny Services Benefits of Hiring a Career Nanny Abroad Children living abroad often experience frequent change. New homes, new schools, unfamiliar languages and shifting routines become part of everyday life.  A professional international nanny is experienced in establishing stability, emotional security and consistency – helping children feel safe and supported no matter where in the world they are, providing: Predictable routines and structure Emotional reassurance & safety during transitions Engaging and educational activities Cultural integration & practical language lessons When relocating abroad with children, childcare becomes far more than a matter of organizing day to day life. More importantly, internationally experienced nannies often help children feel confident navigating life between cultures. Top Qualities to Look Out for When Hiring a High Quality Nanny as an Expat While experience and qualifications are important, a truly exceptional nanny is someone who can integrate naturally into family life while remaining highly professional, adaptable, and emotionally intelligent. After years matching high-profile families with top-tier nannies, this is what we look for in an elite nanny: Genuine warmth and care for children This will always be at the top of our list- a great nanny is naturally nurturing and genuinely invested in supporting a child’s happiness, development, and well-being. Trustworthiness, discretion, and professionalism Inviting someone into your most intimate space requires trust, and a skill in navigating professionalism and discretion in every situation Strong judgment and calm decision-making Professional nannies are often required to make decisions independently and handle situations calmly and responsibly Clear and open communication skills Honest and proactive communication helps build a strong and trusting relationship between parents and nanny. Reliability, punctuality, and consistency Children thrive on routine, making consistency and dependability essential qualities in childcare. Cultural sensitivity and adaptability Experienced international nannies understand how to integrate respectfully into multicultural households and different parenting styles & are highly adaptable and comfortable navigating different cultures and environments Confidence navigating travel and international lifestyles Expat families travel a lot – make sure the nanny you hire has extensive experience in international travels either professionally or personal Independence and practical problem-solving abilities A skilled nanny can confidently manage day-to-day logistics, think proactively, and stay organized. Read to learn more about our recruitment process: More Than a CV: How We Select Our Trusted Babysitters for Travelling Families Here at Tripsitta, we expertly match modern, international families with exceptional childcare professionals – from career live-in nannies to an organized and round-the-clock rota placement. We believe that each placement is rooted in mutual understanding, collaboration & a shared commitment to nurturing the future generations.