Childcare, WTF?

WTF is with the chaos of the holidays? Can we avoid it? Can Tori just craft and hot-glue-gun her way through the stress? How do we manage it, how do we keep the kids busy, not make ourselves TOO busy, and how to we manage it all without going completely F'in nuts? This week Tori and Eric dive head first into holiday conversation about how not to 'should' all over yourself, how to focus on WANTS, a...

WTF is the best way to prep for family Thanksgiving with kids? How do you handle the requests for hugs & kisses from relatives when the kids don't want to? How do you manage the kids in other people's (antique-filled) homes? And how can you get the kids to eat more than potatoes? This week Tori and Eric talk about alllllll the ways to get ready for this big holiday whether you are hosting or trave...

Tori and Eric are back to discuss WTF happened in our Best Childcare movie poll! The duo went back and re-watched all three selections and they have some thoughts, from messy houses to incredible 80's attire. Join us as we announce your winner (with a special side note about the importance of voting), and chat about how childcare is reflected in these movies, some questionable parenting and all of...

WTF do you do with kids during a wedding? Is it 'allowed' to have a kid-free wedding? What's the best way to manage the kids at a wedding? What are the pros and cons of both options? This week Tori and Eric are joined by Jenni Feeney, the super power behind Super Weddings at Chicago Super Sitters. They talk about different options, Eric and Jenni's own weddings and the solutions they used, and why...

WTF is the "okay way" to scare a kid? Can it really boost their confidence? What is "too scary too soon"? and WTF is the obsession with laughing at frightened children?  This Halloween week Tori and Eric talk about their thoughts on scaring kids - what's okay, what's not, and why it's important to listen when they say they're scared. How do you get your kid to love spooky stuff like you do without...

This week is a fun one! We debate - WTF is the best movie about childcare? Tori and Eric discuss movies about childcare from our own childhoods, what we remember about them and how they impacted us, discuss the different categories of these movies, and ultimately debate what is the best movie about childcare ever made. Vote now for your favorite on Spotify or on Instagram @chicagosupersitters Let'...

WTF is the struggle bus? and how do we get OFF of it? Why is asking for help SO HARD? What do we do when things are TOO F-ing much? Why is our instinct to power through solo as parents and as humans? Tori is on the struggle bus this week and instead of powering through an episode pretending everything is fine, they did an episode about it ( while the ceiling is literally about to come down ). This...

WTF happens to friendship when one of you has a kid and the other one doesn't? How does the friendship change?  Who's needs are more important in the relationship? What needs to happen to maintain the friendship (if you even want to)?  As friends, one with a kid and one without, Tori and Eric really party hard on this conversation. They touch on a LOT here - why its hard for both parties, what nee...

WTF do you do with your sitter booking if there is sickness in your house? WTF do you say when it's a cold but isn't sick-sick? and WTF is the best practice here for sitters AND families?! Tori and Eric talk all things sickness this week -- how to handle it, what to ask, what a pickle it is when you HAVE to work, but you also have a sick kid, and what is acceptable and expected when you work with...

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 dad/partner-participation (or lacktherof)...

So you've booked your first babysitter, WTF happens now? How do you prepare? What should you have ready? How do you not freak out? This week Tori and Eric talk through the process of having a babysitter for the very first time. They discuss tips and tricks, what the actual process will look like, what to have ready, and that it is totally okay (and normal!) to be nervous. They give your anxiety al...

Morgan Phillips-Spotts is a long-time Super Sitter, an entrepreneur, an improviser, and she not only gives us some 3 Little Pigs advice, but also shares how she maintains a 4 on the WTF scale (like HOW?) Join Tori and Eric this week as they talk to Morgan about Super Sitting, her business, and her most outrageous WTF kid moments. She tells T&E a story that almost laughed them out of their charis....

WTF questions do you all have for us? Like who is Eric and WTF is he doing on this pod? WTF does Tori love nachos so much ( context here )? and should dads ever drive sitters home? For this holiday Monday, Tori and Eric answer the questions YOU sent in -- childcare questions and personal questions! Also, poor Dennis takes one for the dad-team (sorry Dennis) and Tori gets a little soap-boxy about t...

WTF does it look like to try and work from home with your kids and your childcare in the next room? Is this possible? Will a sitter/nanny work like this?  This is a major convo, especially after Covid, and we are happy to say that this week we have answers to the problem!  Going back to work can be tough anyway, but add a screaming infant and someone else caring for your kid in the next room? Woof...

WTF do we do about after school care? Why is it such a mess? How the F do I make it work and keep my job? How do other families solve for it? This is another big episode talking about a BIG problem, facing a lot of families. This week Tori and Eric talk about how big this problem actually is, WHY it exits (lookin' at you white patriarchy!) , and what we can do to solve for it until the really big...

WTF does it mean to work with an agency? How does an agency work and WTF do they actually do? What are the pros and cons? Tori and Eric dig into a lot of things in this episode including sidewalk bongs, being okay with overwhelm, and also (obvi) the agency stuff. What does an agency actually DO in this process? How can an agency help in a search and could you DIY? What are the reasons NOT to work...

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WTF does it take to become a favorite sitter or nanny for a family? How do you make a good first impression when you have 15 minutes to get them to know and trust you? This week Tori and Eric talk about the (easy ways) to be very impressive as a sitter, how going into a new sitting gig can SO much like an audition (helllloo theatre degrees!), and how 'reading the room' can go a long way (read: par...

WTF does it look like to be a household that sitters want to come back to? How do you create a bench of favorite sitters that will also call you a favorite family ?  This week Tori and Eric talk about what sitters really think about working homes, what makes them want to come back again and again, and what is one question that will make Tori lose her shiz and rendered Eric speechless ? Join us for...

WTF is the difference between a sitter, a nanny, and daycare? and WTF is best for my family? WTF should I choose?   In our kickoff episode, Tori and Eric discuss WTF we are doing with this podcast, miscellaneous interactions with Blago, and WTF are the differences between the many childcare options open to families!? We also really say the f-word instead of just the letter (that's just for title!)...

Welcome to Childcare, WTF -- a podcast breaking down all the BS surrounding the childcare world, with none of the mom-group-parent shaming. A place for real, funny, supportive, helpful conversations, with a lot of swear words thrown in. Hosted by Tori Ulrich, long-time owner of Chicago Super Sitters - one of the top childcare agencies in Chicago, and Eric Burgher, a new-ish dad who is navigating p...