With no family nearby I was struggling with finding someone to watch my kids a few hours a week so I could work.
I work part time so I did not want to do full time daycare.
We are in a city where the closest family we have is about 5 hours away so that has never been an option for us.
We are also at a point in our lives where my husband and I would like to go on the occasional kid-free date so it was time to seek out a sitter for those occasions as well.
If you are like me you know that looking for childcare can feel a bit scary…and my top priority was to find someone that I could trust and that my kids enjoyed as well.
In this post you will find information about:
- How to Find a Babysitter Near Me
- Top Babysitter Interview Questions
- Babysitter Average cost: What should you pay them?
- Babysitter duties: What should you expect?
- Babysitter Checklist
- Frequently Asked Questions
How to Find a Babysitter You Can Trust
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How to Find a Babysitter Near Me
The first way to seek out a babysitter is to ask friends or family for recommendations.
This is a great starting point because they have a history already and you can ask questions to see if they would be a good fit for you and your children before you even talk to the actual sitter.
Another option is to look in your neighborhood.
The first two babysitters that we hired were actually highschool students that were living in our neighborhood.
This was great because we knew the sitters parents and there was no need for transportation.
Most recently though I needed daytime hours an neither of my previous sitters could do that so I need to find another way.
I used this website and I found a sitter super fast….like in a week!
A huge bonus…My kids love her and always look forward to the days that she comes!
I posted a job and had a few applicants apply.
I also scrolled through the different caregivers that were in my area and sent messages to the ones that I was interested in.
I had quite a few to choose from and was so happy and relived to find someone that suited our family and situation so well.
Here are some questions that I asked when interviewing for my babysitter position.
Babysitter Interview Questions
In order to find the right fit for you and your kiddos you will want to get to know the sitter before you hire them for a job especially if it is reoccurring.
You could ask questions through text, email, phone interview, or see if they are up for meeting in person.
Here is a list of topics and questions you may want to discuss when finding your sitter.
- Hours and availability
- Past experience
- What ages are they comfortable watching?
- Are they CPR certified?
- How many children can they watch at a time?
- Do they want to meet beforehand to see if you are a good fit?
- What duties are they comfortable doing? Changing diapers, making meals, ect.
- What do you like best about working with kids?
- Rate of pay
- Transportation: Do they need a ride or can they come to you?
- Are they comfortable with pets? Do they have any allergies?
Babysitter Average Cost: What should you pay them?
I had no clue what to pay my babysitter at first.
I wanted to make sure that I was paying them the correct wage so I started to search for information on how to do just that.
I stumbled on this calculator which was perfect for a wage.
It takes into experience how many kids you have, what state you live in, and how much experience the sitter has.
Click here to try out the babysitting rate calculator.
Babysitter Duties: What should you expect?
What babysitter duties should you expect?
When looking for a sitter I found the most important duties to be that they make sure all of the children’s basic needs are met and that the kids would feel safe and have fun.
This includes things like diaper changes, helping with bathroom use or potty training, and feeding them.
I also wanted someone that just enjoyed being around children and that the kids would have fun with.
Personally, I wanted my sitter to focus more on the kids and less on doing things around the house.
To make things easiest for my sitter I try to lay some things out ahead of time.
I may set out ideas for snacks and I usually prep lunch as well.
I also put out some open ended craft supplies so that they can play as well.
My kids are ages 3 and 5 so how you prepare for your sitter and what duties you expect will be dependent on the age of your children.
For babies doing things like laying out diapers or preparing milk or formula ahead of time could be helpful.
Babysitter Checklist
You will want to leave a babysitter checklist so that they know what they need to do and also important information about your home or where you will be and how to get ahold of you.
Here are some things you may want to put on it especially if you have someone that is new to babysitting.
- Your phone number
- Where you will be
- Emergency backup information
- How often feeding or meals need to happen
- Any allergies or medical information about your child
- Likes and dislikes of your child
- Tips on how to comfort the child
- House rules
- Where safety supplies is at
What are you waiting for?
Now that we have covered the basics on how to find a reliable and trustworthy babysitter for your family it is time to get started!
This was a lot easier than I expected and have had our babysitter for a few weeks now and things are going great!
Click here to find a babysitter in your area.
Asking neighbors, friends, family, and using online services can help you find a person that fits well with your family. You will want to make sure to get information about your potential babysitters experience and do an interview to see if they are a good fit for you and your family.
You can start by getting recommendations from family, friends, and neighbors at first. Using online services to help find one can be helpful as well because you will be able to learn quite a bit about a person even before you meet them.
You will want to take into consideration their experience and where you live. Using a babysitter rate calculator can be helpful to figure out how much you should pay the babysitter.
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Kayla O’Neill has a master’s degree in education as well as a bachelor’s degree in special education with an emphasis in early childhood education. She has been working as a developmental therapist with babies and toddlers in early intervention since 2012. She is also a mom with two young children.