{"id":26809,"date":"2015-06-17T07:08:45","date_gmt":"2015-06-17T11:08:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/?p=26809"},"modified":"2021-02-12T10:44:31","modified_gmt":"2021-02-12T15:44:31","slug":"5-things-i-wish-i-knew-about-hiring-babysitters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ahealthysliceoflife.com\/5-things-i-wish-i-knew-about-hiring-babysitters\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Things I Wish I Had Known About Hiring Babysitters"},"content":{"rendered":"

You know that handbook that doesn’t come with having a baby? Well, shocker<\/em>, the same handbook never shows up when dealing with other parenting issues. I’ve done the best I can and learned a lot through trial and error along the way. One category I feel like I’ve learned a lot in is hiring babysitters for the girls. I wish I was lucky enough to have family down the street, but since I’m not, I’ve had to learn how to be on the hiring end of the babysitter game, which isn’t as easy as you may think. Here are some things I’ve learned along the way, based 100% of personal experience<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"helpful<\/a><\/p>\n

1. Consider the age of your sitter based on your needs.<\/strong> I used to think late teens were the ideal age- responsible, needing money, have babysat before… all good stuff right? Well I’ve learned to really consider your circumstances.<\/p>\n

Younger sitters or mother’s helpers (ages 9-12) are fantastic because they really get in there and play with the kids. I had an 11 year old come one day a week last summer when Kaitlyn was a newborn to help me out in the form of playing with Hailey. She was fantastic at creating games and imaginary play. Plus, the price was right ($5\/ hour which her mom told me was still too much).<\/p>\n

However, if you need a sitter to drive your kids places (something I’m not comfortable with yet) or handle more advance tasks (like baths for babies), you probably want to consider a more mature sitter\/nanny. A woman in her 50’s can be wonderful because she is responsible, has often raised children herself (and what is better than first hand experience?!) and may enjoy ‘practicing’ grandma skills while she waits for her own probably college-age kids to marry and have kids.<\/p>\n

2. Word of mouth is the best referral.<\/strong> I get how hard it is to find a sitter when you don’t feel like you know anyone (shout out to those new moms!). I also know that people guard their good sitters something fierce in fear of having them become too busy or prefer another family’s kids over theirs. However, if you can get a referral from a friend\/teacher\/church for a good sitter, I’ve found it works out SO much better in the long run.<\/p>\n

I’ve interviewed people from care.com and sittercity.com. I’ve had friends find fantastic people through those services. However, it’s never worked for me and I felt uncomfortable with interviewing strangers at my home. I’ve had two wonderful sitter\/nannies- one was a referral from a friend who needed more hours than the sitter was able to provide her with (but worked well for my needs) and my current one, who was a referral from a friend in my playgroup. Both have turned out to be GREAT.<\/p>\n

3. Set up an interview, but watch more than listen.<\/strong> I’ve interviewed sitters that had the “right” answers to every question I asked, but they just looked uncomfortable with the girls. Sure I want to know your experience, if you are CPR certified, if you can drive yourself over, but if you shy away from my three year old offering your a pretend grilled cheese, then I’m not sure we are the right fit for each other.<\/p>\n

Some sitters are great with babies, other thrive with school-aged kids. Watch how your potential sitter interacts with your kids’ ages before deciding to hire them or not. My current sitter swooped right in, letting Kaitlyn crawl right up onto her lap for a snuggle while asking Hailey what smelled so good in her play kitchen. Winner.<\/p>\n

4. Be clear about your expectations.<\/strong> Oh man, this one took me a while (and a couple teen sitters) to learn. When I babysat I remember playing with the kids then picking up the house once they went to bed. Well it turns out that isn’t standard protocol. I certainly don’t expect a babysitter to clean my house, but if you make lunch for the girls, then yes, I’d appreciate you putting the dishes away when you are finished. However, it turns out that sitters aren’t mind readers and I was doing a pretty terrible job at setting up my expectations beforehand.<\/p>\n

After lamenting about this to a friend, she generously sent me her rule and information sheet she kept on the fridge for sitters. I loved it! I tweaked it to fit our household and now go over it with sitters (with a slight bashful, oh gosh, I know this makes me sound crazy but just so I don’t forget anything <\/em>tone…) and keep it on the fridge. I find it is best for everyone to know what is expected.<\/p>\n

{Click on the link for the Free Printable} –> Family Rules & Sitter Information Sheet<\/a><\/p>\n

\"house<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Remember that you are the employer.<\/strong> I have a real problem with feeling like the authority when hiring sitters. I’m not sure if it’s because I feel like we are basically the same age (news flash Brittany, you are not 20 years old anymore, even if you feel like it<\/em>) or if I just hate feeling bossy, but I find myself acting like they are a just a girlfriend doing me a big favor. I forget I am paying them good money and though yes, I love them on a personal level (such sweet girls!), I also am hiring them to care for my children (AKA: my whole world), so I need to not be so timid about outlining my expectations or rules. Adulting is tough sometimes.<\/p>\n

Did you babysit when you younger\/now?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What made one babysitting experience better than another?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Parents- how do you choose\/evaluate sitters?<\/strong><\/p>\n

What is most important to you in finding a sitter?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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