Parenting & New Baby Advice Blog

Posts Tagged ‘finding a babysitter’

When your baby is an infant, the thought of leaving her with anyone is the furthest thing from your mind.  As she grows, and you need to go back to work or just go out and interact with adults, having a trusted, reliable babysitter becomes a necessity.  You cannot leave your children with just anyone, and you cannot leave your children with someone whom you do not trust.  How do you find a sitter who is able to do the job, personable, trustworthy, honest, and who will build a good relationship with your child?

If you have relatives in the area, take advantage.  Most of the time, aunts and uncles love to get their hands on a baby and will gladly watch your little one for a few hours or for the day. It's a gift for new grandma or grandpa to be able to spend time with their precious grandchildren.  If they do it free of charge, so much the better.  If you have a sibling or friend you can rely on, that is another avenue to explore.  You may want to approach the topic of paying them and see what their feelings on the matter are.  You do not want to take advantage of them and alienate a good babysitter.

If you do not have family in the area, word-of -mouth is the best way to find a great babysitter.  Ask your friends, your neighbors, and people in your school or church community with children if they can recommend someone.  You may find that people don’t want to give you their sitter’s name for fear you’ll steal her away when they need her, but most of the time, parents are glad to recommend qualified people to you.

If you’ve just moved to a new area, you may find that your child’s teacher is able to refer you to someone that she knows and trusts.  If you know any high school teachers, ask them if they could recommend several students for the job.  Use your community resources; it is the much more reliable than depending on an ad or interviewing a total stranger.  Other options include calling the Red Cross and getting the names of babysitters who have completed their safety course in your area, advertising at a local college for students who are working in the education or other child-related field, or inquiring about possibilities from your local 4H or Girl Scout troops.   None of this guarantees a perfect baby sitter, so always ask questions and always check references.

Whether you have found someone through friends’ recommendations or by an ad you answered or posted, take the time to interview them thoroughly.  Some people look great on paper but do not handle your children very well.  Ask question after question; you can find lists online of things to ask, and do ask all of them and more.  Gauge the answers in terms of honesty, as well as ability.  Can this person take care of your child, and is she going to treat him well?

When you think you have someone in mind, see how she interacts with your child.  Keep in mind that it may take a while for your child to warm up to her, but watch how she treats him, speaks to him, and see whether she engages him in any way.  Does she offer to play games with him?  Does she ask him questions about school or his hobbies?  Look for someone who is willing to get to know your child.

If you’re still a bit apprehensive, hire her for an evening you are home.  If you’re having a party, for instance, she can keep your child occupied and put him to bed.  This way, she has direct contact with your child and can begin to build a relationship.  At the same time, you’re there in case anything goes wrong or she cannot handle your child.

Leaving your child with a new babysitter is one of the most difficult things a parent has to do.  When you find someone, though, hold on to her! Send her a little thank you gift every now and then to show her she's appreciated. You’ll feel much more comfortable leaving the house, and as importantly, your child will be just as comfortable.

Related Articles:

First Babysitters

Choosing the Right Babysitter

Whether you have recently moved, your old babysitter has retired or you have a new baby, the search for occasional child care can be daunting.  Once you've found some good candidates you need to feel comfortable leaving them alone with your children, so it's a good idea to arrange an interview and possibly even a "trial run" - where you are still in the home but the babysitter is actually in charge of the child(ren).  I have compiled a list of interview questions that are suitable for nearly any age sitter:

• How much experience do you have watching children (as a paid babysitter, older sibling or watching their own kids)? As with any other job, increased pay comes with increased experience so if you have an overall good feeling about your potential sitter, don't let lack of experience be the deciding factor.  You may find an eager beginner who genuinely loves children but doesn't have the experience to back it up yet.  Also, new sitters are more likely to be overachievers to impress their new customers - which is a win-win for you and your child(ren).
• Are you certified in CPR/Infant CPR? While it's not required, you must decide if this is a dealbreaker.
• Why do you want to babysit? If the potential sitter's only response is "for the money", I would be cautious.
• Are you comfortable with my childcare situation? For example, "taking care of an infant", "watching more than 1 child", "having pets in the home", etc.
• Do you have a standard rate? Surprisingly enough, many sitters do not have a "going rate", but prefer to have each parent suggest an hourly wage.  We usually round up to the nearest $5 increment when paying our babysitter, and we'll tip her if she washes the dishes or does a project with the kids.
• How will you get to my house? Depending on the time of day and distance to your house, the sitter may be able to bike to your home, walk, or even drive him or herself.
• How many and what age children are you comfortable with? This question is especially important if you have more than 1 child or if the child is very young.  Even if the babysitter has a lot of experience they may not have cared for an infant before.
• Do you have any references? Depending on your comfort level with the sitter, you may want to call one or two references before offering them a job.  Ask the references if they were happy with the sitter's overall performance and if they are still using him/her. They don't have to say that the babysitter took them to amusement parts and brought them kids gifts for you to want to hire them. Listen for the essentials such as safety, attention to detail, responsibility, all those key things you'll want in a babysitter.

If you get a good feeling from the interview, you may want to ask the potential sitter if they are available for a "trial run" with your kids.  Schedule a time when you have a specific project to do at home (spring cleaning or painting work well) and you want the kids kept busy.  Treat this trial run as an actual babysitting experience, make sure the kids know you are not available during this time and they must go to the sitter if they need anything.  Silently observe the interaction between your child(ren) and the sitter, and make sure to pay him/her for their time.  If you feel comfortable after your trial run then congratulations - you've found someone you can trust to be with your kids while you enjoy some grown up time!

Related Articles:

• First Babysitters
• Choosing the Right Babysitter

When we moved to our new home 5 years ago, the last thought on our mind was finding a new babysitter for our 2 year old son.  But once the dust settled and we had unpacked enough to feel comfortable, my husband and I were yearning for a night out to explore our new town and take a break from the stresses of relocating with a toddler.  Since we had no friends in the area we didn't know how to even start searching for a babysitter, but luckily our daycare provider pointed us in the right direction.  In case you find yourself in a similar situation, here are a few suggestions when you are searching for a babysitter:

1)  Check with the local schools - whether it's high school, community college or a university, ask if they have a Community Relations department and see if they have any recommendations for you.  Speak to the Community Education Department of your local school district and see if they offer babysitting classes.  If they do, some departments will keep a list of students who have passed this course and will give out names and numbers.

2)  Ask your neighbors - if you haven't already, this is a great reason to get to know your neighbors.  They may recommend their babysitter, they may have a child of babysitting age, or they may be willing to babysit themselves!  Maybe you can strike up a deal with your neighbor to trade off babysitting services so you can both enjoy some "adult time" now and then.

3)  Contact your local church - speak to the youth group adviser or religious education leader and ask who they would recommend.

4)  Place an ad in the local paper or on a local website such as Craigslist - although this option may produce numerous results, the responses will be quite varied.  Be sure to screen the applicants carefully and check references before hiring someone.

Once you've found a few potential babysitters, the next step will be to interview and even give them a "trial run".  We'll discuss this more in my next post.

Photo courtesy of lovetojazz.com

Once you've found an amazing babysitter, don't forget to show your appreciate for him/her with a thank you gift. Caring for your precious cargo is one important job! Make sure they know that you're appreciative.

Related Articles:

• First Babysitters
• Choosing the Right Babysitter