Third of parents ‘don’t trust’ babysitters

Jan. 31, 2011 - PRLog -- The UK’s leading discount and voucher code website, http://www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk conducted a survey into the attitudes British parents have towards babysitters, and how comfortable they feel leaving their children with family members or babysitters. 1,829 parents were subsequently polled.



The study, conducted by http://www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, has found that more than a fifth, 21%, of the parents asked  felt ‘uncomfortable’ leaving their children with babysitters; of whom the majority, 41%, ‘check in’ with the babysitter ‘frequently’ throughout the time they are caring for their child.



The parents who had used a babysitter in the past were asked what lengths they had gone to in order to keep an eye on them whilst they were out, if any. 1 respondent stated that they have previously ‘filmed’ their babysitter, without their knowledge, whilst they were minding their child.



According to the results from http://www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, two thirds, 66%, of the parents polled ‘prefer’ to leave their children with family members or friends, rather than with a babysitter. When asked to stipulate why this was the case, the majority, 38%, stated it was because of the ‘familiarity’ the child has with a family member.  



The study by http://www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk also found that a tenth, 9%, of the respondents ‘never’ leave their child with a person that isn’t a family member or friend, a quarter of which, 27%, said it was ‘fear’ that stopped them from doing so.



When the respondents were asked ‘Do you trust babysitters (i.e. anyone who isn’t a family member or a friend)?’ over a third, 34%, answered ‘no’ whilst 11% answered ‘yes’. The remaining 55% of respondents said that it ‘depends on the babysitter’.



Andy Cole, parenting expert at http://www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, commented on the findings:



“Leaving a child with another person when going out socially can leave a parent feeling guilty and I definitely think that this guilt can be shown in the form of distrust towards the babysitter. It is a big decision to leave your child with another person, especially when they are at a young age. If you don’t trust the person, or feel uneasy around them, I would not advise hiring them to care for your child.”



He continued:



“Going out and socialising is important for a parent; it gives them a break away from the kids and make them feel calmer and more relaxed. I would suggest using the opportunity in a positive way and allow the child to bond with a grandparent or aunty/uncle. If it is a struggle to arrange a family member or friend and there is a need to hire a professional, simply ask for references and call once or twice to check things are going smoothly in your absence.”



ENDS



LINK: http://www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk.



For more information please contact Charlotte Horsfall of 10 Yetis Public Relations on charlotte@10yetis.co.uk or 01452348211.



Editor’s Notes



Mark Pearson, Chairman of MyVoucherCodes.co.uk is a regular media contributor regarding online shopping and the credit crunch. At 29, his personal worth is more than £30 million.



Mark was previously a trainee chef working for Gordon Ramsay at Claridges, London.



MyVoucherCodes has had sales exceeding £481m in the last year.



Consumer savings on online shopping via MyVoucherCodes.co.uk up from £28m in 2008 to £52m in 2009.



MyVoucherCodes is the UK’s most popular discount site