Angel Sanna's babysitting storyShe babysits kids aged 2 to 4

Sanna Hogenbirk has been a Babysitting Angel for Charly Cares since 2019. Back then, she had just started her studies in Leiden and thereby lost her old babysitting addresses. Through Charly Cares, she was immediately able to start babysitting again in her new hometown. She is currently in the first year of the PABO and in her spare time she loves to sing, dance, and meet up with friends.

Why did you choose to start babysitting through Charly Cares?

“Babysitting through Charly Cares has always been very flexible and easy to plan. It's also super nice that all the money matters are arranged automatically, so that I can really focus on filling out my calendar. Finally, working with children is my ambition, so I like that I can really get some more relevant work experience in addition to my studies.”

What do you like about babysitting toddlers?

“I really like that children at that age still live in some sort of magical world. They have a great capacity for empathy and a huge imagination, and I love interacting with that. I really enjoy going along with the fantasy and creating a whole world for them. I also love singing and dancing with the kids. They don't have any idea how to do so 'properly', so they sing and dance along free of any embarrassment.

I also think putting the children to bed is a good challenge for me. Every child has a different 'bedtime routine' and I kind of make it into a sport to familiarise myself with the routine as quickly as possible. I think it's very important to end the day on a high note, especially at that age.”

Do you prefer to babysit during the day or at night, and why?

“Because I'm usually quite busy with my studies, I really like having the ability to combine babysitting with that. That's why I prefer to babysit at night. You still have that great moment of eating dinner together and putting the kids to bed, but you still have some time to prepare your internship assignments for the following day.

What I like best about babysitting during the day is all the activities. I especially love going outside with the kids. There will often be a nice playground in the area, but I enjoy going out into nature with the kids even more. Through my studies, I know quite a few interesting games that you can play in nature that are fun for the kids but from which they can also learn something. When I come back home with the kids at the end of the afternoon, they can tell their parents about all the new things they've learned. Then it really feels like my job babysitting has been a success.”

What has been your favourite babysitting experience?

“My favourite babysitting experience happened quite recently. I knew that one of the kids was crazy about 'Frozen'. I searched my own attic quite thoroughly and came across a super cute Elsa dress. During the babysitting service, we had a super big 'Frozen' party together. It started with us dressing up in our Elsa dresses, painting our faces, and putting on our wigs. Of course, this also included the necessary accessoires. We made them ourselves from paper (along with all the other decorations to make the house as 'Frozen' as possible). After that, we busied ourselves practicing all the songs with matching dances. After all that hard work, we sat down exhausted on the couch together to watch the movie it was all about. Of course, with some matching homemade themed snacks! After we had cleaned everything up together, the parents came in super happy. They saw at a glance how much fun we had had together. Now every time I come by, she asks if I brought my wig again. Who knows, maybe when frozen 3 comes around ;-)”

Meet our other Angels!

Read why Babysitting Angel Kimberley likes babysitting at fixed times. Or learn what Angel Valerie likes best about babysitting. Want to share your babysitting story with us? Let us know!

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