Northwestern sororities are producing philanthropists, socialites and now, professional baby sitters.
North Shore Nannies, once the dominant Cook County child care provider, is watching as Greeks use sisterhood to make both friends and money.
Many NU sororities are now interacting directly with the families of Evanston and other surrounding suburbs through baby-sitting e-mail lists, sorority members said. Families can send in requests for a sitter, specifying a date and time, and the requests reaches the women subscribed to the lists.
And the e-mail lists are growing, the sorority sitters said.
“I know when I was in college, I would have loved the opportunity to make some extra money,” said Evanston resident Jennifer Morrison, who has three kids. “I baby-sat all the time in high school, but when I went to college it was harder to find the resources.”
Participating sorority members said they share the same enthusiasm.
“It’s a great way to make money,” said Communication freshman Lauren Wiefels. “No taxes, immediate payment, fully stocked pantries. What more could you want?”
But some students said they are skeptical about the concept.
“My sorority doesn’t have a baby-sitting listserv,” Weinberg junior Sindhuri Narra said. “Honestly, I don’t know if I would participate if we did. I don’t have a car on campus and I’m pretty bad with kids.”
Evanston mothers also expressed hesitation.
Jennifer Koutouras called it “a little creepy.”
“I have no idea whether the girls coming to my house are trustworthy or not,” she said. “Trusting them with my house and kids when I’m not there is a big risk as a mother.”
Despite these trust barriers, the sorority members said the e-mail lists are becoming increasingly popular. Local parents said they are relying on referrals by known friends, NU’s reputation and an accumulation of past positive baby-sitting experiences to tackle the fears associated with the unknown.
Evanston mother Kristen Toton, who uses sorority sitters, admitted that at first she wasn’t comfortable leaving her 3-year-old son with someone she didn’t know because of the responsibility associated with his allergies.
But after getting the e-mail list address from a friend who had used it, Toton said she felt more comfortable.
Still, she said she is careful about the sitters she chooses.
“I like to look at the way they reply to my request,” she said.
Risk in baby-sitting is not unique to sorority sitters, Morrison said.
She cited the local professional business North Shore Nannies, which she once used.
“They’re a name that any family in the Evanston area would know,” she said. “But even they can send you unpleasant people.”
Like Toton, Morrison said her knowledge of the system began from a recommendation by a distant acquaintance.
“It’s all about a friend of a friend of a friend who had a good experience,” she said. “I liked my sitter. I like NU. So I like the listserv.”
“Plus,” Morrison said, “It’s a great way to connect to a larger network of girls.”
