When I first heard the term Mommy Mixer, I thought it was just that — a social outlet for new (or old) mothers to meet one another. Perhaps there would even be chocolate bon bons. But reading the fine print it became apparent that this “mommy mixer” is another addition to what I call the Babysitter Industrial Complex (or BIC).
Here’s the 411: Mommy Mixer, a company out of Texas that especially targets college towns, is coming here next week to Paris’ Boutique in Champaign. It puts on events that are a reincarnation of the speed dating that was a popular in the 90s, only instead of looking for tall, dark and handsome, moms hope to find dependable, trustworthy and caring co-eds to care for Jack and Jill.
Here’s the catch: For the privilege of meeting “an exclusive network of great sitter candidates,” families pay $100.
Well, that’s about $100 more than I paid to find to our occasional babysitter. She’s a lovely gal I picked up on the Chambana craigslist. I know I’m not the only mom in town who has had success there.
I’m not so sure what’s so “exclusive” about this network, considering that it costs nothing — bubkes — for the sitters to participate. And Mommy Mixer doesn’t screen the candidates, either.
While the cost is one obstacle, I also have to question the timing — the University of Illinois spring semester ends the first week of May. So I think I’ll pass on Mommy Mixer this time. Their Champaign contact is planning six to eight of these events a year, so maybe I can have another chance to score an “exclusive.”
29 responses so far ↓
Mrs. Chicken // April 15, 2008 at 8:30 am
I highly recommend Craigslist. Of course you have to be careful when you screen the candidates, but as my friend here points out, the folks coming to this mixer are also not screened.
We’ve found three highly trustworthy and excellent sitters through Craigslist. Another local friend also pointed out that anyone can create a listing on the UIUC virtual job board.
Bro // April 15, 2008 at 9:17 am
We’ve always had great luck with babysitters that we’ve found hitchhiking outside of Danville.
They’re easy to find, even at night, b/c of the orange jumpsuits
Mate'man // April 15, 2008 at 9:48 am
What a great business model! Serve tea and crumpets, let you mingle with some miscellaneous folks they’ve lured in, make you responsible for what you think they’re supposed to do, then CHARGE YOU $100 for the privilege. I’ll bet they’re in violation of some state licensing law, it’ll just take a little time to figure out which one…….. But then again, Child Protective Services could hang around outside and try to determine which citizens they’ll most likely be in contact with in the near future…..
Leeanthro // April 15, 2008 at 12:41 pm
I’m not paying $100 when they don’t even screen the candidates first. Seems like such a scam.
Whole thing reminds me of the “Millionaire Matchmaker.” (Which I watched every episode of that train wreck!)
Leeanthro // April 15, 2008 at 12:44 pm
And doesn’t 100 bucks seem like a large price tag for a midwestern college town? I could see getting that in a large city, but not here. I’d be really curious to see how many women fork that over and if they come back here again.
What is the going rate for babysitters these days?
Jason // April 15, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Let’s see… 20 moms = $2000. The sitters get in for free. Seems like a big profit margin just for organizing an event for moms to have snacks and a brief chat with a bunch of unscreened college kids. The website doesn’t really make it sound any better than (as you have done) going to craigslist.
“…it is your job to choose who is the right fit for your family. You are responsible for interviewing, checking references and doing any background searches you deem necessary.”
“[I]f you are flexible, you love your sitter, and she loves you, she will most likely be willing to continue working for your family through each semester.”
“[Y]ou sign a disclaimer that states you will not share The Babysitter Book™ or any résumés.”
For $100, you might as well get a full-time nanny for a week: http://chambana.craigslist.org/kid/638168212.html
Then again, maybe you could meet her at the mixer.
Misc // April 15, 2008 at 1:14 pm
No freakin’ way am I ponying up $100 to meet girls who may or may not become a sitter for me.
