Babysitters?

eatmorecupcakes

I have no idea what to ask a babysitter.  I feel like such a newb!  We don't have any family in the area so I figured it would be a good idea to at least have a backup plan in case something happens and we need someone to watch LO or in case we (gasp!) go on a date.

I am meeting with a friend of a friend tomorrow and I'm not sure exactly what I should ask.  She babysits for my friend sometimes so I at least have that recommendation.  She's in her twenties, wife of a fire fighter and actually moved here from the town that we used to live in. (Not that it makes a difference, but it makes me feel good for some weird reason.)

For those of you that have used babysitters, how did you know you had a good one?  I guess this is truly a, "Holy eff I really AM a parent" moment.

Monsieur_et_Madame_Ha

Hmmm...

Knowing she comes recommended from a friend you know and trust is already a big plus.

Now here are some questions I would ask on top of my head:

- Years of experience
- Other experience (camp counselor, etc.)
- CPR training
- Any other training (childhood education, etc.) 
- Ask her about her best/worst time babysitting?

Good luck - We don't have a baby sitter either but we have some great neighbours who have offered to watch the girls for us. One of them actually teaches early childhood intervention (!!!) so I feel like we hit the jackpot of awesome neighbours!

S-Tuna

Will she cook dinner and or give baths? How late is she willing to stay? Are there any times she won't be available on a consistent basis? How many other families does she sit for? (Those last 2 will give you an idea of how busy she is and how far in advance you'll need to book her.) Does she accept same day or last minute jobs if she is available?

MrsCase1

Just butting in here... I teach babysitting safety and CPR for a living, and when I recently needed to hire a sitter for Lincoln, I almost keeled over and died at how expensive it is....for a teenager to come over. I think it is awesome you found an adult; hopefully she is affordable. I mean, obviously you get what you pay for and I want the most qualified person doing the sitting, but the cost here is literally so high it would be prohibitive to hire out. Guess we're not going on any dates unless the grandparents can babysit! Boo! The kids in my classes always ask me how much to charge and I tell them to ask around for the rate in their area. I now know the kids in my small town are making a killllllling! Gah!

Monsieur_et_Madame_Ha

Mrs Case:

Just butting in here... I teach babysitting safety and CPR for a living, and when I recently needed to hire a sitter for Lincoln, I almost keeled over and died at how expensive it is....for a teenager to come over.

You've got me curious - How much DO kids charge in your area? I know here it's about $5/hour, but if you hire someone a bit older/more qualified through an agency, it's more like $10 - $12/hour. Yikes.