Choosing the Right Babysitter

One of the hardest factors for me in deciding to go back to school to obtain my RN was coming to realization that my two girls would need to be away from me sometimes... I know, I know, breaks are good... I need 'me time', blah, blah... I get that. I do have those times, but for me, having to hire an actual babysitter is different.

Pre-baby, I would never have envisioned myself as having a hard time with leaving my babies and getting all paranoid and crazy... Then babies popped out, and I'm about as crazy and paranoid as they come! I will protect these girls to the end...

Here's how we found the perfect sitter for us!

These girls mean the world to me!

Anyway, back to needing a babysitter... With only 1 income right now, our babysitting budget is very limited, so we did the best we could and found what we thought was a good match... a sweet old lady who had been running a daycare for 40 years... except it turned out to not be that great, and she turned out to not be that sweet... Without going into details, I felt like our girls were 'safe', but that was about it... My kids were completely filthy every time I picked them up and I could tell they hated going...

After a few months of feeling trapped there because I didn't think we could afford anyone else, I finally came to a breaking point last Tuesday. I told my husband I refused to take the girls back there and he agreed that was the best thing... but now what?! This time, we had to find someone perfect, but where to start? Here's what worked for us, and helped me find someone perfect for our family!

Finding the Perfect Babysitter

1. Know where to look. There are lots of great places to look on the internet. Care.com and Sittercity.com are great. I think that Care.com has their people already screened and background checked, which I love! I've also looked on craigslist.com, but only to browse... that kind of scares me... For us, I decided to go through my Facebook friends and see if anyone came to mind. I forgot about an old friend from high school and it ended up being a great fit for us! You can also look in your  local newspaper.
2. Ask, Ask, Ask! Do not underestimate the power of asking another mom! I think this is where I went wrong the first time around. There are a bajillion moms all around you who know other moms and who know more moms. ASK them. Do they know of anyone? Will they babysit for you? A lot of mama's are trying to make ends meet so they can stay home with their own kiddos. Maybe they are looking for some extra cash flow and it would be a win-win for both of you! I called a few people from a mom's group I go to and within an hour, there were about 5 new contacts I had who were possibilities. 
3. Talk to them. Once you find someone who might work, TALK. Tell them what you are looking for. Is a strict schedule important to you? Are you looking for someone who will have structured activities or a more go-with-the-flow atmosphere. Is it important to you that they have the same values? Do they live near a park or have outdoor time? Where will your children be napping, etc? For me, it was helpful to think about my children's daily lives at home and go through a day in my head, writing my questions from there. After our first babysitter didn't work out, I was also able to tell her what I didn't want. Don't be afraid to talk about those things too! These are your babies we're talking about here, so you have to be the one to speak up for them. Check references too! Above all, go with your gut. If you still don't feel comfortable even after references and everything 'sounds' good... start over. :-)
4. Let your kids meet them. After you feel comfortable with a babysitter and you feel confident in them, it's time for them to meet your kids. How do they act around them? I have an introvert and an extrovert... I needed someone who knew how to connect with both of them, and make them feel at ease while I was gone. If all is still going well after your kids have met them, there's only one more step.
5. Hire them! Now that you feel confident in your decision, it's time to set your schedule and go to work, school, the gym, errands, whatever it is that you need to do,  go! Great job! You've taken the necessary time and precautions to find a great babysitter that your family will love.

If after interviewing and letting your kids meet your babysitter and you still aren't sure about them, find someone else! There are lots of great people out there, you just need to find them. Don't settle like I did the first time, there is someone out there who is going to be a great fit for your family!