Today we get to acknowledge the people who offer the essential service of caring for our children on Babysitter Day, which happens every Saturday before Mother’s Day. Babysitters, nannies, or au pairs have been in business since the 19th century when it was suggested that the word “sit”, in this context, originated from hens caring for the eggs by “sitting” on them.
Early in my teaching career I remember Richard Tulloch coming to visit our school. He was hugely entertaining and such a good storyteller. One of his stories at the time was Being Bad for the Babysitter. The students loved it and often wrote their own versions of this story with them doing awful things to the babysitter.
Nearly every childhood series of picture books has a version highlighting babysitting. See:
• Arthur Babysits
• Llama Llama Meets the Babysitter
• Fancy Nancy and the Sensational Babysitter
• Max and Ruby and the Babysitting Squad
• Peppa Pig Babysitting
• Clarice Bean Guess Who's Babysitting?
• Pinkalicious and the Babysitter
• Heidi Heckelbeck is the Bestest Babysitter!
• Ivy and Bean Take Care of the Babysitter
My favourite babysitting book from a series though has to be this one - An Evening at Alfie's when Alfie and Annie Rose are being babysat by neighbour, Maureen and the house leaks during a downpour.
Here's some stand alones:
• Jake and the Babysitter by Simon James
• That Bear Can't Babysit by Ruth Quayle
• Don't Eat the Babysitter by Nick Ward
• Pirates Don't Babysit by Melinda Long
• Go to Sleep or I Let Loose the Leopard by Steve Cole
• Don't Forget to Come Back! by Robie Harris & Harry Bliss
And the ultimate babysitter? Mary Poppins 
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