How to Hire a Babysitter

July 8th, 2009 by Mike

Do you ever feel like taking a break off from your kids some days? Or have an engagement where you just can’t bring along your kids? Never hired a babysitter before? Here are three easy tips to get you started:

Ask Around

Asking around friends and family generally works quite well. Friends and families who have kids may know of a reliable babysitter they want to recommend. Even if they don’t know of one, they might have teenagers who can look after your children, or if their own kids can’t look after yours, they might ask their children to ask their friends. Never underestimate the wide networking relationships you can build up just from asking around.

Looking for Eager and Cheap Babysitters

Try a local high school or community college for students looking for ways to earn money. If the school has a career center, try posting up an ad with all your requirements in their jobs section. If not, posting ads around the school will also work. Leave an e-mail address instead of a phone number so that pranksters won’t spam up your lines all day. When you get interested applicants (and you usually do), schedule a face to face interview so you know just what kind of person you’re hiring. Fees for teenagers generally range from six dollars to ten dollars depending on where you live.

Posting an Ad

Maybe you’re looking for a more professional babysitter. If you need a reliable and professional babysitter, try posting up an ad in the local papers. These sitters may be slightly more expensive, but they generally have more experience and some may even be certified in CPR or First Aid. When you get callers, arrange a face to face meeting. Have your kids meet the sitter so they can voice their opinions. It’s not a good idea to hire a sitter who the kids can’t get along with.

Hiring a babysitter can be a tricky business. The hardest part is finding workers, but after that it’s just a matter on who you decide you want. It’s usually best to hire someone you already know, or someone who has already proved themselves reliable to friends and family. Once you’ve found someone you like, let them meet your kids. Watch how they handle themselves around your children. Make sure they’re always watchful of what your children are doing, and also make sure that they can stand up to tantrums and calm them down. Once you’ve chosen your person, start talking about wages. Try to set an amount that you both feel comfortable with, make sure you pay if they work for more than they asked for or else you’ll end up with no one wanting to work for you.