For families
Sitters who get high-energy kids
ADHD does not look like one thing. Some kids run through their dinner and forget what page they were reading. Others have to be reminded six times that the dishes are still in the sink. A good sitter for an ADHD kid is one who is not surprised by either, and not punitive about either.
Our sitters work with high-energy kids during the week — at school, in classrooms, in afterschool programs. They know what helps and what does not. They are not going to take your kid's phone away as a first move. They are not going to confuse your kid for a kid who is being difficult on purpose.
What to expect
What your Sidekick will and won't do
- Sitters who plan ahead. They glance through the kid profile before they accept the booking and arrive with one or two ideas for how to keep your kid engaged.
- Comfort with transitions that take longer than they should. Bedtime is a process, not a switch — and our sitters do not pretend otherwise.
- Patience with the same instruction said twice. Three times. Four. Without making your kid feel like the problem.
- Real boundaries. Just because the sitter is gentle does not mean they are pushovers. Screen-time rules from your notes get followed.
Boundaries
What we don't do
- The sitter is sitting, not delivering professional services. They do not write session notes, do not run a behavior plan, do not chart anything.
- We do not bill insurance or Medicaid. Cash pay, full stop.
- We do not administer prescription medications. If your kid takes a stimulant in the evening as part of your house routine, the sitter can be the person to hand it over per your written instructions, but they do not calculate, measure, or document.
- We do not market our sitters as ADHD coaches. They are sitters with day jobs in the field.
Booking tips
How to set up a good first booking
- Use the kid profile to flag the stuff that matters most — usually transitions, screens, and homework. Sitters read it before they accept.
- For homework time during the booking, list the subjects and a rough time budget per assignment in the notes. The sitter can hold the line without being the bad guy.
- If your kid has a fidget kit or chewy that helps, mention it. The sitter can offer it without making a thing of it.
- Favorite sitters who click with your kid. Repeat bookings work better and your matches get smarter.
Common questions
- Will the sitter be okay if my kid has trouble winding down at bedtime?
- Yes. This is the most common evening scenario our sitters handle. They follow your written routine and they do not invent new ones.
- Can the sitter help with homework?
- Yes — homework supervision is in scope. They will keep your kid at the table for the time you have allotted. They will not, however, do the homework for them, and they will not tutor in a subject the booking notes have not asked them to.
- What if my kid resists everything during the booking?
- If something is genuinely not working, the sitter will text you. We are not in the business of force or threats. The sitter has a few moves but if they have all failed, we want a parent in the loop early, not late.
- Are your sitters trained in ADHD specifically?
- They are trained in their day jobs — RBTs, DSPs, paraeducators, SpEd teachers — and many of them work with ADHD kids constantly. None of them are certified as ADHD specialists, because that is not a standard credential, and we are not going to pretend otherwise.
Other kid profiles we sit for
Common bookings
Find a Sidekick in your city
Their Sidekick already knows it.
Tell us about your kid; we'll match you with someone whose day-job experience fits.