Searching for a Sitter?

With it being Valentines week, I'm sure many of you are looking forward to a romantic night out soon. But who will you leave the kids with? Family or friends may not be available, and there might be times you find yourself leaving your children with a baby sitter, whom you may or may not know so well. So how do you go about finding the right person to watch your children while you are gone? My dear friend Colleen Hjort, owner of A Unique Nanny Agency in Des Moines, has offered up a few tips for finding the perfect baby sitter. Colleen has years of babysitting and nanny experience, and currently offers a babysitting service through her agency. She carefully screens and monitors all of her child care providers and knows just what to find out about them. My thanks to her for volunteering her advice.

Colleen says: When you first interview the babysitter, be sure that you have questions written down that are important to you. Ask about their experience, any education they've received dealing with children, come up with emergency scenarios to see how they would deal with them, and be sure that they're certified in CPR and First Aid.

Do your homework before you hire a babysitter. Find out what the going rate is for babysitters in your area. Ask friends, neighbors, and people you know that babysit. There are also a few online websites that will tell you what you should be paying depending on the number of children, the babysitter's experience level, etc. Talk with the babysitter about this before you agree to have them come babysit. Keep in mind that a dollar or two more an hour isn't going to break the bank and might be the difference between a good babysitter and a great babysitter.

Have your children meet the potential babysitter under your supervision. See how they interact with your children. Don't be afraid to get your child's input also. Once the potential sitter has left, ask the kids what they thought. After all, most children are blatantly honest (which is a very good thing in this situation).

If you have a child that isn't yet vocal, it might be a good idea to invest in some sort of nanny cam. They are available online for $100 and up. This allows you to see what goes on when you're not at home and make sure that the babysitter is paying attention to your child the way they should.

Once you decide to hire the babysitter, ask them to come for just an hour or two while you and your spouse run errands or visit friends in the neighborhood. This gives the sitter and the kids a trial run to see how things go. When you get home, ask the sitter how it went (preferably without the kids around). You want to make sure that this person is comfortable with you and honest about how the evening went. Once the sitter leaves, ask the kids what they did and what they think of the babysitter.

Finally, go with your gut. I know that this sounds silly to some people, but it amazes me how many people hire the first babysitter that comes along, even though it may not be a great fit. You'll know within the first few minutes if this person is going to get along well with your child.

I hope that with Colleen's advice, you can find just the right person to be with your children when you can't. With a reliable, caring and knowledgeable sitter, your time away from home should be so much more relaxing. Thank you again, Colleen. If you would like more information about A Unique Nanny Agency, you can visit her website at www.auniquenanny.com, or her blog at www.auniquenannyagency.blogspot.com. The blog is full of information, including info about how to make sure your newly hired sitter is ready for success. Now get out there and plan some YOU time!

-Posted by Stacie Lopeman (a.k.a. Miss Stacie)