Looking for a babysitter?
Find The Right One!

If you're looking for a babysitter then you need to find someone who you can trust with your child. You also need to make sure that you use a babysitter checklist to ensure that the babysitter has everything to hand and you need to agree a good babysitter pay or rate.

Afterall, leaving your children with someone else is a big deal and choosing a babysitter needs to be carefully thought through and researched. If you are in the US you can start some quick and easy research by doing a free babysitter search at Care4hire. The key thing about having a babysitter is that everyone involved needs to feel safe and happy with the arrangement.

First, who can babysit?

When you are looking for a babysitter family such as grandparents or aunts or uncles are often the first choice. They're already known to your child, are usually flexible and are generally free of charge.

However, beware, families don't always get on and their idea of parenting may be quite different to yours! It is generally far trickier to set house rules with family members. Also be clear about the arrangement - is it a swap or just a favour?

Often relations are simply too far away to make babysitting practical.

Recommendations

When you are looking for a babysitter recommendations are usually the best way to find someone suitable. Other parents often need a babysitter so ask other parents who they use. Particularly ask your neighbours - it's likely that they use a babysitter from a local family, perhaps a teenager who likes children and wants to earn some extra money.

Having someone very local makes it handy for arriving and getting home easily - otherwise you may need to drop your babysitter off when you get home. It also may be reassuring to know that their parents are just a few doors down in case they need any help.

Join A Babysitting Circle

When you are looking for a babysitter a babysitting circle may suit you. Often other mothers babysit for each other and this is formalized in a babysitting circle.

Details of a local babysitting circle are often advertised at your nursery or local playgroup. When you babysit for someone you gain "credits" and then you can use these credits for when you are looking for a babysitter yourself.

Credits can be gained during the day so you can bring your own children with you and then you can arrange to go out leaving the children with a mother from the babysitting circle.

One snag of a babysitting circle is that someone from the circle may be able to babysit for you but you would not personally know them. You need to know the babysitter, trust them and your child needs to know your babysitter too before you leave them alone.

The main plus side of a babysitter circle is that as it's done on a credit basis, it doesn't cost any money and babysitter pay is not an issue.

Use A Local Babysitting Agency

When you are looking for a babysitter it is simple to check your local telephone directory or internet. There are agencies who have interviewed and vetted babysitters so you should get someone reliable.

The upside is that you should have no problem getting a babysitter, the downside is that the babysitter pay will be higher, and more importantly you nor your child will know the babysitter personally.

Babysitter Interview

Once you have a few names and numbers of possible babysitters and before you need a babysitter, you may want to interview them to get a feel for their personality and also to get some basic essential information. Here's a list of useful questions to ask:

• What experience do you have with children?
• Do you have any first aid qualifications or experience?
• Have you completed any babysitting courses?
• What do you like about children?
• What don't you like about children?
• What would you do in an emergency?
• What would you be happy to do with the children?
• What hobbies do you have?
• Do you drive?
• How often would you like to babysit?
• What times and days suit you?

It may be sufficient to carry out a babysitter interview over the phone and then if that goes well then you could book them for a short babysitting session so that you and your children can get to know them.

Alternatively you may like to interview them at your house so that if appropriate, you can see how they get along with your children there and then.

Getting To Know Your Babysitter

Before you leave your children alone with your babysitter, you and your children need to get to know her. Book in your babysitter to look after the children for a couple of hours when you are at home.

You can then be around but you can also leave your children with the babysitter alone. Keep an ear out and hear how they get along.

Involve your children in a fun way from the start of your babysitter's visit. You can let your children show their new babysitter their toys and around parts of your house. Also show them yourselves so that you can point out the first aid kit is, fire extinguishers, refreshments, and anything that they might need.

Do you like the way the babysitter is talking and playing with your children? Ideally you want your babysitter to play with your children, listen to them and be able to hold boundaries calmly and with due care.

In this first visit, go through the babysitter checklist with them and be sure to be clear about any house rules such as:

• no smoking
• use of their cell/,mobile phone
• use of the computer/internet
• use of the house phone
• use of the TV (only child appropriate programmes)
• whether visitors are allowed
• what to do with the children
• cooking or preparing food for the children

When the babysitter leaves speak to your children about whether they liked the babysitter and ask what they did with them, even if you know. You simply want to hear how your children speak about your babysitter.

If they are positive and eager, then wonderful, that is an excellent start. If they are negative, then, you may need to either try again with the same person or start looking for a babysitter from scratch again. Your children, as well as you, have to be happy with the person who is looking after them.

When you book a babysitter for the second or third time, leave the babysitter and go out somewhere. You are gradually letting the babysitter look after the children and are letting the children get to know the babysitter.

Having a babysitter for the first time can be a big step for you and doing it gradually will help you feel comfortable and confident that you are doing the right thing. And when you got out make sure your mobile is charged!

When you feel confident that there is a good, caring relationship then you can book your babysitter for an evening and bedtime. In this scenario have your children ready for bed. They will enjoy your babysitter reading stories to them, and then be clear that they need to stay in bed and go to sleep, just like normal.

If they will not go to sleep, ask the babysitter to read stories to them, do not let them come out of bed or play around. Stories are calming and they will eventually go to sleep - it may take a while but they will.

Appreciate Your Babysitter!

• Treat them with respect. Come back when you say you will. If you are held up then call them and let them know.
• Leave some refreshments for them!
• Be generous with your babysitter pay and pay in increments of half hours. If you go into the next half hour then pay them for the next full half hour. A good babysitter is very valuable - you are trusting your children with them and therefore a babysitter has a very big responsibility.
• Show them how the TV works!

A good babysitter is such a bonus to your life. When you are looking for a babysitter take your time so that you can find a babysitter who you and your children get along with. Then when you go out not only is it a treat for you, it's also a treat for your children!

When you are looking for a babysitter take your time and don't panic if you can't find the right person straight away. Keep looking for a babysitter, keep asking people and you soon will fine someone. With the right person looking after your children you can go out, relax and have some fun! You deserve it!