Olga Lopatina and Emiliano Beltrami start booking three months before their annual pilgrimage to Mykonos, Greece in August.
They don’t forget to snag a table at Scorpios, a bohemian beach club facing the Aegean Sea, and Lío, the island’s star-studded cabaret-style restaurant. “I’ve booked for six people before I know which of my friends are coming,” said Beltrami, 45. milan Along with his family, is a real estate entrepreneur. “That’s what you have to do to get a table.”
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The most important appointment they make (and one of the hardest to get) is for nannies who specialize in late night care for children aged 2 and 4.
Party hotspots across Europe—from Mykonos, where beautiful people drink down magnums of rosé in seaside clubs to Ibiza, Spain, where drug-enhanced DJ sets play until sunrise—are popping up all-day childcare agencies. I was. night.
Many of these babysitters — some clients call them disco nanny — Has a graduate degree in education, is fluent in multiple languages, teaches art classes and swim classes. They arrive at the tourist’s villa or hotel while their parents prepare to go out. They spend the night and sometimes stay until the next day their parents’ hangover has subsided. are available.)
For parents who can afford it, these services offer a rare opportunity to let go. Confident that their children are safe, many even get a glimpse of their former lives before parental responsibilities took hold. It is an opportunity to do something that is possible.
Before having children, former model Lopatina, 38, and her husband to drink Dance all night by the sea under the stars.
“In Mykonos, everyone lived the way they wanted,” Beltrami said. “We partyed as much as our bodies allowed.”
After that, I had two children, but with the help of my nanny, I was able to spend at least half the nights alone in Mykonos. “Some nights are meeting friends and trying out new trendy restaurants and clubs,” he said. “When I go out alone, I try to feel a little younger.”
These nanny agencies are enjoying a booming business as travel restrictions are lifted and parents who stayed home tirelessly with their children early in the pandemic are eager for summer vacations.
“Business is up 15%,” said Fani Cotura, who owns Lopatina and Beltrami’s favorite agency, Mykonos Best Nannies. “This summer has been very busy and many people want an overnight babysitter. dinner and clubbing.
Demand is so high, she says, that some people book up to a year in advance. “I had a client who had just booked a nanny for her baby in her womb,” said Cotula.
Paula Férico Mari, owner of Kids & Co., a nanny agency in Ibiza with María López Munoz, estimates that business has increased by 20% to 30% since last year. “Many of our nannies stay with the children from 10 at night until 6 in the morning, or until 2 pm so that the parents can sleep and rest. ‘ she said. Most of her clients are from Europe, she said, but she also takes requests from Americans, Australians and other nationalities.
New hotels are also joining the trend, offering 24-hour babysitting services. Six Senses Ibiza, which opened in July 2021, has a dedicated playground where nannies can bring the kids while parents sleep. Karesma Mykonos, which has a private pool in every room, also opened last year, telling customers it can secure sitters. Any time, day or night.
The nanny service costs about 20-30 euros per hour (approximately the same in dollars).
Of course, having a hard-partying client, especially one who uses alcohol or other substances, comes with a certain amount of risk.
Christina Bosmans, owner of island babysitting agency Kids in Ibiza, says her best clients are fully aware of how long they’ll be out and about whether they need an overnight nanny. “If you say you’re just going out to dinner and then come home at 7 a.m., it creates a problem with your schedule,” she said. is.
New hotels are also joining the trend, offering 24-hour babysitting services. (Representative image/Freepik)
“We could write a book about what we saw, the circumstances our nanny found herself in, and the questionable parenting choices adults made while on vacation in Ibiza,” she added in an email. She began to screen her clients more rigorously and only hires new clients whom she deems to be respectful.
Kotoula of Mykonos Best Nannis said she can only recall one negative experience with her drunken parents. “One time, I had this couple and they were so tired they couldn’t pay for a babysitter and they went straight to bed,” she said with a laugh. “So the nanny had to wait there until she woke up.”
Alba Serres, 26, who hails from Elche, a city in southeastern Spain, but lives in Ibiza to work as a nanny during the summer, said most parents respect and appreciate her. I am always very grateful,” she said. “We’re helping them take a break and have some fun.”
She usually charges overnight and stays until 4pm the next day. “She wakes up with the kids, eats breakfast, plays games, and sometimes hangs out. swimming with them,” she said. “I will stay with them until they feel better and are ready to be with their children.”
Sellés also said she would meet her parents at a restaurant while they enjoyed their morning and post-recovery lunches. She watches the children at another table while her parents nurse a Bloody Mary and eat breakfast sandwiches at several restaurants on the island, including El Chiringuito, a seaside restaurant with a live DJ. There is a supervised children only area. There are beach toys, play equipment, and other kids to keep the little ones entertained for hours.
Some parents say the nanny services they get while on vacation are better than they find at home.
“We don’t have this facility in England, so I’m rarely at home. Date night in Ibiza.”
The couple has a three-and-a-half-year-old and a newborn. So when I come to Ibiza, I try to spend up to six months a year there. babysitter A service they can trust.
“When we go to Ibiza, we’re very lucky to get a little grown-up time,” said Lauren Jones. trying to go out It’s not a club per se, you go out for dinner that starts at sunset and lasts until 2 or 3am.
Nick Jones said it felt like he could have a few more drinks than usual because he knew his kids were safe and well taken care of. I’m happy to know that I can do this and that my children will be taken care of,” he said. Moving on to Sangria.
The couple are looking forward to having their children a little older and being able to use the agency’s recovery services.
“We haven’t used it yet, but I wouldn’t say we haven’t used it at all,” says Lauren Jones. “It’s great to be able to go out and do what you love and feel safe.”
This article was originally published in The New York Times.
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