Our godson is very interested in doing housesitting, as we do. He is 17 years old and is a very responsible and polite person.
We would love him to enjoy housesitting as much as we do, so we are thinking of including him in our next trip, of course explaining to the HO who he is and why he wants to come with us.
We think it is necessary for him to live the experience, as it is not only travelling for free, but it also entails responsibilities.
Do you think it is a good idea? As HO what would you think?
Just a quick question, when you say “traveling for free”, do you mean work exchange lodging? Or is there someway we get reimbursed for travel expenses? That would even things out quite a bit!
I would think people who have the space would be very accommodating to 2 experienced and 1 in training house sitter, if that was mentioned in the original apply. And your grandson has very cool grandparents, to encourage him to spread his wings
As a sitter, I think that’s a wonderful idea to introduce your godson to house and pet sitting and as he gets older he can experience it on his own. My son and daughter-in-law recently went on a vacation and enlisted a teenager in their neighborhood to come in and feed and play with their cats. It was the teenage boy’s first real paid job. They came home to two healthy and happy cats who basically ignored them which made them realize how much this young boy had really taken good care of their cats.
What i mean with travelling for free (i didnt express correctly), it was more about free accomodation. I dont want him to think that you do housesitting and you dont have responsabilities.
I think it’s great that he will have experienced sitters to show him how to do things correctly. Not only what to do, but what to think about and how to clean the house etc. I would have been grateful for some guidance when we started out! Just include this in your application, and pick a large house with lots of different animals, so that he can get a feeling for a whole menagerie
If he is interested, this seems to be a marvelous opportunity for all of you. I am certain that he will be an asset as a sitter and travel companion.
As a suggestion, incorporate him into your profile during those periods he would be traveling with you. Emphasize his strengths, experiences with animals, eagerness and abilities with animals and any other characteristics that would be an asset to a HO.
Sure, why not? You might have fewer opportunities since you would need a place with at least 2-3 bedrooms and not every HO is interested in having more than 1-2 people, but there are definitely suitable sits out there and you’ll have some quality time with your godson!
I think it’s a great idea to teach your godson about housesitting by experiencing a housesit with you. I housesit with my sons aged 13 and 11 and they are really helpful, get involved with all the jobs and the end of sit cleaning. Applying for a sit with a few animals is a great idea, not only to build experience. More hands mean more dogs can be walked, or that different animals needs can be met at the same time.
Sounds like a great idea and I wouldnt steer away from you as an applicant because of it. With out mini farm, I actually prefer 2, 3 or 4 people families.
Hi Esthereus, I think it’s a great idea!! I did it with my young sister (I’m 19 years older than her), and it was a very good experience for her. Of course, I explained this to the HO in advance. On the other hand, I have to say that I had more rejections than when I applied as a couple or a solo traveler, which I think it’s perfectly understandable. Hope it helps! Myriam
I think it is a great idea. When we gave up our permanent address two years ago my mother-in-law was worried that we had fallen on hard times! She just could not understand the concept of pet/house sitting.
Last year, we decided to take her on a sit with us. The first potential home host we asked agreed and was more than happy for the three of us to sit for her.
My mother-in-law had the time of her life and has a much better understanding of what it entails now that she has experienced it first-hand.
I think this is FANTASTIC! We would certainly welcome this arrangement in our home (if we had enough space and everyone felt comfortable with the accommodations). We also think that this would be great for our dog as it exposes him to a different dynamic in his care. We hope to accomplish the same thing with our young daughter (16mo old) but we have found it a challenge to find HO’s that are willing to accept such a young child in their home…I do think having a teen in the home is more appealing to HO’s especially if they had many pets the extra help is always appealing.
well done and best wishes to all