Hi , my son will be travelling with me on our house sits He has a mild form of Autism . He is able to work, live on his own ,take the bus etc. He is thirty five years old. I hesitate to mention the Autism as it might quickly eliminate us from a potential house sit . Then I wonder if house owners would be questioning why a grown adult would be travelling with his mother.
Any feedback would be helpful.
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If we were Ho we would accept him with open arms
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Thank you so much.
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Hi Kathy, I would mention it as it is important from the very beginning to establish a relationship based on trust between HO and sitters. I think the choice of words in your presentation will attract the right persons. For exemple, to say that such experiences allow you to provide some vacations for yourself and for your son based on animal caring and discovering a new area,. That he is a good worker appreciated by his boss and colleagues etc…Let’s not hide our différences, whatever they are. You will sure attract the right HO. I would be one of them if had animals.
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Thank you. I truly appreciate your insight as I had not thought of it in the way you expressed it.
I will update our profile .
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Kathy Hi and welcome to the forum, thank you for asking your question and @Brigitte gives some excellent advice.
Something else to consider, when surveyed the owner’s number one priority, when considering a sitter’s application, are reviews and references. When sitters travel as a family I suggest including a reference for other members of the family, for younger children a teacher or a coach, getting someone, other than their parent to attest to their good character is always great affirmation and can be a source of reassurance.
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Thank you. I have learned so much by posting this question.
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That’s so good to hear Kathy… it’s the hope of all of us in this forum, that our combined experiences will really help others to have their own awesome house sits. We were rejected on a sit years ago because the sitter (who was selected) had a teenager with autism and so did the owner. They connected deeply from the outset because of their shared experiences. As @Brigitte says, you will I’m sure attract the right homeowners through your thoughfulness and honesty. We look forward to following and sharing in your journey with TrustedHousesitters on the forum.
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Thank you. This forum has been very helpful
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Kathy thank you for entrusting your question to our community, so happy you have been supported and found connecting with other members helpful.
Good luck and happy housesitting to you and your family.
First I want to say that my son has not been formally diagnosed with Autism but he is sure that he has also a mild form of it.
As a HO with a house definitely not suited for children when I see “family” I always assume young children and that is a no go so I might not read further. Being that your son is 35 and works remotely would be a non issue for me if I got far enough into your post to learn that he has a very mild form of autism and is a remote worker and helps to care for the pets and the home while I am away.
Because of my knowledge of Autism your situation with your son would be totally fine with me but I wonder if all people understand it. Emphasizing that he is an independent remote online worker that loves to travel would demonstrate his capabilities. I hope this helps a little. And good luck. How nice you can spend this time of your life with your son.
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