Babysitting Uber-Style - The Next Great Idea or an SNL Parody?

At a holiday party on Saturday, my husband and I spoke to a number of other couples who like us, regularly struggle to find sitters who:

- Are available on short notice,
- don't charge a small fortune 
- are capable of getting the kids to bed by a decent hour,
- clean up after themselves if they make a mess,
- and who have a way of getting home that preferably doesn't involve us driving them

We agreed that sometimes it makes sense to pay more for a sitter: if we're going to an all day wedding or an overnight trip and want someone extra responsible and competent. However, sometimes when you just need a warm body to sit in the house for a few hours after your kids are already asleep, it seems ridiculous to pay $20+ for that skill. 

Jim and I took an Uber X to and from the party which got me thinking. Someone (i.e. me) needs to create and copyright SitUber. (Not to be confused with Sit Ubu Sit.)

SitUber* (*Patent, uh, pending) is a babysitting service that will provide you and your family sitters with various levels by age, education and skill based on both your personal and financial needs. As a tie in, an Uber car service can be provided, if needed, 

At the Platinum Level ($25 an hour), families get a sitter who possesses a master's degree in Early Childhood Education, brings her own educational toys, ensures homework is completed, is certified in CPR and Babysitting, is a clean freak, and can control kids behavior with just "a look," Think SuperNanny. 

At the Gold Level ($18 an hour), families get a college student majoring in Psychology, who doesn't have a boyfriend, knows the words to most the nursery rhymes, and makes an excellent pasta with meat sauce. There's a chance she'll critique your parenting based on what she's studied in Child Psych 101 and throw around phrases like "attachment parenting" and suggest alternative discipline styles to the one you are using. She'll take very good care of the kids and your house will actually look cleaner than when you left it. Think your boss's smart, super-confident daughter who goes to Dartmouth.

At the Silver Level ($13 an hour), families get a high school student who lives in the neighborhood and received pretty good reviews from your other neighbors. She is involved in lots of activities so she may not be easy to schedule since everyone in the neighborhood wants her and let's the kids stay up a little later than their bedtime. However, she will make sure they brush their teeth and she knows all the lyrics to every Taylor Swift song ever made which your kids will love. She makes a mean mac and cheese though probably won't clean up after herself. Think your daughter's soccer assistant from the local high school who recently got her license but her car is in the shop because she got into a tiny tiny fender bender which was "totally not her fault." 

At the Bronze Level ($12 an hour) families get a middle-schooler with braces whose parents are home "just in case." You'll have to teach her how to diaper your child and remind her that your kids aren't her playmates but her charges. She orders pizza with finesse though may spend half of the time texting her friends/new crush and the other half showing your kids "hilarious" pranks on YouTube, There's a chance she'll ruin Santa Claus  by accidentally telling your kids that he doesn't exist, but it's only a 25% chance. Think Disney Channel actors. 

At the Aluminum Foil Level ($5 an hour),  families get a 15-year-old D-student who has a 19-year-old boyfriend who may or may not "swing by" after the kids are asleep. She knows all the words to Eminem's songs including this little ditty about punching Lana Del Ray like Ray Rice though probably won't teach your kids the lyrics. Probably. She doesn't "do" housework but she will nuke chicken nuggets in the microwave and will share the energy drink she brought over  with the kids in case they get thirsty. Think the Natural Light of sitters. She IS a warm body,  though one who you might find attached to another warm body when you return home. 

Thoughts?

I think I have a total winner idea here. Shark Tank, here I come. Or maybe I should pitch it to SNL instead.....

You could book someone like Jo through SitUber, or your neighborhood juvenile delinquent. You choose!