Babysitter Wanted - Where To Find the Perfect Babysitters

It wasn't so long ago that you could find a babysitter for your kids by simply posting a flier with "babysitter wanted" and your phone number written on it at your local grocery store. Today, parents are much more careful in how they go about finding babysitters for their children. Here are some of the resources you can try if you do not want to take a chance on posting a "wanted: babysitter" flier at the community center.

Friends & Family

The first people you should talk to are your friends and family members who have kids. Your friends and family will know your kids well and might be able to recommend one of the babysitters that they hire to you. Your friends and family are great sources of information on which babysitter is good and which babysitter they will never hire again. Even better, you can talk to their kids and ask them who their favorite babysitters are. Just remember, kids tend to give the best reviews to the babysitters who let them get away with mischievous behavior!

Playgroups

Are your kids in a playgroup? Do they attend regular lessons or activities? Talk to the parents of the other kids in these groups. Talk to your kids' friends parents. These are people who have seen your kids socially and understand their motivations and behaviors and will be able to recommend someone that they think will work well with your existing family dynamics. They might simply recommend someone that has worked well with their own kids—something that is always a good sign. If they love a babysitter and are willing to share that information with you, do not turn up your nose. Take that number and start dialing!

Teachers

You should also talk to your kids' teachers. Many teachers know of at least one or two reliable babysitters who will happily answer "babysitter wanted" calls of parents. These babysitters have the added bonus of being "vetted" by a teacher—a teacher who values his/her reputation and would not recommend someone who might tarnish the reputation they have worked to build.

Students

Another good resource for parents who want to avoid the "wanted: babysitter" flier scenario is the local university or community college. Colleges that offer teaching credentials and degrees in early childhood education are a great resource for parents who find themselves in a "babysitter wanted" bind. These are students who are going through extensive training to be teachers—who love working with kids and, because they are students, will often work for lower wages than someone who might answer a "babysitter wanted" ad they see on a bulletin board.

Internet

Your absolute last resort should be the internet. Sure there are plenty of babysitting and nanny agencies that have set up shop online, but it is always better to hire someone that has a relationship with someone you know. Of course, we all get desperate once in a while. Just make sure that you do thorough interviews and extensive background checks on each person you are thinking about letting care for your children.