What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word ‘babysitting’?
While most people imagine a person-usually a female figure-taking care of a child within the familiar walls of a home, one Malaysian babysitter has taken her career beyond the ordinary.

For Farhah Sidek, being a private babysitter doesn’t confine her to four walls. Instead, she has turned a few countries into her ‘office’.

Baby steps

It all began after the COVID-19 pandemic. Farhah, 26, realised that many parents were struggling to find trustworthy and flexible childcare.

Aside from her genuine love for children, Farhah said another main reason she chose private babysitting as a full-time career was the flexibility to manage her own time.

Image Credit: Photo provided to Rojak Daily

“I actually don’t have an Early Childhood Education background, but I genuinely love kids as I come from a huge family. I’m the third out of 12 siblings."

She added, "This job gives me a lot of time to appreciate life. I used to work as an F&B crew member, medical assistant, assistant manager, retailer, seller at random booths, cleaner, offline seller and more. All of these jobs had the same pattern, fixed schedules and a stressful, unbalanced lifestyle.”

Despite the flexibility, Farhah confessed that the job was actually a gamble.

“In the beginning, I didn’t know how to manage time, communicate well, or present myself properly in front of wealthy clients. I faced failures before, but meeting more people helped me improve. It was a hard process, but definitely worth every second.”

Image Credit: Photo provided to Rojak Daily

When asked how she got the idea to become a travelling private babysitter, Farhah said some parents requested support during vacations, work trips and events. That’s when she realised there was a real need for someone reliable by their side. So, in 2023, she decided to expand her service to include travelling babysitting.

More than just an ‘easy job’

Although babysitting is one of the most traditional jobs, there is still stigma and misconception surrounding it.

Farhah said some people still think babysitting is an ‘easy’ job.

“Caring for children requires patience, awareness, common sense, give-and-take moments, responsibility and emotional intelligence from both parents and babysitters to ensure the child’s well-being. It’s teamwork, but there are people, and sometimes parents too, who are quick to blame babysitters when things get hard.

"This job is more than just a money transaction. Good babysitting is skilled work and deserves respect just as much as every child does,” she said.

Babysitting as a career

As a private babysitter, Farhah takes a personalised approach and adapts to each child’s routine and personality.

Image Credit: Photo provided to Rojak Daily

Typically, activities include age-appropriate playtime, outdoor walks and developmental exercises. But of course, it varies based on several factors.

“There’s no typical day except for crying and laughing through tantrums and joy. Every day is different, depending on their age, the place I’m babysitting at, routines and cultures."

"Some days can be chaotic but end with peaceful sleep, while others start smoothly but end with tears as we part ways,” she shared.

Farhah added that one of the biggest challenges is managing parents’ expectations. Thus, before taking any job, she always has a conversation with parents to understand their rules and expectations.

Image Credit: Photo provided to Rojak Daily

“I’m transparent about how I work and encourage parents to ask questions. Many families appreciate my punctuality, communication style and consistent updates during sessions.”

When asked about her rates, Farhah said her standard rate starts at RM30 per hour, with additional options for travelling babysitting and long-hour bookings.

The travelling babysitter

Although the job has taken Farhah globetrotting to places like England, Dubai, Singapore and Indonesia, her first experience as a travelling babysitter was not pleasant.

According to her, the job took her to England for a month, but she had no day off except during bedtime.

“I worked with an Indian-Malay family. My rest time was only at night when I slept throughout the 30-day period. I was treated like a maid and couldn’t get sick. It was truly an eye-opening experience.”

Despite that, Farhah said it helped her understand her own limits. Additionally, it taught her to be adaptable, stay calm under pressure and negotiate working hours and job scope effectively.

She explained, “I think that’s the biggest challenge when working abroad, adjusting to a new family, new personalities, navigating unfamiliar environments and weather, and staying flexible when plans change. But these challenges helped me grow as a professional babysitter.”

Image Credit: Photo provided to Rojak Daily

Like many jobs, working as a travelling private babysitter has its ups and downs. For Farhah, one of the highlights was working for another client in England.

According to her, she was treated like a family member.

“There were no strict rules, no hard conversations between me, the kids and the parents. We communicated peacefully and even cooked meals together. Till today, they still welcome me to their home every time I visit England."

"It may sound small to others, but to me, it’s a beautiful experience as a babysitter when most families expect me to ‘work’ as much as they paid,” she said.

Growing pains

Image Credit: Photo provided to Rojak Daily

Although it has been an adventure, Farhah admitted she might retire from the industry to focus on her own small family in the future. However, she hopes to see more brave babysitters, especially from younger generations, make their mark in the industry.

“You just have to start. It will lead you to both good and bad experiences, so it’s important to learn from both. Always remember to treat every child with respect, they can feel whether you love what you do or not.”

Want to see more of Farhah’s adventures as a travelling babysitter or contact her for her services? Follow Babysitter KL on Instagram.

Featured Image Credit: Photos provided to Rojak Daily