Babysitting in the '80s: The Stories We'd Never Tell Our Parents

The Women Are Plotting · Jan 22, 2026 · 38m

What was it really like to babysit in the 1980s?

In this nostalgic, funny, and unexpectedly unsettling episode of The Women Are Plotting, Etienne Rose Olivier, Heidi Willis, and Jane Gari look back on the era when babysitting was practically a rite of passage for teenagers. From earning spending money and learning responsibility to staying up late watching cable TV and raiding someone else's snack cabinet, the hosts remember what made babysitting such a defining part of growing up.

But not every experience was picture-perfect. The conversation takes a surprising turn as each host shares…