Male sitter at KNO

[been there done that]

We are staying at Disney in a few weeks. We had requested KNO a couple of months ago for our 5 year old DD and 19 month old DS; and our friends 6 year old DD and 18 month old DD(we'll be in connecting rooms). We booked them for 5 hours one night and were told we would be sent 2 sitters because there were 4 kids which would be $94.00 per couple.
Last night KNO manager called my friend and wanted to know if 1 sitter would be o.k. but it would be a male sitter. We were very hesitant about this but have been reassured by the manager that Ken is there VERY best child care giver who has been with them for 3 years and is also a school teacher. When we asked the manager if Ken understands there are 4 children he said no problem. This also brings our price down about $30.00 a couple.
Has anyone heard of Ken at KNO?
We would really like to hear any feedback about him. We are a little worried but my DH says guys can be as good as female sitters.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

I don't see why a guy would not be a good sitter.

My brother babysit his way through HS to earn money and he did a great job and the kids liked him a lot. Me on the other hand, the kids hated. I'm female and I'm just terrible with children. In fact, I am so bad with kids, that I am not going to have kids because I know deep down, that I'd be an awful mother.

Think about all the good fathers you know? Would they make good sitters? Probably.

These days, there are lots of guys who go into childcare. I'm sure there are a handful of bad ones, those are the ones you hear about on the news. But there are just as many good ones. And just as many BAD female sitters/child care providers.

I don't know Ken, but I just wondered why you think a guy could not be a good sitter. I think it's weird that it's cheaper to have a guy sitter too. That almost implies that they don't think he's good enough.

 

[been there done that]

Your right. Male sitters can be just as good as females; even calmer sometimes. My friend and I just get nervous leaving our DD's with a man they have never met.
The only reason Ken is cheaper is because with 2 sitters we would have had to pay for 2 sitters transportation fees.
We do feel better being told he is a school teacher so he deals with kids all the time and has been with KNO for 3 years. The manager really did rave about him!
I can honestly say that my DH has more patience with the kids then I do.
Thanks for your input!

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by been there done that
Your right. Male sitters can be just as good as females; even calmer sometimes. My friend and I just get nervous leaving our DD's with a man they have never met.
The only reason Ken is cheaper is because with 2 sitters we would have had to pay for 2 sitters transportation fees.
We do feel better being told he is a school teacher so he deals with kids all the time and has been with KNO for 3 years. The manager really did rave about him!
I can honestly say that my DH has more patience with the kids then I do.
Thanks for your input!

I think that is why my brother does so well with kids. He can handle tantrums, boredom, fussing, sibling arguments etc with a very cool head.

Come to think of it, most of my favorite teachers growing up were guys.

Okay, I understand why he's cheaper now. I was just worried the poor guy was being billed as a second rate sitter by his company. I'm glad he's not.

Have a GREAT trip!

 

[GEM]

I wouldn't be any more worried about leaving my child with a man I've never met than with a woman I've never met. I don't really see any difference.

 

[Barb D]

I don't understand why you have to have 2 babysitters if they're female, but only one if he's male. Why can't they send you one female babysitter?

And frankly, I wouldn't leave my kids alone in a room with a man I don't know. I'd have a hard enough time with a woman I don't know.

 

[momxx5]

Honestly, as sad as it sound, I would not allow 1 person to watch 4 children, especially a male. And this is coming from a mother of 3 boys.

I believe that there are certain rules for how many sitters are required to watch a certain number of children. I don't understand why there was going to be two sitters and now only one is okay? Also why would they have to make a point of the sitter being male? Obviously the sitter service even considered that this may be a problem. They must be really busy(or short-handed) to change their policy.

I would be very hestitant to agree to that situation. I know for myself, I would feel just terrible is something happened while I was out enjoying myself. I know its frustrating because you had plans to go out. As an alternative, could you and your DH watch the children one night, while the other couple goes out and then another night you go out and they can watch the children?

 

[been there done that]

We are pretty torn. We don't understand either why at first they told us that we would have to have two sitters for four kids and now they call us and ask if one would be o.k. They made it sound like "Ken" is so good that he does'nt need help. They have assured us that he has no problem with 4 kids because of his experience w/them and as a school teacher.
The idea of us taking turns going out may be how it works out.
We were hoping that someone would know of Ken and say he was good.
Thanks everyone. You all have good advice.

 

[Barb D]

So is the two female sitters option no longer available? I'd feel fine with that option... In fact, I like that a lot better than one female sitter for 4 little kids.

 

[Jordan's MOM]

It sounds like the company has overbooked for the night of your reservation and has choosen to change it's policy to allow four children with a sitter rather than to cancel your booking. My guess is that many families choose not to accept a male sitter and that he is avaliable for that night. No judgments towards a male at all but that's just reality. I rarely comment on the sitter threads because I am one that would never use an in room sitter service BUT I refuse to judge others that do. It does sound in this situation that the company will compromise it's own policy to keep from loosing a client and I would call back and ask a LOT of questions before I agree to this deal. Also remember if you leave two toddlers,as well as two other children in the room with a sitter, be sure to child proof. Children overdose on medications from suitcases quite often. Also think about outlet covers and tolet locks and making sure they can not open the balcony door.
I too like the idea of each couple getting a night out while the other watches the kids.
Good luck with the decission.

