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By the way, I've seen the teens that hangout at the local playground I take my kids to, and although they look like nice kids the things that come out of their mouth aren't. I was pushing my oldest on the swing and I heard two girls about 14 years old talking on their cell phones (to boys I assume) about going on lesbian dates and drinking. Other times I've heard kids talking about smoking weed, taking Zanax and prescription meds, etc. We live in a very nice small town but when I hear kids like that talking smack it makes me very wary of hiring a kid.
try them out first as a mother's helper for the afternoon, where you can be there to watch how they are with the kids.
ask other parents for recommendations.
ask your kids and LISTEN to what they say they like or don't like about the babysitter
if uneasy with babysitter choices, consider trading with other parents for nights out, that worked best for me when they were infants especially, i really didn't trust anyone with my kids except other parents i knew, and we all could use the night out so it worked great; plus it didn't cost anything, we just traded our time.
as far as driving and whatnot, again i only ever used other parents in that regard, try to join or start a babysitting co-op, if you don't know any other parents, go to some parent-child classes and meet other parents there. I didn't have to be best friends with the mom or anything, just see that they were someone I could trust with my kids. The bonus of that too is they get a playmate to play with, the boys were always less cranky when some other kid was around, and played better together too
I'm unsure where you're located but if there's a university/college nearby, check them out. You can often find college students willing to babysit, especially if they're in child education or some related field.
I know people who have used & recommend all 3 of these sites:
I was a day care provider for 7 1/2 years. I was licensed by the state. They came into my home and there were pop in inspections, I was finger printed, background check my home was inspected. You may want to check with children's services in your county and they can give you an idea. When you do choose someone please do not let the fact that your children cry when you drop them off detour you. If they have never stayed with a sitter this will probably happen. Question the sitter of how long your child cried after you left. As far as a teenager there are benefits to that they don't drive that is actually a plus. You probably don't want your children in a vehicle with someone else. Also they will usually come to your house and they are usually cheaper. My daughter is 15 she babysits in my home she charges $2 hr for 1 kids and I am there so they still have the adult supervision with out having to pay for it.
Many pre-school teachers will also work as babysitters - you have the security that they have been thoroughly background checked. If you feel you would be happy leaving your children in their care during the day, then they should be fine in the evening too....
Maybe you could call a few of the local pre-schools and speak to the manager and ask their advice? The YMCA also has a pre-school in most areas, and they seem to have older staff in my area.
Also, summer camps have trained and checked staff who may be available.
Or - another thought - don't you know any parents with young kids in your area? Ask them if they know anyone, or even do a swap with them, take turns at sitting each other's kids!
Good luck!
You've gotten good suggestions on where to look for babysitters. I've personally felt more comfortable with moms or other adults who are experienced working with children. Mature teenagers can work, but I would first try them while I'm at home for a while before trusting them alone with my kids.
One thing I learned the first time I looked for a sitter is not to trust glowing references and agency screenings alone. If I had not gotten the prospective sitter's written permission to do our own check, I would have never learned she had 3 recent DUIs in neighboring states.
Once you find a sitter you trust and like (as well as your children), keep her happy. They are a treasure. Good luck!
I wouldn't really consider the swap thing unless it was a best friend situation. Just because people have kids doesn't mean they will know what to do if an emergency strikes or that they don't allow their kids to watch tv all night, play violent video games, eat candy, curse, you get the idea. I would take background checks and CPR certification over a neighbor any day of the week.
Local college or preschools/daycares and friends. We are similar and just used my son's preschool teacher to babysit. She's kind of a slacker type but I know she's been background checked, CPR certified and my son likes her so it was an easy choice. But we're debating using her again because of her blase attitude toward babysitting...I guess we just feel you should babysit because you love kids, not money.
I don't think I would ever use the internet. I would consider using an agency though. And if the kids are that young, absolutely get a nanny cam.
Depending on where you are, sitters average say $9 an hour for toddlers and up with a $1 premium for infants and $1 each additional child. That's the middle of the scale. I would also factor in sleeping...once the kids are asleep and if they are the type that stay asleep, I think the $1 per kid premium goes out the window for those hours. We paid our sitter $12 an hour to watch a well behaved 2.5 year old, 4 year old, and 4 month old for the 6 hours she was here...and boy did that hurt!
Heck...who would babystitt for $9? The average I know starts by at least $12 or $15. Per kid, if you have two to watch of course you'll get paid more!
Heck...who would babystitt for $9? The average I know starts by at least $12 or $15. Per kid, if you have two to watch of course you'll get paid more!
It varies by area. Most kids here make about $5/hour for multiple kids. No one would pay a teenager $15/hour to babysit here. Daycare providers make about $3/hour/child here.
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Babysitter
