Tips For Hiring a Virtual Nanny

You probably never imagined a time where you'd consider paying someone to essentially facetime your child while you work from home. But it's 2020, and here we are. Many daycares are still open as 'essential businesses', but some parents don't feel comfortable dropping their kids off right now.

And for many parents who are working from home, having someone else occupy their kids' attention for a while is probably helpful. If there's not another quarantined adult in the house with some free time, Lifehacker asks that you consider these tips as you seek out a virtual babysitter.

• Have realistic expectations. Realize that the virtual sitter can't protect your child physically; you'll still have to be around as they read stories, play games or do homework.
• Get the right person. While it might be easy to hit up a teen cousin, a better choice might be your child's daycare teacher, an aunt or a past babysitter.
• Consider a professional. Existing babysitting services now offer virtual services; these services have already vetted staff, which might make them a  more attractive choice.

I don't have kids, but I feel like I'd have a hard time paying someone to occupy my kid on FaceTime or Zoom. Maybe that's just me as a non-parent.. would you pay for this service?!