For some people, going viral online takes years, if it ever happens at all. For Chelsea Anderson (@chelsea_explains on Instagram, or @ChelseaExplainsItAll on TikTok), it happened in one video.
In her first-ever post, Anderson identified herself as the Michael Jordan of babysitting who could get kids to do just about anything without a fight, and as parents, all of our ears collectively perked up. The video focused on turning bedtime into a PJ fashion show, in which models must put on their favorite pajamas, comb hair and brush teeth, and strut to bed to win… nothing really, but everyone had fun and no fights were had.
Michael Jordan of babysitting indeed, the parenting internet agreed. Parents don’t often appreciate advice from childfree people, but when Chelsea posts, we listen. “And it kind of just exploded from there,” Anderson says of her journey online.
“I truly always loved kids, and I think that really clicked for me when I started babysitting. I also remember very clearly what it was like to be a kid, and I thought that was common, but I think it's maybe a little bit more rare as I talk to other adults. I'm like, ‘You don't remember exactly what that felt like in second grade at recess?’ My memory of my childhood helps me come up with all these ideas. I just shared one on a whim, and then parents wanted more, and I was like, I got a million, and I'm so happy to share.”
Scary Mommy spoke to Anderson about her best tips and tricks for surviving the rest of the summer while the kids are home, and her partnership with Pirate’s Booty to promote their imaginative play guide, which is available to download for free online.
Scary Mommy: You are famously not a mom, but you have still gained this position of authority in the online parenting space. So I'm curious, is there something you see very clearly about kids that maybe the rest of us are too deep in the trenches to have noticed?
Chelsea Anderson: I think that I see myself almost more as an authority on play than parenting. I certainly don't want to give anyone parenting advice, but sharing stuff that I've seen work across hundreds of kids and letting parents try that with their kids has been so fun.
Maybe what I see that some parents might be missing is that it just takes so little to prompt a kid into imaginative play. It doesn't have to be super complex, so a lot of the videos that I post and a lot of the ideas in Captain Bob's Summer Quest are just that jumping-off point that you might need to end up with an afternoon of fun, even though you're just using some paper towels.
SM: What are some of your laziest, low-lift hacks when it comes to keeping kids entertained? Like, it's too hot to go outside, and I don't want you watching TV for the fourth hour in a row?
CA: My biggest one is invention. Kids are such natural inventors ... Once you give your kids some materials and permission to invent, they will take it from there. You can attach any type of story. I always tell parents, like, keep a close eye on your recycling. There's probably so much in there that you could wash out and store to the side, and when you're in a pinch and you just want to be on the couch, give your kids permission to invent with.
SM: I loved your video about “magic words” and how you can sort of hack how people respond to you by how you speak to them. Do you have any favorite magic words you use on kids?
CA: I think one of my biggest ones, this is a little bit more of an idea than just words, but it's to imagine how a character would do something that perhaps your kid would not be so inclined to do. So perhaps a pet bunny would be more willing to eat vegetables than a little kid, or a pirate might be more willing to walk with a peg leg to the car. It's always a little bit of a magic cheat code to add just that little bit of story. What if we were someone else who would like doing this thing versus who we really are?
SM: What’s the most magical thing a kid has ever taught you?
CA: Oh, that's such a good question. Honestly, I think it's to commit to the bit. Kids are so committed instantly to play. They're not worried about, you know, if they're doing a good job or if they're acting something out perfectly. I’ve really applied that, honestly, to my whole life because perfection can stop us so quickly from trying anything. And when you bring that energy of play to anything in life, it lowers the stakes and it opens your problem-solving ability, your imagination.
SM: This invention convo makes me wonder, what have you noticed parents might overspend on that maybe we don’t need to? Maybe the answer is toys if they’d be just as happy with an old milk jug.
CA: It's toys that only do one thing, I think. When a toy is really specific about what it does, it gets boring pretty quickly. And it's almost counterintuitive because, a lot of the time, the toys kids play with the longest don't look that exciting. They might just be blocks or like colorful scarves or stuff in your recycling bin. But because they can be creators instead of consumers with those items, they tend to inspire better play and longer play.
SM: We are all thinking about our kids’ screen time a lot right now because it’s summer, and just beating ourselves up over how we’re caring for our children who are out of school while trying to work. Help? What do we do?
CA: What I’ve noticed from babysitting for at this point over 20 years is that kids are just as creative now as they always have been. So if you give them a jumping-off point like what's in Captain Bob's Summer Quest, that’ll just get them started. That's going to work across age groups, across generations, because kids are just, they're naturally so creative.
Parents put a lot of pressure on themselves to make these Pinterest-perfect moments. What I love about this activity guide is that it makes it so easy, and that something being fun and easy are not mutually exclusive. If one family downloaded this guide and had one afternoon where they weren't on screens, I would consider that a total win.
This interview has been edited lightly for length and clarity.
source https://www.scarymommy.com/lifestyle/chelsea-anderson-interview-michael-jordan-of-babysitting-kid-summer-tips
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