Interview: Find Your Holiday Nanny with Tripsitta

Booking a holiday nanny can be a great idea if you're looking to have a relaxing and stress-free vacation. It can be difficult to find a reliable babysitter when you're in another country away from your neighborhood. However, there's no need to worry. Even while on vacation, you can book a reliable babysitter with Tripsitta. In this interview, we asked Emmy Yoshida, the founder of Tripsitta, everything you need to know before booking a babysitter.

When and why were Tripsitta created?

I created Tripsitta because as a mum who loves to travel, I know how difficult it can be to find trustworthy, reliable childcare when me and my kids are on the move. The idea came to me after spending the summer in Tuscany and Florence with my son, who was 5 years old at the time.

I was a single mother at that time, and after a month of travelling and exploring Tuscany alone with my son, I really needed a bit of a break! It was almost impossible to find a babysitter - the only options were the concierge of the 5 star hotel which was very expensive and I felt uncomfortable knowing nothing about who would be babysitting my son - or the holiday apartment manager who knew of a girl - but again I had no idea if she could speak English and felt anxious not knowing anything about her.

I decided not to get a babysitter on that trip, but the idea was born, and when I moved to Italy later that year with my son, I started International Babysitters - an agency specialising in organising childcare for travelling families. Fast forward to today -  I have now been running my childcare agency for 7 years, my son is now 13 and I have a daughter who is almost 2 years old.

I launched Tripsitta - the agency's travel childcare platform just over a year ago as it has always been my dream to create a platform for parents that gives them full control over their childcare wherever they travel.

Booking one of our fully-vetted and experienced nannies with Tripsitta is quick and easy - the service is a necessity for many families who are often away for work, going to an event like a wedding or who simply want to enjoy some aspects of their vacation that their children can't enjoy as they are too young - or don't want to! Why go all the way to Rome, if exploring the Vatican with your toddler is going to be a stressful experience? Why go to Paris if you can't enjoy at least one dinner in one of the amazing restaurants with your partner? We aim to make the experience fun for children too, so parent's can fully relax. Travelling with your children can be so rewarding and such an enriching experience for the whole family, but let's face it, it's sometimes hard work and tiring for parents and kids! We aim to make travel more fun for the whole family.

How does Tripsitta differ from other babysitter services?

Myself and our recruitment team have either worked in childcare or are parents - so we know what it takes to be a great babysitter! We look for sitters who have a minimum three years of childcare experience, people who we would trust to look after our own children or nieces, nephews or grandkids. We aim to provide as many languages as possible - to cater to the needs of the many international families who book with us and we provide all of the details we can for families so they can choose their favourite babysitter. We are completely transparent - our babysitter's all have individual profiles which display their references and reviews - as well as a welcome video and description of themselves and their experience. We cover many top European destinations, with more being added all the time.

Families can book online very easily, either directly on the Tripsitta website or by contacting our team. My goal is to make finding quality childcare easy and accessible, as it is so important!

Could you please briefly explain how it works?

To book childcare on Tripsitta there are four very easy steps -

Firstly - choose whether you want to book a babysitter by the hour / or a vacation nanny for several days or more who will work 8+ hour per day and often stay with your family while you travel.

Then select dates and times on the website and the location. Choose your favourite Tripsitter based on their availability, skills, language and who you feel will be the best fit for your family.

You then make a booking request . Once it has been accepted by your Tripsitter and our team, you just need to make payment to secure the booking. The you will have your Tripsitter's contact details and can speak with them directly to arrange everything you need to. For holiday nanny bookings families must also provide accommodation (unless the Tripsitter in question already lives in the location they will be staying in,) travel expenses and food for their nanny.

What kind of activities/ services do your babysitters offer?

This very much depends on the family, their preferences and the ages of the children. Babytting can take place at the family's accommodation or babysitters can also take children to visit places, like parks, play centre or come and accompany families on excursions to be an extra set of hands for parents. The babysitters aim to have fun with the children and be as much help as possible for mum and dad.

How do you match families and babysitters? Do parents can choose the babysitter they want?

The beauty of Tripsitta is that families can choose their preferred nanny at the click of a button, but our team can also give guidance and assist depending on the family's preference.

Which locations are you offering your service? Do you have plans to expand your service area?

We now offer babysitting by the hour in the following locations - London, Paris, Rome, Milan, Como, Florence, Tuscany, Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Seville, Ibiza - with more destinations to come soon!

If you need a holiday nanny to stay and travel with your family you can choose from any of our available Tripsitta nannies who can join you as a full time nanny anywhere in Europe and beyond!

What tips would you give to parents traveling with small children?

Be as prepared as possible - arm yourself with snacks, drinks, and take a selection of toys that are small and easy to carry. I usually take a couple of books for bedtime stories and some little toys - peppa pig figurines or cars, depending on what your child likes. I bought a fantastic montessori book with lots of fiddly things inside to play with on the plane for my little one - felt numbers and letters, buckles and straps. Uno or something similar for bigger kids.

Also save a few episodes of their favourite cartoon or show on your phone for when they get really antsy - waiting in the queue to  board a plane for example. I do try to avoid screen time usually but in emergency situations it can be helpful! Always have a change of clothes in case of spills, and take a baby carrier if you have an infant - the walk to collect the baggage at the airport from the plane is long and hard without one when carrying a baby.

And of course, my final tip - remember the holiday is also a time for you to relax too - treat yourself to a bit of me-time while you are on vacation and book a babysitter with Tripsitta so you can enjoy some of the things you want to do, nothing worse than coming back from a vacation with your children and feeling like you need another vacation to recover! Enjoy every moment - remember it's never going to be perfect but if you can laugh together at the challenges you face while travelling and take the tantrums and other difficult moments in your stride then you will have a wonderful, memorable experience and lots of quality time with your children that hopefully they will remember forever.

What are your favorite child-friendly destinations and why?

I love city destinations, as I feel they have so much to offer for kids. London or Paris - for example, which are full of child-friendly museums and tours that children will enjoy. Your kids can explore, take in culture and memorable sights, like the Eiffel Tower and play in beautiful parks.

But equally, being in nature with children is the best - by the seaside or in the countryside. You can't beat a day at the beach with a bucket and spade or camping. I love exploring Italy with my children - although not always the easiest to navigate with a stroller, walking up hills etc, but Italian people generally love children and are very understanding. I loved the beach holiday in Cornwall in England with my son, wonderful beaches and countryside.

However my favourite place I have taken my children to so far is Japan - what a great experience it was for them - both my teenage son and toddler. So much to see! I think, wherever you go, there is fun to be had for children, just do your research and for big cities like Tokyo, some things need to be booked way in advance - we missed out on some things we wanted to do because we didn't book. At the end of the day - children are easily pleased, they just want to have fun, and play and they can do that anywhere! I really believe travel is a wonderful gift we can give our children that creates lasting memories.