Setting up after-school care

Say you need someone three afternoons a week: school pickup at 3, snack and homework, until you're home at 6. On Wyndy, that starts as a recurring job with one trial date. You book a sitter for the trial, and if it's a good fit, you keep booking them for the days that follow.

How recurring care works

A recurring job tells sitters two things: the trial date, and the days you'll need care going forward. "All sitters that apply should be available for your recurring needs." Each sitter who applies confirms they can regularly work on your days.

Each job on Wyndy covers one block of time on one day. The trial is one job, and each afternoon after it is its own job too. More detail is in Recurring care.

Post the recurring job

1. Open the Jobs tab and tap Post a job.

2. Switch to Recurring and tap Choose trial date.

   A short explainer, "Recurring care, made simple.", opens the first time. The screen title changes to Select trial date.

3. Pick the trial date and times.

   Choose the first afternoon you want covered, then set Start time and End time to match a typical day, for example 3:00 to 6:00 pm.

4. Tap your days on Select recurring days.

   "Choose the days you'll need care going forward." For our example, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You can't change the days once the job is posted.

5. Pick the kids, then describe the job.

   On Describe the job, write out a typical afternoon and tap the tasks that apply, such as Feeding for snack and Driving if they'll drive.

6. Set your location, arrival notes and rate.

   Use the Meeting spot for where the sitter comes in when they get back from school. Smart Rate suggests a rate from what families nearby pay for similar jobs.

7. Choose who sees it and tap Post Job.

   The Job Summary shows a RECURRING CARE section with your days, so check it before you post.

The success screen lists four steps: sitters will apply, browse applicants, book your trial job, and "Great fit? Keep working together."

What to put in an after-school description

Pick up our 7-year-old from Lincoln Elementary at 3:05 (car pickup line). Snack at home, then 30 minutes of reading and homework. Park or backyard if it's nice out. We're home by 6.

• The school run: which school, what time and how pickup works. Pickup codes and the school's authorized pickup list are for a message once you've booked.
• Homework: what help you expect, and how long.
• Snacks and allergies: what they can have. Put allergies in each child's Specific needs or Notes too.
• Activities: practices, playdates or screen time rules.

Choose and book your trial sitter

1. Open the job from the Jobs tab when sitters apply.

   You're notified as each one applies.

2. Read profiles with the whole schedule in mind.

   You're choosing someone for months, not one afternoon. Look at how long they've been on Wyndy, their class year, and reviews from other regular families. See Choosing the right sitter.

3. Tap Confirm Booking, then Book for trial date.

   The confirmation reads "Book {Name} for your trial date". The success screen says "{Name} is booked for your trial date!" and "This is the first step toward ongoing care for your recurring needs."

After the trial

When you pay for the trial, the wrap-up asks "Was it a great fit?" and says that if it went well, "you and {Name} can set up an ongoing schedule that works for you both." Tap Message {Name} to agree on the plan.

1. Agree on the schedule in chat.

   Confirm the days, times, the start of the run, and any weeks off for school breaks.

2. Open your sitter's profile and tap Book again.

   It shows on any sitter you've booked before, with how many times and when last. It starts a new job with your sitter already on it.

3. Send it only to your sitter.

   On Post to, your sitter is pinned at the top, already ticked. Leave everything under Also post to... unticked to keep it between you. Your sitter gets "{Your name} invited you", applies, and you confirm the booking.

Add your sitter to your favorites at the wrap-up too. Once they've finished a job for you, they're also on your Previously booked list. On Post to, you can tick either list and pick only them, and they show first if they apply.

What it costs

Each afternoon is 3 hours at $20 an hour, with a 15% tip. That's $60 for your sitter and $9 in tips each time.

Without a membership, each afternoon carries a 20% service fee (here $13.80) and 3.5% processing. Members pay no service fee and 2.9% processing. At this schedule, the membership's $191.99 a year is covered in about 5 weeks. See Does membership pay off?

Good to know

• Without a membership, your chat with a sitter closes 24 hours after each job's scheduled end. Members keep chatting after a job, which helps when you're planning week to week.
• Every afternoon you book follows the usual cancellation rules: free up to 24 hours before, then a $20 fee to your sitter. Cancel school holidays well ahead.
• If your sitter cancels an afternoon before it starts, Wyndy reposts that job and alerts you as sitters apply.
• Each afternoon is paid separately, after your sitter submits their hours for that day.

Questions

Does Wyndy book the whole term for me?

No. The recurring job finds a sitter who can do your days and books the trial. After that, you book each afternoon with your sitter using Book again.

What if the trial doesn't go well?

Pay for the trial as usual and leave an honest rating. Then post a new recurring job with a new trial date.

Can I change my days later?

Not on a posted job. Post a new job with the new days, or agree the change with your sitter and book the new days as you go.

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