Hope your week is going well!
For us, the last few weeks have been exhausting, but exciting.
Last Saturday while we were in Parque 93 in Bogotá, we met another family traveling with little kids. We started chatting, and before we knew it, we were getting dinner at a hibachi restaurant one night, then having them over the following night. The kids had a blast playing together, and it felt really good to connect with another family navigating this same season of life on the road(ish).
Super cool family we met!
We had a lot to talk about, but one topic that came up? Finding babysitters while traveling.
(In case you can’t have new friends look after your kids for a night as an exchange — which, honestly, isn’t a terrible idea, either!)
That particular conversation stirred up a memory we’ve never really shaken: a babysitting situation from a few years ago that went so wrong, it fundamentally changed how we think about the concept of finding babysitters while traveling. 👇
When ‘Vetted’ Didn’t Mean Anything: Our Nightmare Babysitter Experience
When we first came to Colombia, it was actually for a wedding in Cartagena. Our daughter just turned two-years-old, and we were flying all the way from Portugal. Therefore, what we were going to do with her during this wedding took a lot of thought and planning.
The couple had arranged childcare through a local nanny agency — one with “very good” reputation online. In theory, that felt reassuring. In reality, it quickly started to feel…off.
From the beginning, we wanted to speak directly with someone at the agency, and ideally with the actual nanny who would be caring for our child. She was little, and we had questions:
Would there be rooms for the kids to sleep?
Where exactly would the kids be staying?
How old were the other children?
Would there be someone who could look after our daughter one-on-one?
The list went on.
For some reason, it was impossible to get in touch with the company directly. All communication had to go through the couple getting married or their party planner. It felt like an inconvenience for everyone — and it left us feeling unsettled. Sure, the agency had great reviews, but reviews aren’t the same as trust, especially when you’re handing over your two-year-old in a country you don’t live in (yet).
So we made a backup plan. Just in case.
And, good thing we did.
When we arrived, it became clear there had been a big miscommunication. All the kids — and there were a lot of them, ages two to twelve — were set up at a family member’s Airbnb. We had understood there would be a separate room for kids who wanted to sleep early. Instead, we were told that that room was private and not available. Fair enough — but it wasn’t what we’d been led to believe.
Meanwhile, there was a full-on show happening. Clown and all. I could see how this might be entertaining for the older kids, but it was very obviously not little-kid-friendly. And this is the thing — that kind of setup can work if parents understand it ahead of time. We didn’t, despite asking countless times.
We even tried, last minute, to find another nanny just for our daughter. But meeting someone the day you land, without trusted references, didn’t feel right. We asked again if we could subcontract one of the nannies from the agency for the night. They were already there. We were willing to pay. And, willing to host other littles in our Airbnb (ensuring the ration of caregiver to child was appropriate). The answer was no. They also apparently didn’t have other nannies available from their agency at all. It seemed they had a monopoly on the whole thing.
By the time we got to the venue, it was clear this wasn’t going to work for our child. We made the decision to take her home, meaning Hana missed the entire reception.
Later that evening, things completely unraveled.
We were still in the WhatsApp group with the nannies and parents, when a parent went back around 8 p.m. to check on their kids. There was no AC. No water. Still no food since the ceremony at noon that day. This was August in Cartagena — close to 100 degrees.
Parents started leaving the reception to rush back to their kids.
The head nanny insisted to the parents that the kids had been moved to a cooler room, but a nanny cam confirmed that wasn’t true.
Chaos ensued. Arguments broke out. Someone took the groom’s phone to handle the situation so the bride wouldn’t be disturbed — totally fair — but tensions escalated quickly when he accused the parents of “taking shots”.
Parents were furious. Many had traveled far for a destination wedding and didn’t have the option to leave their kids at home. This was supposed to be the reason they would be able to attend this wedding in the first place.
Needless to say, we were relieved we’d trusted our gut. Mika was already long asleep by this point.
To make up for missing the wedding, we booked a resort pass to the Grand Hyatt the next day — just to feel like we got something out of being there.
What stuck with us wasn’t just how poorly this was organized (though it absolutely was, and we don’t blame our friends; they did everything they were supposed to do) but how powerless it all felt.
No direct communication. No real alternatives. One agency, one option, and very little transparency.
Parents need better choices when traveling. Trusted babysitters they can count on.
Especially when you’re traveling with young kids and don’t have the luxury of time to properly vet someone new.
And, while we’re at it, parents who live this lifestyle deserve to go out once in a while.
We don’t judge here.
Whether you’re traveling for a wedding or just passing through a place for a short time, many parents end up skipping babysitters altogether for this very reason. When you’re only somewhere briefly, how are you supposed to build real trust? And if a nanny agency or babysitter platform is your only option — and something goes wrong — is it even worth the risk?
We as parents need more trust and more communication. We need to feel comfortable that the person watching our children — especially when we don’t have time to properly vet them — is someone other parents have actually relied on, even in a foreign country.
That’s what led us to start the Roammies Babysitter Network.
The idea is simple: parents personally recommend sitters they’ve used in a given destination to other families going there.
For now, if you’re looking for a sitter, we can share your request in our newsletter or in our new Facebook group. And if you have a recommendation — or you’re searching — you can always email us at [email protected], and we’ll do our best to connect you directly with another Roammies family who can help.
At the moment, we have Roammies sitter connections in:
Kyoto, Japan 🇯🇵
Bogotá, Colombia 🇨🇴
Porto, Portugal 🇵🇹
New York/New Jersey (depending on where!)🗽
This isn’t a lot at the moment, but we rather grow this list slowly and thoughtfully rather than quickly and it loses its purpose.
Please get in touch if you have something to add or 👉 fill out this form.
We’ve just launched The Roammies Community Facebook group! 🚀
This group is exclusively for Roammies members (right now, this means those signed up to the newsletter).
We hope to eventually have a Circle-style community, but this will do for now. Here, you can ask for/offer personal babysitting recommendations, as well as discuss other places that would be a good fit for Roammies families and our database.
We’ll also post updates, ideas, ask questions, talk about topics that we can share in our newsletter, and just be a place to naturally connect with other families during our travelers.
In order to keep our community safe and niche, all subscribers can join and/or we’ll send you an invitation. Therefore, you must fill out the questions and agree to the group rules.