Not when I can post an ad on the U’s virtual job board. I’ve never had a bad experience with the candidates I culled from there (tons) and my kids’ favorite sitters (other than their grandmothers) found us through the job board.
I’ve never tried Craigslist, but I’d be willing to give it a try.
Since my sitters are college students and drive out to my house, I pay them around $10/hr. to watch both kids.
Rachael // April 15, 2008 at 3:07 pm
I’m skipping Mommy Mixer as well….
Our sitters are grad students and they drive to our house (3 mi from U of I) and we pay $7/hr for a 2 year-old that’s in bed asleep…..
Amy // April 15, 2008 at 3:50 pm
I pay our sitter $10 an hour and Larkin is fairly easy but the sitter has to be comfortable with her disabilities and giving her medications. Kids fight over who is going to sit for us and I haven’t yet had to fork over $100 to give anyone the beauty of loving on Larkin.
amanda // April 15, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Delurking here… I had a feeling you’d write about this! Apparently, MommyMixer operates in cities all over the country. They’ve gotten tons of PR. The service doesn’t appear to have any value to me. The sitters change every semester or so, and to get a new “book” of contacts, you have to go to another mixer (and pay another fee). And their cancellation policy is nuts! They charge you $25 if you cancel your attendance, but then they also say they usually have a huge waiting list for people wanting to attend. So why the $25 fee? Lucrative business venture for the person running it, I assume.
I also really dislike the pretentiousness of only hosting the mixers at “upscale boutiques” (their words). Their website says there are “shopping bargains” to be had at the mixer, so I guess it’s their way of 1) cross-selling and 2)charging the boutique a commission.
The whole thing sounds really gross to me. Great idea in theory, but I’d rather see a more cost-friendly, less pretentious way for the parents in our community to find quality childcare and share that information with each other.
amanda // April 15, 2008 at 4:50 pm
Oh! And it kills me that they put ads on their business website. Who does that?
lbotp // April 15, 2008 at 6:43 pm
amanda — thanks for delurking. I totally agree with everything you said. Oddly enough I am on the Paris Boutique e-mail distribution list (I don’t know how) and while they have promoted this thing, they haven’t mentioned anything about a discount.
Leeanthro — scam is a great word here.
Bro — Giggle.
Thanks for your feedback everyone. I’m glad I’m not crazy. Wait, that’s not true.
Carrie // April 15, 2008 at 8:56 pm
As a friend pointed out, that $100 could be 10 nights out of the house from a free listing elsewhere. Personally, I thought about signing up as a sitter (I am a director qualified preschool teacher after all) just to see what all the hoopla was about. I decided against it because I don’t actually want to BE a babysitter so it wasn’t worth my time to go.
Rudy // April 16, 2008 at 12:49 pm
The word “scam” is over the top. Yes, there are free alternatives, but the same could be said for those currently wading in the dating pool. Some pay the same amount every month for supposed matches that aren’t necessarily screened. But the fact that they’re all in one place (the website) makes things quicker. Scam! Save your $$$ and just go to Huber’s one night and try to find a mate.
The mixer people are being paid to line up the sitter candidates, bring in some food, and put together a folder that you get to take with you. As I understand it, that folder has the bio of each sitter candidate that was at the event.
No one’s holding a gun to your head to attend, but calling it a “scam” is silly. We all pay for things other people would think is a waste of money, like cleaning services, or cups of coffee, or fancy blue jeans, or even a cell phone. You want a scam? Who’s paying $50 a month for cable TV? TV IS ALREADY FREE so why are you paying for it?
lbotp // April 16, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Rudy — tell us how you really feel! Your analogy to cable TV though doesn’t fly.
The point is that there are much easier and cheaper ways to go about finding a babysitter. You know what? Mr. lbotp often works nights, so even if I wanted to go to this shindig, I would have had to … hire a babysitter.
