I wanted to make two suggestions for new words,
#1) BabySitter = Carent (as in Care and Parent)
#2) BabySittees = NannyBuds (as in Nanny's Buddies)
NannyBuds might have the best chance of catching on since "Nano" seems to be in fashion now?
WhadYa think?
John Henry
as i was listening to the show yesterday i had a flood of thoughts on names that could be good for a baby sitter who becomes more of a family member but is not at liberty to name themselves as such (as the caller stated in her call)
the phrase or title that sat with me over night was
a full name friend
this goes back to my childhood when we grew up in an ethnically diverse neighborhood and everyone had a hard name to pronounce for little kids. One of my friends parents came up with the idea that we call all the parents by their first name + the title of Mr or Mrs .. this always stuck with me and was a better way to be friends with our friends parents and broke down some barriers of uncomfortableness that can be found between parents and kids (that are not their own) so my mom instead of being Mrs Santovin became Mrs Cathy which for most kids was way easier. In turn we had some great parent/kid friendships that last to this very day
So as the caller stated they called her by her full name and I thought that was nice; its respectful but friendly .. just my thoughts
I have called my non-relative charges "younglings." It's affectionate. It applies familiarity, but not familiality. It also sounds a bit possessive, yet less formal than "charge."
I think Katherine Watson should call those kids her "puppies," I think people would understand the special significance
of your relationship and its a cute term of affection/endearment. Besides, you'd have to know em pretty well to call them dogs.
Sorry for posting in wrong spot-i'm new to site.
Babysitters and KIBs (Kids I Babysit), of course.