Jordan's mom

 

[gigi1313]

i would be hard pressed to leave my kids with any stranger, male or female! heck, dh and i don't like a "stranger" to come in to clean our house, so i cannot imagine allowing them to watch our kids! (although i am warming up to the idea of kids' club... safety in numbers theory or something!)

 

[jodifla]

You could also try an alternate sitting service, like Fairy Godmothers.

 

[SuzieQMomof3]

I'd like to encourage you to read a book by Gavin de Becker called "Protecting the Gift."

There is a difference between male and female sitters. Overwhelmingly, it is men who abuse children rather than women. To Esmerelda and all the other posters who think that male babysitters are no different than female, I would agree with your experience that your brother or your friend is a great guy. But the OP doesn't know this person who may be watching her children. It doen't matter if the manager said he's wonderful-he has a vested interest in booking this sit. He is not her advocate.

Please don't slam me and say that I hate men. I don't. I love men. I married one and I'm raising one and I have plenty of honorable men in my life. But I would never leave my children with a man I didn't know.

You should listen to your own intuition. The fact that you are questioning this company's policies without calling them and having your questions answered is a big red flag.

You know, if I were a pedophile I would be a school teacher during the year and get a job during the summer where I get to babysit kids while they were at Disney World.

You had an agreement with KNO for two female sitters. Hold them to it. It doesn't matter if they've overbooked. They booked you first and have an obligation to you. You're allowed to tell them what you require from them.

 

[gigi1313]

AMEN

 

[disneyjunkie]

Originally posted by SuzieQMomof3
But I would never leave my children with a man I didn't know.

Would you leave them with a woman you didn't know?

 

[The Duchess]

SuzieQMomof3

You are absolutely right, and that is a great book for every parent to have. I have given it to every friend as a baby shower gift.

The overwhelming majority of pedophiles are male...it's just a fact, and Gavin De Becker backs up everything in his book.

It's a sad world we live in, but I have to be suspicious of ANYONE (male or female) that approaches me and my child in any scenario.
It's just a fact that men are typically larger and stronger and therefore potentially more dangerous.

We, too, are debating In Room sitting for one night while we are at WDW for DS (6) so we can go to V&A for our anniversary.

However, at this moment, I am definately leaning towards forgetting dinner at V&A because I know I won't enjoy it...whether it is a male or female sitter.

It's always better to say "I KNOW something can go wrong" and not do that thing, than to have to say "I KNEW something could go wrong" after something tragic has happened when it's too late.

 

[jodifla]

Actually, knowing that KNO used men as sitters was one of the reasons I went with Fairy Godmothers. Statistically, the previous posters are right, men are the ones most likely to sexually abuse children.

We've used sitters in various places we've traveled -- probably a dozen times or more. So, yes, we do use people we don't know. But we get recommendations either from friends in the area or from bonded sitting services. And personally, for me, I'd rather stick with women. We've had great experiences with our sitters.

I wouldn't not go to V&A -- I'd call some more sitting services until I found one I was comfotable with.

 

[SuzieQMomof3]

To Gigi1313 and Duchess-Thanks, I really didn't think anyone would back me up on that. I was expecting a lot of negative comments. I've read "Protecting the Gift" three times and have lent it to many of my friends.

To Disneyjunkie- Would I leave my kids with a woman I don't know? Probably not. Especially if it were a hired nanny of whom I had no way of checking previous employers or references. Especially if I was so unsure of my intuition that I had to post a discussion thread to see if this senario was okay. The OP said she was "very hesitant." Can you imagine your own mother questioning, even for a second, doing something she wasn't 100% comfortable with because of reassurances from some manager whom she had never laid eyes on?

The truth is I'm really an easy-going person, the OP just struck a nerve with me. Why do today's parents think they need permission from someone else to effectively parent their children? If you have the responsiility, then you have the power. You get to decide how to raise your own children and you have already been given the resources to do so.

 

[gigi1313]

no, i would not leave my kids w/a man or a woman i did not know... except maybe (and we're still on the fence) at a kids' club due to the "safety in numbers" rule plus the age of my children and their ability to communicate (loudly if need be!)... the fact that they are so "public" kinda makes them a safer alternative in my opinion...

there are other ways to abuse a child other than sexual abuse... there's physical ways and emotional/mental ways... and a woman is just as likely as a man... what if the baby cries and cries and cries and the woman had a bad day and it's just getting worse w/every whimper from the child... shaken baby perhaps? i'm not trying to scare anyone, but our children truly are a gift from God and we have to do all in our power to protect them... imo that does not include leaving them in a hotel room w/a stranger...

 

[jodifla]

Well, many of you seem to have your minds made up.

But again, to OP, I would search out some options, like other sitting services that you might feel more comfortable with. Keep in mind if you go do Disney a lot like we do, you soon will know your sitter pretty well....ours has sat for DS, 2 1/2, more than a half-dozen times now. She knows his likes and dislikes and is basically watching him grow up over the past couple of years.The first time was difficult -- we decided to have dinner at the same hotel we were staying at so we could come back often and check on the situation. That worked well. Now, we call the service and can request the sitter by name. (We've had two actually, both were excellent, but our schedules have mainly coincided with one.)

The clubs seem like an excellent idea for those 4 and up. We'll probably check those out when DS is older.

Good luck to all, and know there are those of us out there who have used sitters many times and all has been well.