Sitter advice - XP

NeonNoon

Hi. I'm looking for some advice on hiring a sitter for the first time.  

I posted an ad on an online service (Sittercity) and got lots of responses but the quality of the applicants was quite poor and the majority would have to drive 30 mins to get to my house. Before I post another ad on a competitor's site, I'd like to make sure I don't have unreasonable expectations.

I am looking for a mother's helper once a week for 2 hrs with additional occasional babysitting. I'm trying to build a relationship with the right person since LO, who is 20 months old, has never been with a sitter. Is 2 hrs too small a block? I'm offering a decent hourly rate for my city (I asked around). I'm also asking for some help picking up and cleaning messes - but nothing big.

I could stretch my budget to offer 3 hrs but it's not what I want, really. LO is still nursing and he has trouble getting to sleep. So, I'm not expecting the sitter to handle bedtime or give him milk.

Another thing I can think of that might be putting people off is DH works from home, which I mentioned in the ad. Do you think that would be a concern? I can't do much about it except provide reassurance that there wouldn't be much interference.

TIA

meggyme

Maybe look for a part time nanny instead of a babysitter? I feel like you might tend to get people more serious about childcare as a career.

BumpasaurusRex

@NeonNoon May I ask why you want help for such a short amount of time?  A mother's helper would typically expect more hours and I think that may be why you aren't having any luck finding someone.

Honestly, I would probably look for an actual babysitter, as those types of jobs tend to be more sporadic and intermittent.  Whereas a mother's helper or nanny may look for positions with more hours/days.
 

NeonNoon

Thanks @BumpasaurusRex, that's quite useful.

That's just what suits our schedule best. Looks like there's no getting around offering more hours. The responses I got were mostly from babysitters.