One of the most difficult things to do as a parent is find time for yourself, whether that’s uninterrupted time at home, or a night out with friends or your significant other. Once you finally carve out time to get away, you’ve got the hurdle of finding someone who will babysit your kids! Yes, some families are blessed with an awesome support system who will stay home with the little ones, but for everyone else, what are we to do?! Let’s walk through some ways to not only find a willing babysitter but find a sitter that you and your kids are comfortable with.
Start off by asking people you see regularly.
This could be your friends, coworkers, parents from a play group, or even parents in a Facebook group that you are in. If you attend a church or are a part of a religious community, check if they have a community board where people can post and request jobs – there might be someone in that community who would love to babysit for your family!
Also, there are several websites available that will show babysitters in your area. Care.com is a commonly used website that screens all babysitters before allowing them to have a profile. This means you can find a sitter in your area that has already had a background check! You can read through the different profiles and find a sitter who has the skills and interests you are looking for and be confident that they can be trusted.
Once you find a potential babysitter, it is a good idea to do your own research on them.
Don’t be afraid to ask for references and follow up on them! Also, see what other parents have to say about their babysitting skills. If others don’t know the sitter or you don’t feel comfortable asking for references, you can always do your own background checks but know that most of the websites that offer this service charge a fee. And don’t forget about social media! Check out potential sitters’ profiles and look for anything that concerns you.
Another great way to get to know a potential babysitter is to have them over to your house for a short period of time.
This is a nice way for you to get to know them and they can get to know your kids while you are there to observe. Make sure and give them some space to spend time with your kiddos, but you can certainly hang around to see how it goes.
While watching the sitter interact with your kids, try to answer questions like, What is their attitude like? Are they reliable? Do they seem like they enjoy being around kids? Are they on their phone the whole time? And, if your kids are old enough, get their opinion on the potential babysitter. You never know what insights your little ones might have!
Remember, it is okay to have high standards for your babysitter. Don’t ever feel like you have to settle on a babysitter. Give yourself the space and time to make a great choice for you and your family. Chances are, when you meet a reliable and trustworthy babysitter, it will just feel right. If you’d like more tips on choosing a person to babysit your kiddos, reach out to navigation@familyfutures.net.
