Childcare, WTF?

We're wrapping this season with everyone's favorite: another Trenches Episode! WTF is with all the bodily fluids? and WTF is with the parents fighting in front of sitters? This week we tell stories from sitters and what THEY have experienced in their own trenches. From chasing down money, to more poop, to driving dads to work -- it's another wild ride.  Let's Party! _______________ Want to send us...

WTF do I do when I need a sitter on vacation or while traveling? Is this actually a thing? How do I find someone to watch my kid in a city that I don't even know?! How does it work? This week Tori and Eric talk about how to book a vacation babysitter. Where to find them, where to start, how to prep, and what you need to share and talk about (with yourselves too!) in order to make this work. Pro-ti...

WTF is the deal with grandparents in childcare? It seems like they are either a huge help or a point of family contention. How do we navigate this relationship in a way that works across generations? Well we're here with a real-life grandpa ... and it's Eric's dad! Tori and Eric sit down with Eric's dad, Bob, to talk about how parenting and grandparenting has changed through the generations, what...

Why TF is reading to children so important? And what is the point of reading to a baby that doesn't know what I'm saying? WTF is the difference between me reading to my kid, or my kid listening to a book on a tablet? We had the extreme pleasure and privilege of speaking with Dr. Mariana Glusman and Cindy Ogrin of Reach out and Read Illinois , about why reading to children of all ages is so importa...

Who TF is Tori, and how did Super Sitters become a thing? What is Tori's background that led her to this crazy childcare agency life, and does anyone remember those giant waffle blocks? This week, friend of the WTF Pod Mo Phillps-Spotts interviews Tori about her childcare journey, her fave snack foods, her go-to rainy day activities, and where she thinks the world of childcare is headed. We do thi...

How is childcare different for a family with an autistic child? What are the different needs, or unique factors that go into a childcare conversation?  Today we talk to the rock star human, and mom to Max, @melmcsherry. Mel talks openly and candidly about their specific experience raising an autistic child, and what childcare looked like for them. She shares her pet peeves, and personal experience...

WTF is actually going on out on those big sites? How much work does it take to sign up? Are they actually a viable option as corporate backup? and who is regulating this stuff? Wild ride today y'all. Tori actually signs up as a sitter on a big site DURING the recording of the episode to see what it's like and how long it takes - tune in to see what happens, and if Tori & Eric's guesses were correc...

WTF is the solution to event childcare? Why is it important? How does it make things more inclusive? Why should events have childcare if not everyone has kids? This week Tori and Eric discuss the importance of childcare at events, corporate outings, or anywhere where adults need to attend but kids can't (or don't want to). They break down how event successes could hinge on this very thing, and how...

Tori and Eric are joined by their hilarious friend, comedian and teacher, Jessica Antes. Jessica has taught comedy improv and writing to kids of all ages and she share her stories about what makes improv such a valuable tool for kids (and adults!). They discuss the power of connection, teamwork and how to help kids to not "lose their light" as they get older. Let's Party. Second City Kids Classes...

WTF does it look like to have your childcare living in your house? How does it work? Does this mean they are working 24/7? (spoiler, NO they aren't) This week Tori and Eric talk to Jesse Zeidman, a childcare provider that has worked in multiple roles with kids, has worked in childcare agencies, and now as a live-in nanny! She shares the ins and outs, what works, and why boundaries (and communicati...

WTF is the deal with the free passes dads get around their equal involvement in the house? WTF can we do about the dads who "can't do bedtime" (that's real, someone really said that!)? This week Tori and Eric get real about dads and they can do to be more equal partners, more open about what they don't know and more accepting of the ways they can step up. There is a lot to be learned and unlearned...

WTF does a childcare agency actually DO all day? What happens to make things busy? What are the day to day things, and what are people actually paying for? This week Tori and Eric break down what work a childcare agency actually does, what work you pay an agency to do, and what 'childcare expertise' actually means. They go over the nitty gritty of how a family and sitter get accepted to the roster...

Childcare, and therefore its agencies, are not taken seriously - WTF is that about? WHy is excellence expected, but not with a price tag? Why do people think they can barter in this industry? This is a pet peeve episode folks, and Tori and Eric break down an over-arching problem surrounding childcare: that is is not treated with the same respect that is expected from it. This is full of rants, soa...