Rudy // April 16, 2008 at 1:17 pm
I agree, there are easier/cheaper ways — for some. But for others, using the program I’ve heard about through the UofI means calling 25 potential candidates and meeting up with each one. The mixer seems like a good supplement, assuming the $100 is within your budget. But c’mon, a “scam”. Down, kitty.
lbotp // April 16, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Rudy — Have fun and enjoy. Be sure to report back to us if you go.
Allyson // April 16, 2008 at 8:48 pm
I read about this while on a Southwest flight last week - yes, I read the in-flight magazine - and thought it actually sounded like a great idea for a business, especially since we are in a college town but not everyone is connected to the university to have access to sitters. I’m glad I do have those connections… at least until my current sitter graduates! But hopefully she’ll hook me up with another great sitter from her sorority… Anyway, the article in the Spirit magazine said that the babysitters are supposed to provide a resume, so at least that’s some sort of “check”…
So I’d lean toward agreeing with Rudy that “scam” is a bit strong. I’m sure it’s a service that’s really useful for some people, but certainly not for everyone… I’d be interested to hear how it goes as well!
Leeanthro // April 17, 2008 at 6:02 am
I feel like just having someone submit a resume is not much of a background check. People embellish their resumes all the time. I could claim that I’m the Queen of Spain on my resume if I wanted.
I would be more willing to pay $100 if the local manager of this company actually called the references the potential babysitters give. Saving me that legwork *would* be worth more money.
A service that was an ongoing registry of local candidates where references are checked and families are surveyed about satisfaction, now that *would* be a great service worth $100.
Having a little mixer, not so much.
(I read the inflight magazine a couple of weeks ago. There was a great article about Amy Poehler of SNL fame.)
Mary // April 18, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Hi there friendly folks,
MM Founder and CEO here… I appreciate your feedback and understand your reluctance to pay $100. The $100 ensures that folks 1) are very serious about finding sitters 2) have the disposable income to pay the college student/sitter they hire 10-20 an hour - the average going rate for sitters trying to get through college.
We are a business and and have substantial overhead to make sure these events run smoothly and all involved have a fabulous experience. I am sure you all can appreciate that if you have knowledge of any start up growing their business to a national level.
MommyMixer may not be for everyone but we have a HUGE fan base of very loyal clients across the united states. We provide an extremely time efficient way for time-starved moms and college students to make great connections in a retail environment where both of these groups are typically very comfortable. If you were to try to connect, schedule and interview 20-30 babysitters - it would take at least 20-20 hours. I know with three kids under 4 that I certainly don’t have this time. My clients don’t want to shop online for sitters and bring a complete stranger to their home to meet their kids before meeting them face to face and doing their own screening process. Each attending candidate comes with a resume - child care experience and references are provided. There is something so valuable in the old fashioned face to face networking that MommyMixer provides. MM does not screen candidates as we do not want to tell anyone who is an appropriate fit or “safe” for the family - this is the absolute discretion of each family. Again, no one is going to tell me who is safe to watch my children - that is solely my responsibility to make that decision and do all screening involved. Also, it is not safe for a sitter to simply show up in a strangers home these days.
Hope this provides you with some useful information on our growing service that is helping to connect many moms and sitters across the country.
Try it… we have a 100% money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with your experience. MM exists to help moms, never disappoint.
Mary // April 18, 2008 at 3:27 pm
OH - and kids are always invited if need be. After all, we all understand that you are looking for babysitters
Louise // April 18, 2008 at 4:19 pm
After reading all the comments, I am appalled at the way some of you have attacked a business you know nothing about. As a mother of 2, I have attended a mixer and thought the service was brilliant and priceless! Sure, I thought about calling a candidate from Craigs list. Then I would have to schedule 3 to 4 girls to come to meet me, and as a mother with a home based business, I would most likely make a decision within that group because, frankly one of them would be good enough, right?
