Babysitters?
By kayla_7602
@kayla_7602 (704)
Canada
February 20, 2009 12:04pm CST
Hey
So I was wondering how everyone finds a babysitter. Picking someone you trust in so important, as well as someone your kids like. Me personally have been blessed, and on very few occassion have had to find a babysitter who is not in my family.
My mom and dad babysit for me alot. It is great it gives my son time to spend with them...and for the most part they love when they get to have him down. I also have a sister, and cousin who babysit for me, as well as aunt, and even my grandmother has on occassion. Which is really great I think it special and wonderful when kids get to spend that quality time with thier grandparents, and greatgrand parents, and well as cousina and aunts and uncles.
On the off change that someone in my family cannot babysit for me. I have a few family freinds who have kids at the perfect age to watch my son. I have this 1 girl in particular who is 15 going on 16. She is so great with kids, and gets right down and plays with them. My son truly loves when she watches him.
My family will normally accept no money for sitting, none of them will let us pay lol. I love my family they are all so great and we are very close. The girl i have babysit though...we usally pay her $20 this would be from dinner until around 11. We also suppy her with dinner cooked and ready for the both of them, snacks, movies, we pick her up, and then take her back home. My son is usally sleeping by 8:30 and then she has access to the internet and unlimited long distance calling, which she loves becuase she moved recently and has lots of freinds back in her own town.
How do you choose a babysitter? Do you think family can make a great choice? and how much do you typically pay a sitter?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@jessi0887 (2788)
• United States
20 Feb 09
Usually i rarely need one. If i need one my family doesn't charge me. If i was to ever actually seek someone full time or so then i would use care.com. I love that site.
1 person likes this
@jessi0887 (2788)
• United States
20 Feb 09
care.com allows you to sign up to find local babysitters. On there you can find ones with experience and review there profile before actually talking to them. Some have references available and some have background checks avaible. Its real easy to use and my sister and i both use it.
@bamakelly (5191)
• United States
20 Feb 09
That is good if you are able to count on someone to babysit. Entrusting a child to another person while you are away is very important. You want them to treat your child as if they were their own.
I have a five year old son and I have a hard time finding someone because I live in a rural area and I don't know a whole lot of people.
I wish I could have an easier time though.
@bamakelly (5191)
• United States
20 Feb 09
Well, like I said in my response I am living in a more rural area now. It is not the city where I think I could find someone a little easier to watch my son. I have been having problems because I had someone in mind but the girl is eighteen years old and seems to have a busy life which sounds reasonable enough to me.
I haven't heard from her since I asked her if she would like to watch my son and I even told her I would pay her of course. I thought that maybe a girl that age could use the extra money.
Other then that case I am a stay at home mother right now and I do love my son it is just that I think my husband and I need to get out and spend alone time together. It is only normal in my opinion.
@kayla_7602 (704)
• Canada
20 Feb 09
Of course it's normal to want alone time with your husband. I actually think that it is reccommended at least once a month. Thats the worst thing with good sitters...they are at that age where they also have a busy social life so it can be hard to book them.
@kayla_7602 (704)
• Canada
20 Feb 09
I dont know what your going throug...but i can imagine. That was my main reason for starting this discussion. I am lucky with my family...and then the girl who babysits, in a close family freinds daughter. So i know all these people well and they know me, my son and our routines. I truly feel blessed because of this.
SO then after calling my dad to ask him to watch my son tonight...i thought of how hard it would be if i didnt have all the wonderful people to watch him. I though what would i do...and then i started the discussion.
I feel for how hard it must be for you..and I wish you all the best of luck in always finding the right person to leave in care of your children!
1 person likes this
@jashley1 (746)
• United States
20 Feb 09
This is the story of my life! You are truly very blessed to have family nearby with whom you trust and allow to watch your children! My husband and my families are both far away and we do have close friends, but have moved about an hour away from the majority of our friends, and even when we did live close, they have their own children so we never asked anyone to babysit for us. We have three children, all very young - the oldest being five. I have tried to find sitters for my children using Craigslist - but I'm very weary of who I meet on there. A lot of people have flaked on initial appointments and I really am very cautious and protective over who I leave my children with. I actually started sitting one day a week for a family and the mother and I have grown pretty close to where she was avail to watch two of my children the other day when my husband and I had to be somewhere that wouldn't allow children. However, I still am searching actively for a good reliable sitter because my husband and I really want to incorporate date nights at least once a month - leaving all of our children at home! This is very important for a relationship and we desperately miss one on one time to just enjoy each other's company. Prayerfully we will find someone nice soon. As far as rates go, I only charge $8.00 per hour for two kids, one being an infant, both not potty trained, and I do this to be very reasonable during this time. I'd like to pay $10 per hour for all three of my children, however, having had on a few occasions had my neighbor watch all three of my kids, I've had to pay $15.00 per hour which breaks the bank!!
@kayla_7602 (704)
• Canada
20 Feb 09
I guess that would break the bank! I also watch kids sometimes....however i think i rip myself off...i only charge 25 a day...food and crafts and all included. This sometimes turns into 11 and 12 hour days...and i begin to wonder if i am being taken advantage of?
