How to Find a Good Babysitter
Planning a date night with your spouse would be a cakewalk if it weren’t for the nightmare of searching for a reliable babysitter for the kids. However, for most people, the toughest part of finding a good babysitter is letting go of the anxiety that comes from being away from the kids and wanting to be in control of whatever situations that might come up while you are away. It is natural to be wary when leaving your youngsters with someone who is practically a stranger. Review all of your options until you are comfortable with your choice and are sure that your sitter is both responsible and trustworthy.
Top 5 Tips
Here are 5 tried-and-tested tips to help you along the rocky path of finding a good babysitter.
Join an online parenting group
These online communities are forums where parents share their experiences with bearing and raising children. They even exchange valuable tips and advice for new parents. By joining, you are added to a network with hundreds of parents and have access to leads on a number of potential babysitters. With the help of other members, you can check whether certain candidates are suitable for taking care of your most precious commodities, your kids.
Local colleges
Look up a college or university near your home. Your neighborhood college is an enormous pool of potential childcare help. Generally, colleges have a website with job listings or a careers page where you can post ‘Babysitter Wanted’ ads. Also, college students are likely to be more responsible and experienced babysitters than younger high school kids.
Professional babysitting agencies
You’ll need to spend a bit more money here but it may be worthwhile in the long run. After all, you’re paying for a third party to verify a thorough background check, valid references and to complete a substantial amount of legwork that you couldn’t possibly do by yourself. Another advantage of signing up with an agency is that you can always get a last moment stand-in if your regular babysitter calls in sick.
Swap babysitting duty with friends
Sometimes, the best babysitters are experienced parents like you. If you know the people well enough and have sorted out the details beforehand, swapping babysitting duty with friends comes highly recommended because it is cost-effective and you can trust the people you are leaving your child with.
Ask around for recommendations
A good babysitter is one who is vouched for by trusted friends, neighbors or co-workers. Asking around for recommendations is the key. Ask everyone you trust – family, church, school, neighborhood and so on. But don’t be surprised if the sitter is booked up for weeks – a heavily recommended one is bound to be busy.
