Caregiver needed for Child

Description

We're looking for occasional sitters and respite support for our two boys, ages 11 and 10. They are funny, empathetic, good-hearted kids, and they can also be a handful. We're looking for someone who understands that both of those things can be true at once.

Our oldest is autistic and also has a mood disorder. Our youngest can struggle with anger and frustration. They genuinely love each other, and like most siblings, they also know exactly how to push each other's buttons. What they love: Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering (card games are a huge in for us), Minecraft, their shows, and swimming. If you know your way around a Pokemon deck, you'll have a friend for life. We also have two short-haired cats, so this won't work for anyone with cat allergies.

The right person is calm, consistent, and comfortable holding a clear line kindly. Our kids do best with structure, predictable expectations, and adults who actually listen to them. Experience with autistic kids or kids with emotional and behavioral needs is a big plus, whether that's special education, OT, or something similar.

Most of this job is the stuff that happens before anything escalates. Noticing that the two of them are starting to wind each other up, and pulling out a card game or a walk or a ridiculous challenge to change the direction of the afternoon. Creativity and a willingness to get genuinely into what they're into go a long way here. That said, things do sometimes boil over, so we're also looking for someone comfortable with de-escalation who knows when to give space and when to step in.

The work is occasional and flexible rather than a fixed weekly schedule. Mostly date nights (a few hours in the evening, dinner and bedtime routine) and weekend daytime coverage, sometimes with an outing to the pool or a game shop. Longer term, if it's a good fit for everyone, we'd love occasional overnight respite. We're really looking to build a short list of people we trust who we can reach out to as things come up.

One immediate opportunity: for the next two weeks, our oldest is home from camp and free from about 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. each weekday. This would be one-on-one with him only, not both kids. It's a low-pressure, paid way for us to meet each other and see whether this is a fit before we hand you both boys at once. If it goes well, we'd move into regular occasional coverage from there.

We know we're asking for real skill here, and we pay accordingly. Happy to answer any questions before you commit to anything.