Many parents are anxious when it’s time to find a babysitter for the first time. Where to look? Who to ask? How will I know what to pay them when I do find a babysitter? All of these are normal questions for any parent. When you decide that you want a night out alone with your spouse then it’s the perfect time to look for that new babysitter. Here are a few tips on where to find a babysitter for a night out on the town.
Family & Friends- The obvious first choice for most parents is to ask family and/or friends to be their child’s babysitter. This option is especially helpful when your family lives close by. These are people that you know, trust and they understand how you want your children treated while you are away. You can feel at ease knowing that your kids are being taken care of by someone that you trust.
Recommendations- When you don’t have the option of family and/or friends as a babysitter for your children then it is a good idea to get recommendations from people you trust. A close friend or work assiciate may have a great babysitter that they use and could recommend to you. Your pediatrician’s office may even know of some reliable babysitters. Just ask everyone that you know who has children and you may find a new favorite babysitter for your child.
Neighborhood Kids- If you live in a close neighborhood you may be able to find a great babysitter just by looking next door. Is there a teen who you have known for years? Maybe your neighbor has a daughter/granddaughter/niece who is looking for a few babysitting jobs to make a little spending money. There’s no harm in asking and it would be much easier getting your babysitter to and from your home if he or she live right in your own neighborhood.
College Campuses- Your local college campus is a great place to find a reliable babysitter for your children. There are normally bulletin boards placed in various location throughout the campus. The college may even have an office, that you can call, that helps set up students with part time jobs. All you really have to do is hang up fliers and wait for some calls. Most college students are in need of cash and many will be more than happy to make a few dollars by simply watching your children when you have a date night planned with your honey.
Newspaper & Yellow Pages- Sometimes your local newspaper and phone book will be a great source for good babysitters in your area. In your newspaper may see ads like “Mother of two wanting to babysit your children” or something similar. If you look in the phone book there will probably be several babysitting agencies listed. These will generally cost more than a regular person would charge you but the agencies usually go through a strenous background check on all of their sitters so that you know that you are getting an approved babysitter.
Parent Swap- A parent swap is a good idea when looking for a babysitter for your night out. A parent swap is where a few parents trade babysitting duties with each other. For instance, one Friday Mary will watch your kids and the next Friday you will watch her kids. Doing this gives both you and Mary the opportunity to go out and neither of you have to pay a babysitter.
Internet- The internet has always been a wealth of information on any topic imaginable and babysitting is no exception. There are many websites, like BabysitterPlanet.com, available that offer the service of finding you a babysitter and giving babysitters the chance to get their name out there. You can do a search of your zipcode and find babysitters in your area, see a description of them, including age, experience, etc, and then decide if you would like to contact them. You will have to be a member of the site in order to get the contact information so it would be similar, in price, to calling an agency.
In the end, finding a babysitter does not have to be a difficult task. There are many routes that you can go through in order to find just the right babysitter for your child. Be sure to pick someone your children like, who is responsible, kind and takes the job of caring for your children seriously. Pay close attention to age and maturity. You, most likely, wouldn’t want a twelve year old watching your newborn baby. Take time before you leave to watch how your babysitter interacts with your children. How your children feel about the babysitter is one of the most important things to consider.
