Good Parenting

Finding a great babysitter is a monumental task. You and your husband might only go out to dinner once every two weeks but you often find that you need to book the babysitter before you even make the restaurant reservations! Most non-permanent babysitters are teenagers who have very busy schedules of their own. Have you ever sat down a normal teenager and inquired about their daily activities? Not only do they have 7 hours of school a day and at least three hours of homework, they have instrument practice, sports games, and hours of talking time on the phone with their best girl friends every evening. Consider yourself warned for when your toddlers grow up!

Regardless, you need to find a sitter who is reliable, responsible, and available. If you do not have family members on which you can rely near by, then your job is an even more difficult one. Families who have just moved to a new city often have “find a good babysitter” on the top of their to-do lists. A great place to start is your neighborhood, work place, and center of worship. Ask your neighbors if they can recommend someone or you can talk to potential babysitters themselves. Since you are still new in town, you will want to interview every candidate before you hire them.

When you interview a potential sitter, you are looking for a few key characteristics. You do not have to ask hard questions but you do want to get a feel for who the person is and if they are a mature, responsible individual. Ask them if they have ever taken any baby sitting classes. These courses teach sitters how to handle themselves in an emergency, how to put together a babysitter checklist, and basic first aid skills. The more experienced the babysitter, the better! Also, ask her for one or two references, preferably families that she has sat for in the past or for whom she is currently sitting.

Once you have a few possible candidates call them up at least two weeks before you plan to take a night off. Hire whoever is available. Things will turn out well because you did your research! If you are having trouble finding potential babysitters, you should check out babysitter websites. These sites help parents find qualified sitters in their area.