Well guess what! At the mixer I attended there were about 20 girls most of them with availability
suitable for my needs but the best part was my motherly instincts that kicked in and the wonderful connections that were made that day. Living in a city without my parents or in-laws, walking out with a long list of contacts that were a fantastic match for my family was incredible! Many of the candidates also had special talents, like a background in gymnastics or fluency in French that were wonderful bonuses for me to match up to my children. It was then that I realized that I almost had to choose from the best out of 3 or 4 but instead found several fantastic matches that is BEST suited my children.
WOW, it seems some people spend more time picking out a car than a wonderful match for their most precious children.
amanda // April 18, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Like Allyson said, this is probably helpful for some people. And I appreciate Mary’s information. I do have to give her credit for developing a profitable business and taking it nationally. It’s always nice to see women-run successful businesses.
But I kind of have an issue with the defense of the $100 fee. I’m guessing #2 is probably the real reason, because really - who is not “serious” about finding a sitter? You either need one or you don’t. So the fee is to ensure that the sitters are put in contact with rich people who are going to pay really, really well. Which makes it sound more like a service for the sitters. But anyway. Great if it helps folks, it’s just not something with which I’d want to be involved.
lbotp // April 18, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Louise — I’m sorry you’re appalled. This is a blog, and that’s what a blog is about — opinions. And as to your point that people aren’t interested in finding a quality sitter, in reality one of my objections to this mixer is quite the opposite. If the fees included background checks and reference checks, then maybe it would be worth it. Your conclusion that people won’t pay the $100 fee to attend such an event because they don’t care about finding quality childcare for their children is completely illogical and pretentious.
Mary — I wish you luck with your business. I admire your entrepreneurship, I just think that your argument about screening is specious at best. When I mentioned screening, it was more about references and background checks than finding someone who speaks french or was an Olympic gymnast. I almost spit out my coffee when I read that the fee is to ensure that families can pay a sitter the $10-20 hour fee. That’s funny. This may work in bigger cities, but here in Champaign-Urbana you would be hard pressed to find a family that pays $20/hr. Maybe if they have eight kids.
Leeanthro // April 19, 2008 at 5:34 am
“We provide an extremely time efficient way for time-starved moms and college students to make great connections in a retail environment where both of these groups are typically very comfortable. ”
Then for me, we should have a meet-up at Target and we can see if the potential sitter can multi-task feeding Cheerios to the baby and entertaining my 3yo while helping me shop. Now that would be an “efficient” interview in a “retail environment” that I was “comfortable” in.
I think the CEO should actually *listen* to the feedback here and realize that while C-U houses a major university, it is not a booming metropolis where parents spend 50 bucks an hour on a French tutor for little Francois.
I’ve no doubt the spaces will be filled, at least at their first mixer. Just not by me or anyone I personally know.
And I don’t think this service is “old-fashioned” at all.
AL // April 21, 2008 at 9:53 am
I am wondering what Paris’s Boutique gets out of it. If we are talking about people with disposable income to spend on 1)$100 fee, 2) $20 per hour babysitting I am assuming Paris is not hosting this out of the goodness of her heart. That said, more power to her. I am sure if I attended there is an Ella Moss shirt I could not live without.
nanette // April 22, 2008 at 9:32 am
$20 an hour? For a babysitter? Yeesh. Even if the babysitter is a gold-medal gymnast who speaks fluent French and is such an ideal match for my precious, precious child that I hope to arrange a marriage between them someday, I think that’s a little much.
I guess this means I am never leaving the house after I have a baby. Either that, or I was being completely ripped off when I let my quality babysitting services go for $1/hour back in the late ’80s.
That said, I totally wish I had thought of this idea myself, except the thought of spending that much time around a group of high-strung helicopter moms would probably kill me. But it’s definitely a money-maker!
Leeanthro // April 22, 2008 at 1:25 pm
I’ve never heard the term “helicopter mom.” What does that mean? I hope I’m not one of them, doesn’t sound good!
Golden // April 22, 2008 at 1:28 pm
I think it is a reference for moms who hover.
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