how does one find a baby-sitter who won't

joyco · May 2010

kill my children, molest them, beat them, kidnap them...

I'm about ready to kick my MIL in her fvcking horse teeth after Friday night, so it seems like I need to find a baby-sitter I'm NOT related to.

I'm anxious about the whole process so please tell me where to start and maybe what I can expect to be paying for someone who has no prior convictions.

thank you.

texansarah · May 2010

As a former babysitter, the people who I worked for found me through word of mouth (sorry, that probably doesn't help), my sorority's alumni babysitting list, and one through a flier I posted at a rec center. Another option is to talk to day care workers at the YMCA/gym or talk to the day cares in your area to see if anyone there might be interested.

Then interview, then do a criminal background check on the one or two you are really interested in and call references. At the time, I was paid $10-12 an hour. They usually rounded up for daytime work and down for night-time (when the kids were sleeping). HTH!

sejabernathy · May 2010

i sooo know how you are feeling. we are looking for someone to sit for us (rather than paying over $1200 monthly at daycare) when we move to shiner.

do you just need one for the summer?

schwietRDH · May 2010

If you are looking for someone for the summer, I've actually been looking for babysitting jobs. (I just finished school and plan on going to work aroung November after LO is a few months old) I taught preschool for several years and that's how most of the parents that I sit for found me. I still occasionally watch many of those kiddos and get get you plenty of references if you wanted.

Also, a good friend of mine was the School Age Director at the same preschool. After she left, she nannied for about a year and now she's a SAHM. She is also looking for more families to sit. I know that her background has been checked thru the nanny agency she used and we were both checked through the Children's Courtyard. HTH!

jakbtx · May 2010

i have found mine through word of mouth, but a friend searched high and low on CL and hirealonghorn last fall and she had the most success with first placing an ad, then sending a list of questions to the people who answered her ads. i can't remember the #s, but out of like 15-20 responders, only ~5 or so answered her email ??s. so she went from there, it was a good weedout method. i plan to do something similar if I have to go that route someday. hope you find someone!

joyco · May 2010

schwietRDH:
If you are looking for someone for the summer, I've actually been looking for babysitting jobs. (I just finished school and plan on going to work aroung November after LO is a few months old) I taught preschool for several years and that's how most of the parents that I sit for found me. I still occasionally watch many of those kiddos and get get you plenty of references if you wanted.
Also, a good friend of mine was the School Age Director at the same preschool. After she left, she nannied for about a year and now she's a SAHM. She is also looking for more families to sit. I know that her background has been checked thru the nanny agency she used and we were both checked through the Children's Courtyard. HTH!

I don't live in Austin, I live in New Braunfels, so I'm not sure that would be too much of a drive for you. Also, would you WANT to watch two little busy boys as far along as you are??

Thanks for the comments, ladies. I'd love any questions you can think of for me to help weed out any crazies. I'll start calling day cares around town and visit the YMCA too, great idea.

lrb · May 2010

Why don't you call Texas State... either their education department, child development department or student life and see if they have suggestions. Southwestern (up here in GT) has a list of students from their child devl program. You can call the department, give them the details of what you need and they will contact that list, who in turn will contact you if you are a fit for one another. Worth a shot to call. If nothing, you could probably post something up on a board up at the university.

btrrcupbride · May 2010

Not sure how old you are looking for but my DD (almost 15) could do it. She is CPR/First Aid certified and has a LOT of experience w/ LOs from sitting DD for us. DS could drive her down and pick her up, or stay to help.
I would be willing to come down and watch them for you sometimes too.
I am about 30 minutes away and don't mind the drive at all.
Are you looking for something consistent, or just the occasional night out?

ETA: I can assure you we would not do any of the awful things you mentioned, but I do have a traffic ticket or two on my record!

I worked in childcare and elementary school for eight years before marrying DH. Email me if you wanna talk about it more.
btrrcup31806 at yahoo

heybabe · May 2010

Ditto Tx State idea. I found our PT nanny/sitter 2 yrs ago through a Mommy Mixer, but once we got in with the college crowd, it has been a nearly endless supply of girls wanting to babysit. Our nanny graduated, then her bff sat for us the next year, now her roommate will sit for us this summer & then the bff's younger sis wants to sit after older sis graduates. It's a gold mine if you find the right circle of girls. eta: it's different with two, I know. The sitter really has to be on their toes. With each new sitter we started off with them coming & helping while at least one us was home (doing things around the house). Then we moved up to sitting at night while we got ready to go out, teaching her/helping get at least the baby down, then leaving once they were asleep. Then once we were comfy they knew what they were doing & could handle it, we have left them to handle things. Sorry that got so long!

kellenickle · May 2010

I know your boys aren't in daycare - do you have friends who use daycare near you? Maybe they could ask the teachers they know.

Our regular sitter is one of DD's old teachers (when she was in the baby room) at daycare. I feel totally comfortable with her bc she knows DD, but also because I've seen her "handling" 6 toddlers at once!

I also know that our daycare does criminal background checks/first aid/cpr, etc, so I didn't have to worry about that. Our daycare actually has a list of all the teachers that want to babysit too at the front desk.

I was/still am totally paranoid, so I get where you are coming from!!

ali-1411 · May 2010

Our babysitter is my friend's daughter. She lives down the street from us. I've also heard of other teenagers in our neighborhood that babysit, I'm going to look into them, too.

Check out Sittercity.com

brideonjuly8 · May 2010

I have no advice, we are lucky enough to have tons of family in town, but I'm really curious to know what she did. Stick out tongue

MrsMillerTime · May 2010

Ditto LRB - check the college campus.

Does Jay have any co-workers with (trustworthy) teenage daughters?

schwietRDH · May 2010

joyco:
schwietRDH:
If you are looking for someone for the summer, I've actually been looking for babysitting jobs. (I just finished school and plan on going to work aroung November after LO is a few months old) I taught preschool for several years and that's how most of the parents that I sit for found me. I still occasionally watch many of those kiddos and get get you plenty of references if you wanted.
Also, a good friend of mine was the School Age Director at the same preschool. After she left, she nannied for about a year and now she's a SAHM. She is also looking for more families to sit. I know that her background has been checked thru the nanny agency she used and we were both checked through the Children's Courtyard. HTH!
I don't live in Austin, I live in New Braunfels, so I'm not sure that would be too much of a drive for you. Also, would you WANT to watch two little busy boys as far along as you are??

Thanks for the comments, ladies. I'd love any questions you can think of for me to help weed out any crazies. I'll start calling day cares around town and visit the YMCA too, great idea.

Haha, I wouldn't mind it at all actually, keeps me busy However, I live in WAY North Austin, so driving all the way to New Braunfels probably wouldn't work. I agree with all the ladies about the Texas State students, especially ones working toward an education degree - many of them have probably had background check and been fingerprinted in order to work with kids as part of their curriculum.

KiminAustin · May 2010

Hire someone who works for CPS.

MrsAJL · May 2010

I don't know, but I have three that I really like and they aren't related to me at all. Usually my mom babysits DS but when she can't, we've got the Backups. They're pretty nice, non-molesting, non-beating, non-kidnapping, killing-averse babysitters.

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