Child Care Definitons

Confused?

Do you need a babysitter or a mother's helper? How is an au pair different than a nanny? What the heck does a doula do anyway? If you're always been a little confused about your child care choices, use this handy list to help sort through those details.

BABYSITTER

Babysitters are part-time child care providers that work either in your home or occasionally out of their own home. Babysitters usually work less than 20 hours a week for an hourly rate and don't identify child care as their major profession. Babysitters can range in age from 11-90, though you'll only find sitters aged 18 and up on Sittercity.com.

MOTHER'S HELPER

Mothers' helpers are babysitters in training. They are just like babysitters except that the parent is in the house while the helper is watching the kids. This is an excellent option if you are just getting used to using child care, want some uninterrupted time to get extra work done or want to give a babysitter a trial period before leaving her to fend for herself against your... precious angels.

NANNY

A nanny works more than 20 hours in a week, lives inside your home or travels to it daily, and receives a weekly salary. Nannies generally consider themselves to be full-time care providers. They should be reported to the IRS and are considered employees of your home. Nannies can be wonderful additions to a household and can be like a favorite aunt or uncle to your kids.

MANNY

A male nanny. Some "mannies" consider the term derogatory, so be sensitive to this sentiment, especially in the presence of a male child care provider.

AU PAIR

An au pair is a foreign adult between the ages of 18 and 26 who comes to the United States to live with and work for an American family as a primary caregiver. In exchange, the au pair receives room and board, and a small monetary allowance. An au pair is treated as another family member and typically stays with an American family for one to two years. (Different countries have different regulations and programs.)

DOULA

Doulas are specially trained labor assistants that help mothers prepare for a birth and can help during the actual birthing process. Doulas that are especially helpful are postpartum doulas, who come in after you return from the hospital to handle a baby's night feedings, change diapers and more.