Q: Is it common to use a babysitting service in the US?
A: I’m not clear on what you mean by “babysitting service”. Do you mean professional sitters from a company, or do you just mean the culture of having someone watch your children?
I think professional babysitting services are not that common. These tend to be very safe, as the sitters are all adults, have had background checks and other types of screening, and have references you can check. However, these services tend to be quite expensive.
It’s much more common to have a neighbor’s teenager, or the neighbor themselves, watch your children.
In the past, it was very common for people to hire older kids or young teens (most states allow children over 13 to babysit) to take care of their children while the parents went out for the evening, or even during the daytime on summer breaks. I often babysat my niece (even though I am only 7 years older than her!) when I was younger, and as a teenager, I babysat for family friends regularly.
Babysitting was very common in the past, because the world was a safer place, and because parents were less worried about the safety of their children. In the US, we often live far away from our families, so the only choice was to leave kids with a friend or neighbor when we needed to do something.
Babysitting is very different these days. It’s not as safe for children to play out in the streets all day and all night, and people are more aware of danger. Most people are no longer willing to leave children with people who are not much older than they are. Additionally, most people are not as connected to their communities these days. In the past, you might live in a single neighborhood for your entire life, but due to the nature of jobs in the US, most families move a lot. You don’t want to leave your children with your neighbor when you don’t know your neighbor!
Babysitting was very common in the past, because the world was a safer place, and because parents were less worried about the safety of their children. In the US, we often live far away from our families, so the only choice was to leave kids with a friend or neighbor when we needed to do something.
Babysitting is very different these days. It’s not as safe for children to play out in the streets all day and all night, and people are more aware of danger. Most people are no longer willing to leave children with people who are not much older than they are. Additionally, most people are not as connected to their communities these days. In the past, you might live in a single neighborhood for your entire life, but due to the nature of jobs in the US, most families move a lot. You don’t want to leave your children with your neighbor when you don’t know your neighbor!
（和訳）
Q: 米国ではベビーシッターサービスを使うのは普通ですか？
A: ベビーシッターサービスの意味はよくわからないわね。企業から派遣される専門のベビーシッターのことなのか、誰かに子供の面倒をみてもらう文化のことを言っているのかしら？
専門のベビーシッターサービスは一般的ではないわ。シッターの人たちは全員大人なので、安全で経歴や適格審査をしていて、照会先が確認できるということがあるわね。でもこのようなサービスはとても高い傾向があるわ。
近所の十代の子たちやまさに近所の人に子供を見ていてと頼むのがうんと一般的よ。
かつては、親が夜、あるいは昼や夏休みでも、出かけるときに、年上の子供や十代の子たちを子供の世話のために雇うのが一般的だったの。（ほとんどの州で１３歳以上の子供がベビーシッターをすることが許されている）私は子供の頃、よく姪っ子のベビーシッターをしたし（７歳年上なだけなんだけどね！）、十代の頃は、家族ぐるみの友人のベビーシッターをしていたわ。
かつてベビーシッターがとても一般的だったのは、世界が安全だったし、子供の安全について今ほど心配していなかったからね。米国では家族と離れて暮らすことが多いから、何かしなければならないとき、子供を友人や近所の人に預けるのが唯一の選択だったの。
ベビーシッターは最近ずいぶん変わったわ。昼夜ずっと道端で子供が遊ぶのは安全ではなくて、人々も危険を意識するようになった。たいていの人が自分たちよりもうんと若い人に子供を預けたがらなくなってるわね。そして、最近は、大半の人が地域社会とのつながりが薄くなっているの。かつては、一つの地域で一生を過ごすかもしれないけど、米国の仕事の性質で、たいていの家族はたくさん引越しをするの。近所の人のことをまだ知らないうちに子供を近所に預けたくないわよね。
