Mazviita Foto, the Founder of Nannies Now is on a mission to help make it easier for mums to get some “me time” to improve their health and wellbeing with a new app Nannies Now that makes it easy to find babysitters in your area at the last minute.
“The latest research suggests older parents get just 32 minutes of ‘me time’ each day after working and parenting. Millenial parents are leading the way in realising self care makes you a better mum because you’re not tired all the time, you have the energy to play with your children and you’re often better organised,” said Ms Foto.
“With a little bit of help all parents can find the time to look after themselves but many still need to realise that being able to go grocery shopping on your own doesn’t equate to time out. Self care is all about doing something that you enjoy, whether it be a hobby, or getting pampered or going out for the night with your partner without children.
“It is not taking longer showers for peace and quiet or having five minutes to yourself, it’s about forming a routine of regularly having time to look after yourself or simply making dinner plans at the last minute.”
The Nannies Now app allows users to punch in their postcode and get a list of potential babysitter candidates back in an instant.
Ms Foto, who is 22, said precautions are taken and users can be guided by recommendations and ratings left by other parents on the child minders profiles – so it’s quite similar to Uber.
What is the inspiration behind Nannies Now?
Ms Foto created the app after babysitting for years as a teenager realising there was a real demand for parents looking for babysitters and nannies at the last minute. Millennial parents are among the biggest users of the app, many who use the app to get some guilt free time away from their child.
Mazviita said a number of ways parents can self-care are:
1. Exercise: it naturally releases endorphins that brighten your mood as well as help you to stay strong and fit and feel good about yourself.
2. Night out: This can be with your partner or girlfriends. It helps you remember who you used to be before children and enables you to relax and enjoy the moment.
3. Technology detox: A good dose of less screen time will improve your focus, sleep and help your brain relax and recharge. Disconnect and focus on experiences that genuinely bring you value.
4. Getting out of comfort zone: This is an excellent way to encourage self-development and creativity. Parents can overcome their fears by partaking in activities they usually wouldn’t do.
5. Installing a regular self-pamper day in routine: Mothers and fathers alike, regular self-pampering will help relieve stress, relax muscles and help you recharge and rejuvenate.
“Too often parents give up because they have no one to look after the children or they’ve left everything to the last minute so it is easier to do nothing which often leads to burn out,” Ms Foto further remarked.
“It’s essential parents not only put themselves on their priorities list, but right at the top, guilt free. Taking better care of your mind, body and soul transcends into being a better parent. Children imitate their parents, it’s important to decide what behaviours of yours you want them to emulate. Looking after yourself is a great start.
“Millennials are parenting differently by discarding the one size fits all parenting approach and are navigating social media to form support groups and seek help when needed, something all parents can learn from.”
