tips for finding a babysitter?

[markio26]

we are gonna keep our 7 yr. old granddaughter and her 2 yr. old brother for the entire summer... i know i have to plan ahead, make arrangements, interview and get to know the sitter... any suggestions... i know we will be going to a few events where they cannot go....like a wedding reception, maybe my son can take them home after an hour or so... how much are you paying for a babysitter???

[abowers]

Depends on the age (of the babysitter)... In Rochester NY I babysat all throughout college and was paid $8-10/hour for anywhere from 1 to 3 kids, sometimes 4. Here in wealthy Princeton, I'm paid $12/hour (I'm 22 now) to watch 2 well-behaved kids.

Back when I was in middle school to highschool I was paid like $3-6/hour (3 in middle school and 6 in high school). I don't know how much of that increase over the past 9-10 years is due to inflation and how much is due to parents paying more for an older, more reliable babysitter.

I.e. in college I think I was a big advantage over high school students, because I had a car. For some of the families I watched I would drive the kids to their after school activities or pick them up from school, etc.

[bama20]

we pay 140/wk for our babysitter. she is cutting us a deal though next year. we are going to pay 180 for 2 kids, since one of ours is going to be 2 years old and is not much trouble at all. she is great with the kids too. good luck.

[PRICEPLUS]

Wow it sure is expensive! Thank God for the relatives living nearby!

[abowers]

As for actually finding the babysitter, put an ad in the classified section of the paper, or post flyers at a nearby college (I saw tons of flyers at my college year round looking for babysitters)

My friend just accepted a Live-in Nanny position, she just graduated from college and is wanting to work a year or two before applying to grad school -- she found the family/they found her through the website: www.greatnannies.com There is also www.enannysource.com You don't have to pay anything to make a profile, and You don't have to pay the website when you find a match.
You can set up a profile both as a "nanny" and as a "family" and post what you are looking for -- i.e. full time, part time, occasional, what hours, etc.

You can set up an interview with the person and ask for references from families the prospective babysitter has watched before.

[markio26]

thanks for the great info.. the comments are greatly appreciated.

[eisor]

I know around here, when I was in high school it paid about $10/hour. As for where to look, if you attend church, that might be a good place to start. I'm sure there are many young people who'd love to have the job.

[debtfreeme]

Not sure if you mean day care or the occasional outing babysitter.

if just an occasional one: make sure they know first aid/cpr, they know emergency numbers, games and activities to keep the kids busy. Have them come over and interact with the kids for a while. If you expect them to drive the kids someplace ask for a copy of their insurance and a check of their driving record.

Get referrals from people you know who might use babys sitters.

[34saving]

Do you know a local youth pastor or high school teacher? They could probably recommend someone. My good students were making $10-12 in high school. You could also try the kids of your neighbors. Those are often good because the neighbors will serve as "back-up" if something weird happens.

[tgavin71]

Wish I was close by. I'm looking for work as a nanny.

[PrincessPerky]

I have no idea the cost that is rather relative, but I highly recomend you look for someone who likes to form a relationship, and do some 'test' trips.

We recently found a girl who loves to play with our kids, and we tested her out on about an hour and half, while the kids were working on sleep...I needed DH to be able to pick nme up and she just stayed here for the prebed routine with DH (*good practice for her doing it in the futuyre) and then while he got me she was there...She did great, te kids fell asleep,a nd we are willing to test her more and for longer.

She is a kid (14, alsmost 15) and is open to suggestions, so when she does something with teh kids I feel comfertable mentioning my method, and my reasoning, she learns about kids, and I get a hand.

[markio26]

i am having a problem with ppl. who don't follow thru, when sitting the kids... they half do their job... no story book reading at bedtime, etc... complaining about lil things that are dumb...etc. how do you deal with this???

[tgavin71]

I don't think you can expect a baby sitter to do the exact same as you do. It is important to be flexible. I know it is important that kids have a story at bedtime but missing out once in a while is not going to do any harm. The sitter may have games and ideas that you are different to yours. As long as they keep the kids safe and happy and I wouldn't worry about the finer details.

[abowers]

I do exactly as expected of me when I babysit, but then again I am a college graduate, and am going on 23, and am paid $10-12+/hr because the families I babysit know that I am responsible and will do what I am supposed to.

The other morning I went to the family's house; finished getting the kids ready (because dad had an 8 am mtg), brought them to preschool, then went to my job. I left my apt at 7:15am, got to their house at 7:30, gave them breakfast, got them ready, left for preschool at 8:40, got to preschoolat 9:00, and was on my way at about 9:20. I was paid $40 for "my troubles" as this was a last minute request, but also they trusted me to get the kids where they needed to be safely and on time.

[PrincessPerky]

Originally Posted by markio26

i am having a problem with ppl. who don't follow thru, when sitting the kids... they half do their job... no story book reading at bedtime, etc... complaining about lil things that are dumb...etc. how do you deal with this???

Well anytime you get a babysitter, bedtime will be off a bit, but if the kids managed reasonably close to proper time, and arn't too terrible the next day it all worked out ok.

On the other hand if the complaints of misbehavior are about bedtime, suggest that it might have been easier with the recomended story....

IMO 'babysitting' is all loss of personal time till they are asleep..so while being a mom I cna be online while they are here playing, if I were babysitting, I would feel I was being paid to play with them/interact...so if that is the problem, tell you r babysitter what you expect..and pay them accordingly.

[markio26]

kids were really on their best behavior.... lexie and chase said they enjoy story time, and lexie did all of the work, even helped chase dress for bed, and she showered him too, put his baby powders and lotion on him, and helped him with his cruisers, even....
the sitter was on her cell phone complaining about the kids to someone else?????? i wish i knew that earlier... the other sitter played with them out in the yard and did not follow any of the schedule... very immature at 29 years old, i thought...

[PrincessPerky]

And that is why I never have babysitters