Being a hands-on mother with a full-time job is not easy in Hong Kong. When they want a night off, it is difficult to find a babysitter who lives nearby.
This is when Rent-A-Mum comes in handy. Instead of having mothers running all over the city trying to find the perfect babysitter, the company does it for you.
With hourly rates starting at HK$144, bookings must be for at least four hours. Parents need only call about 30 minutes beforehand to book a babysitter.
Mainly targeting the expatriate community, the company makes sure that all babysitters are from similar backgrounds to its clients and understand how expats raise their children. 'There are three requirements for babysitters: they must be a native English speaker with a similar background to our clients, they must be at least 19 years old and they must have high moral standards so that they can be a positive role model for the children,' says Shirley Robinson, owner and manager of Rent-A-Mum.
There are about 120 babysitters in the company, including British, northern Europeans, Americans, Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans.
Overnight stays are also available, but parents have to provide transport costs, or set up a room for the babysitter. Charges are also more expensive, starting from HK$1,000 per night. The babysitters can do more than just stay at home with the children for the entire booking.
They can also act as tour guides and take children, whose parents may be in Hong Kong for business and don't have much leisure time, around the city on fun and educational trips.