Where Can I Find Babysitter Tips for Digital Nomad Parents?

Traveling with your little ones is an amazing experience for them, but what about for you?

Sure, you can take "Solo Days" while traveling, which is something we like to try and do when we're in a new place. This is when one parent takes the kids for the day, and the other gets to pretend they are 20-years old again, backpacking through Europe solo.

(Kind of).

But, wouldn't it be nice to have a trusted babysitter that could give you and your partner (or, if you're a single parent), a night off while you're in a new place? Where you can feel comfortable your kids are safe with a vetted babysitter, so you can actually enjoy that flamenco show or that cool bar down the street from your Airbnb? (We're talking to you, parents with kids who go to sleep at 6 like ours).

Finding babysitters as a digital nomad parent is one of the hardest parts of traveling with little kids. Not because babysitter websites don’t exist worldwide, but because trust doesn’t travel as easily as luggage.

You don't have the time to vet the babysitter, do interviews, etc. You're only there for a short period of time. You just want a reliable option lined up when you arrive, without having to scour through websites and apps that may or may not be 100% aligned with your needs.

Here’s why more traveling parents are turning to each other (instead of websites) for babysitter tips while in a new place.

So…Where Can I Find Babysitter Tips for Traveling Families?

Most advice falls into two camps:

1. Generic babysitting websites and apps

2. Vague “ask around” suggestions

   
   

In reality, nomad families use a combination of both when they can, with a heavy emphasis on community.

For example, you know another couple who spent time in Chiang Mai, and they happened to work with a great babysitter when they were there. Now, you can borrow them.

Or, you met someone on the road whose family comes from that city you're going to be visiting next month, and their little cousin would love to watch your kids for a night.

Right now, the most useful babysitter tips for traveling families come from word-of-mouth:

• Other traveling parents who’ve already hired sitters locally

• Parent groups tied to specific cities or regions (like Whatsapp groups)

• Casual conversations at parks, schools, and coworking spaces

• Informal playdates that turn into childcare swaps

The problem is, this concept of personal recommendations from other parents that pass the 'vibe check', doesn't exist on a large scale.

Parents don’t just want a sitter when they're in a foreign country. They want someone that comes personally recommended like they'd ideally get back home.

What Types of Childcare Work Best for Nomad Families?

There’s no single “right” solution — most families rotate based on their stay length.

Local Babysitters & Nannies*

• Ideal for short stays or part-time coverage

• Often found through referrals, not platforms

• Best when someone vouches for them

  
  

Traveling Nannies

• Bring consistency across countries

• Higher cost, lower uncertainty

• Common for families moving frequently

  
  

Daycare & Preschools

• Great for socialization and routine

• Often require longer stays and paperwork

• Availability varies widely by country

To learn more about short-term/flexible daycares abroad, click here:

Why Traditional Babysitting Platforms Fall Short for Nomad Parents

Most platforms are built for one thing: Babysitter ↔ Parent (cold connection)

For traveling families, that often means:

• Starting from scratch in every city

• Repeating the same dragged out screening process

• Going through a third-party website which may have verified sitters, but you still have never met the person yourself (and, you don't know the families who left the reviews)

• Taking risks when time is limited

  
  

Parents don’t want to gamble with childcare — especially abroad.

And, let's just say the thing everyone is thinking but no one will say out loud:

You don't want to work with someone who can potentially kidnap or hurt children in a foreign country, where you might not speak the language or understand how Amber Alerts work.

Not someone who can steal from you because they know they'll never see you again.

And, not someone who will ignore the needs of your small child who can't talk yet. (Though, there's no harm in using a travel nanny-cam.)

Where Can I Get Trusted Babysitter Recommendations for Nomad Families?

When parents search for trusted babysitter recommendations for nomad families, they’re usually not looking for another babysitting app.

They’re looking for something much more specific:

• A babysitter another traveling parent has already hired

• Someone who understands short stays, jet lag, and flexible schedules

• A recommendation that includes context — not just a profile photo and a star rating

• A name that comes with a story: “This worked for our family, and here’s why”

  
  

In other words, trust that’s borrowed from another parent, not built from scratch in a new country.

This is why digital nomad parents rely so heavily on:

• Word-of-mouth referrals from other traveling families

• WhatsApp and Facebook parent groups tied to specific cities

• Playdates, coworking spaces, and casual park conversations

• Childcare swaps and shared sitter recommendations

  
  

It’s not about finding a babysitter.It’s about finding one that’s already passed another parent’s trust test.

How a Parents-to-Parents Babysitter Network Would Work

At Roammies, we’re exploring a different approach.

Instead of a sitter marketplace, imagine a shared recommendation layer built by parents themselves.

Here’s the Idea:

• Parents recommend babysitters they’ve personally used

• Recommendations are tied to location, not profiles

• Notes include:

  • Ages of kids

  • Languages spoken

  • Type of care (occasional, part-time, evenings)

  • Why the sitter worked well for their family

    
    

What This Is Not

• Not an agency

• Not a booking platform

• Not anonymous reviews

  
  

It’s closer to what already happens in WhatsApp chats — just organized and easier to access when you arrive somewhere new.

How Parents Would Use It in Real Life

You arrive in a new city and think:

“We need childcare next week when we go to Buenos Aires for a month, but we don’t want to start from zero.”

Instead of posting in five groups and hoping for replies, you could:

• See babysitters recommended by other Roammies families

• Read notes from parents in similar situations

• Reach out knowing someone else has already done the trial-and-error

  
  

Trust doesn’t have to be instant — but it can be inherited.

Why This Matters for Traveling Families

For nomad parents, childcare is the difference between having the opportunity to enjoy your family travels kid-free for a bit, and constantly juggling survival mode. Even though we are actively choosing to show the world to our children, it shouldn't have to mean we all can't get a little break while we're in a new destination.

Other Tips for Hiring a Babysitter Abroad

Even if another nomad family passes the vibe check and recommends a trustworthy babysitter for your children, there are still some safety measures you should take:

• Ask the referring family for details about their experience, and how they found/know this person.

• Try to meet the babysitter in a public place before you actually have them come alone to where you're staying.

• See if this babysitter can join your family for an outing — maybe for a morning or afternoon activity — to see if your children are comfortable with them.

• Ask for their ID and they should have a background check. You can organize this before you meet them.

• Ask if they have additional local references.

• Stay nearby, and don't go for our for too long. They are still a stranger to your kids and your kids are in a strange place!

• Always have a back-up plan.

Want to Help Shape the Roammies Babysitter Network?

Right now, we’re building the Roammies Babysitter Network.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• Where can I find babysitter tips for digital nomad parents?

• Where can I get trusted babysitter recommendations for nomad families?

…then you’re exactly who this is for.

👉 Join the Roammies community now to help us start building the only parent ↔ parent babysitter network for expat and digital nomad parents, and traveling families.