WTF is the best way to bring music to our childcare? What if I can't sing or play an instrument? And how can we avoid falling into this traditional gender roles at home and challenge ourselves as dads to step up? This week we are joined by the voice of our very own podcast jingle - Ben Piper. Ben talks about his life as a husband a father of a little one and how his life has changed, how he got hi...

WTF do we LOVE about working with kids? WTF is the parenting-hype about? Why do people choose childcare as a job? And aren't we always saying how hard it is? What's to love? SO MUCH TO LOVE.  This week is a heartwarming, sweet, funny, and simply sunshine-filled episode about all of the reasons people LOVE working with, and being with kids. We talk a lot about how and why it's hard, but YOU our lis...

WTF has to happen to find your own forever nanny? Where do you look? What needs to happen to make it work? Is it magic? This week Tori and Eric talk to the (mentioned on this show mannnny times already) Super Sitter legend, Maryann. Maryann goes over the standard Sitter 10 Qs, but also talks about her long-time relationship with the same family for over a decade (and still going strong), and how t...

WTF kind of convos do we need to be having BEFORE the kids come into the picture? What foundation of communcation is ideal? Can you even plan for this stuff? Tori and Eric talk with Marissa Freeman this week, who gets honest and vulnerable about the communicaiton building, the conversations she wants to have before, and IF she will even have kids. How to answer that awful question (that should NOT...

Some well deserved high fives and kudos going out this week to everyone from the poopy-butt wipers, to the teachers with allllll the patience. You may even hear about yourself in this one. *heads up* This is a very f-bomb filled episode this week -- you've been warned! After guests have come on to gush on Tori and Super Sitters, T&E thought it was time to pay this back to ALLLLL the people working...

You are in for a WTF treat today! Our special guest is a former Super Sitter, a current Super Family, and an all around super human. She is beautifully honest and vulnerable, and this is an awesome convo.  Caeleigh talks to Tori and Eric today about the best (and not best) moments of parenting so far, what she loves, how it's changed her, and how she makes it all work with two under two (spoiler a...

WTF is the best way to leverage FB groups for childcare or for finding childcare jobs? Is it safe? How do I know if the people are legit or not? How are FB groups different than booking through an agency? This week Eric and Tori cover the taboo topic of finding childcare in big online groups. Yes it can be safe, yes it can be a legit way to do it, but there is more work than just making a post! Jo...

Re-Release *Originally aired on 9/25/23* WTF is happening out there with the dads and the childcare? WhyTF do people find 'useless dads/husbands' funny ( spoiler alert, we do NOT)? A nd how TF do we solve this responsibility and expectation imbalance? This week Tori and Eric tackle the dad convo for the first time and ooooohheeee it's a big one. The focus is dads and childcare -- they discuss why...

(Re-release) *Originally aired 8/7/23* Instagram:   www.instagram.com/chicagosupersitters Facebook:  www.facebook.com/chicagosupersitters TikTok:   www.tiktok.com/@the_superchannel Website:   www. ChicagoSuperSitters.com  OR  www. SuperScreeners.com   Follow, like, and share this podcast on: Apple Podcasts and on Spotify Cover Art:  Emily Lonigro @emilyslonigro Theme music by:  Ben Piper @btpipes

WTF is the deal with date nights? Why are they SO hard to make happen? How do people afford to do date nights all the time? Are date nights really that big a deal? (spoiler alert, yes they are!).   This week Tori and Eric jump into the yearly tradition of making a Date Night Resolution for the new year. We all want to make it happen, but HOW?! They are so hard to schedule, find someone to babysit,...

Super Sitter Legend, Evelyn Brown, is not only a long-time sitter, the biggest Beyonce fan on the planet, and one of the most favorite Super Sitters ever to be on the roster, she is also just one of the coolest humans ever with a Super Sitter status named after her (nbd). This week Tori and Eric get to talk to Evelyn all about the 10-Sitter-Questions, including her own 'Tales from the Trenches' (T...

WTF do you give to the adults in your kid's life? Are gifts required? What about for a full-time nanny versus a part-time babysitter versus a teacher? Do sitters have to give gifts to the families? What do childcare providers REALLY want and  what do they throw in the trash ?  WE HAVE THE SCOOP!   This week Tori and Eric go through the MANY responses we got from teachers, nannies, Super Sitters, a...