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Tips to Finding Babysitters

Finding babysitters to look after your precious little ones is not an easy job. Depending on when and how often a baby sitter is needed will dictate how they are found. The babysitter has to be reliable, excellent with kids and not prone to pay attention to everything but the kids. Finding responsible teens to babysit on the weekends or those occasions’ mom and dad go out can be tricky. At one time finding babysitter’s was as easy as calling the nearest grandmother, aunt or cousin to take care of the kids.

Checking around the neighborhood might find a babysitter or two. Ask other parents who they use for babysitting. Ask the parents if they mind you calling the babysitter to work. It may be possible for an acquaintance to have a teen available for babysitting duty. Knowing the family of the sitter brings some peace of mind to the parents hiring that sitter. Teens who tend to party it up might not be such a good candidate to babysit. There is always the possibility of finding the party is on upon arrival home.

Babysitting classes are sometimes offered by the local Red Cross, YMCA, the high school, library or church. The classes address such things as entertaining the kids with age appropriate games and stories, what to do in case of an emergency, basic first aid and CPR. They also address questions the sitter should ask the parents about their kids. The classes are geared to teens but anyone interested in taking the classes are invited to attend. These agencies will keep a list of available persons and match them to parents in need of a reliable babysitter.

There are a number of babysitting web sites that allow sitters to list their advertisement for babysitting services. The advertisements usually have the background, experience and age of the sitter along with their availability. Parents can scan the advertisements usually by zip code and find local baby sitters. A sitter or known family in the neighborhood may also be listed. The web sites are typically family oriented sites that also has information about how to interview a sitter and how to handle a sitter that is perfect on paper and in an interview but is not that great in reality. They also contain babysitting tips and do’s and do not’s of babysitting.

One last option is a child care agency. They have a list of approved sitters that met certain qualifications and standards. They have been interviewed by the agency and are matched with clients wanting to hire a sitter. The sitters usually complete an approved babysitting class and might even work on a trial basis before being hired permanently. Before a parent hires a babysitter from an agency, they should also interview the potential sitter. An agency retains sitters with all availabilities. They might be available full time, part time, just on weekends or in the evenings. They may be short term or long term and any duration of time in between. If possible, have the babysitter and kids meet before the sitter is hired. It is necessary for the kids and sitter to get along. It might save a lot of heartache in the future.

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Colby Brister is a writer for My Baby Bedding Shop and is the loving parent of two. One boy and one girl. His children are all grown up now but he loves writing about children and giving tips on certain scenarios that parents are faced with along the way. Colby sure hopes that you have found this article helpful. Colby would like for you to check out his baby boy bedding his Crib Set and his Isabella Bedding.