Hire a Babysitter

April 26, 2013

If you are interested in hiring a babysitter for your children, you have come to the right place. Take a look through our babysitting guide that covers the important steps you need to know and follow. Remember the most important step in hiring a babysitter is thoroughly interviewing the candidate and checking the sitter’s references.

Where can you find a babysitter?

Choosing an appropriate babysitter is a decision that should be thoroughly investigated. Babysitters take care of your most valuable possessions - your children.

Our babysitter listings outline numerous individuals from across the United States and Canada who are looking for employment caring for children. If you are looking for a babysitter, this is an easy and time efficient place to start. Enter the name of the city where you need the babysitting and view the listings.

If you have a specific need or cannot find a babysitter that suits your requirements, another option is to post a job listing. This allows other sitters who match your request to contact you with their applications. Simply follow simple online instructions to post a job.

What type of babysitter do you need to hire?

Whether you want a full time babysitter, a summer babysitter or a travel babysitter, there will be individuals listed on our babysitter listings who can meet those needs. You also have to decide whether you will hire a teenage babysitter or a more experienced and older person. Besides making the choice based on how many children you have and how much of a handful they are, there is a difference in the rate of pay for their services. Also you need to consider any special characteristics you want in your babysitter . Qualifications such as CPR certification, experience with multiple children, the ability to speak foreign languages, and having least three references may be essential in your babysitter choice. The more you expect, the more you may have to pay per hour.

The selection process

After reviewing the applications of potential candidates make sure to set up an interviewwith each. Be prepared to ask them about their past experiences, how would they handle or have handled an emergency situation, what activities they could do with your children (especially for the summer employment situation) and most importantly, be clear on what duties you expect your babysitter to fulfill.

Here’s a quick tip: if your child(ren) is old enough, allow them to be present at the interview, and see how the potential candidate connects with your child and conversely, how your child responds to the potential babysitter. This could be an accurate indicator of her suitability for the job.

How much should you pay your babysitter?

Babysitter hourly rates vary from $5 up to $20 per hour. You can decide how much to pay a babysitter based on the applicant’s experience, age and qualifications. Make sure to check your babysitter’s work eligibility status before you decide to hire!