Why is it so hard to find a GOOD babysitter???

[connorlevismom]

This is going to be a little vent here because I am kind of at my wits end with this subject.
We are looking for a babysitter for our 2 1/2 year old son. Just for every other Saturday and occasional weeknights. Seems easy enough. I cannot find one to save my life! I will not hire someone that is 12 (just my opinion) because I think that is to young and also, I would prefer someone with their own transportation. So there is nobody in my neighboorhood. Nobody in my family. I called churches and they wont give out names anymore because if anything happened, they might be held liable. So I tried craigslist.com. I found one person that I was really interested in. Chatted with her online a bit and set up an interview. She never showed up! So then I actually went to a pay babysitter website and it is a mess. First of all, there are no babysitters within 15 miles of my town. Then I contact the one girl that I think would be great and she is going back to college. Then someone contacts me, they look great on paper but all she wants to know is how much I will pay her. I asked her why she would persue babysitting as opposed to a part-time job situation. She told me that she did the Perkins thing for like 5 years and it just was not for her. The answer I was looking for was because she liked CHILDREN! And this is a person with a 4 year early childhood education degree!

Do you know what the running rate for a babysitter is for my area? $10.00 an hour! I am sorry but if I am shelling out that much money I am going to make darn sure these people are doing this because they love kids. Not because it is an easy buck.

So please, someone tell me why it is so hard to find a good babysitter!

Thanks for letting me vent.

Kristine

 

[JessetheCowgirl]

I have always had the best luck with referrals from other moms.

And $10 per hour is standard here. A far cry from the $2.00 per hour I used to make!!

Is there anyone in your neighborhood with high school aged kids? Even if they aren't interested in babysitting, they may know someone who is.

Good luck!!! And if you think it's hard finding a sitter for 1, try finding a sitter for 3!

 

[tammy1210]

Same problem here - the ones that want to babysit are 12-13 - and I'm a little iffy about that age - I'd at least want a mature 14 - but the girls in high school have other things to do! Me and my neighbors have discussed a co-op - are there other mom's in your neighborhood that may be interested in taking turns watching your kids in exchange for the same?

 

[noahynav]

Possibly reconsider your age limit....You just need to find the RIGHT 12 or 13 yo. I was babysitting my cousins at 10 yo....but I was very mature for my age and handled the responsibility well. At 13 I babysat my 4yo sister 2 yo brother and 4 month old brother during my summer break while my stepmother worked. I did great, and she obviously trusted me. She had spent enough time with me to know that I was capable of it.
I think it may take you a while, but if you look hard enough, you just may find a great kid that will be great for your family. I know they are out there. I have several cousins right now in the 12 - 14 age range that are wonderful with my children. I agree that you will have trouble finding a 16-ish girl because at that age they want to go out on the weekends, not stay home and babysit.

 

[disneymom3]

We have the same struggle. It has been really hard the last year because DD is 10. Clearly a 12 yo babysitter is not going to work. We have a sitter who just graduated from highschool and she comes when she can but she has a full time job too so it's not often. We have a couple of girls in our church who are really good but they are so good you have to book like a month in advance to get them. Seems like highschool age girls don't babysit anymore. I sure did in highschool You got to choose your own hours and the pay was pretty decent.

 

[WDWfan36]

Yea, you just need to find a mature 12-13 year old like the recent poster

 

[Alex2kMommy]

I would suggest going to the local high school, community college, or daycare providers.

Our sitter is my younger DS2's former teacher at daycare. Many of the newer teachers there are young (late teens/early 20s) and single, and do private babysitting or nannying on the side. The teachers there are awesome, even the young ones, STAR-certified and they obviously love kids, the directors really pick quality staff. DS2 adored her and she him, and DS5 fell in love with her the first time she watched them.

We came home that evening not sure what to expect, since the boys had not had a sitter before other than grandparents. DS2 was sound asleep, and DS5 was snuggled in her lap with a funny, loopy grin on his face, that happy puppy-love look. It was hilarious!

The amount the babysitting teachers asked for varied a bit. One requested $12 for one child, $14 for two. Our sitter suggested $10 for both, but we chose her because she was DS2's favorite teacher, and DH and I liked her very much, too.

 

[Williamsfamily7]

if you can find one!!

My daughter (who is 16 and hasn't really done alot of babysitting before) has just started babysitting for a family with a 2 year old child. (Yes, they pay her between $10 and $12.50 to watch one kid!!!)

How they got connected: The family asked their next door neighbors (who have a son in school with my daughter) if he knew of anyone who might want to babysit. The son suggested my daughter and the family called to have Kim come over to meet them (which I thought was a great idea). My daughter spent 1/2 hour with both parents and the little boy, and they arranged for her to babysit the next week during the day. The little guy ADORES his new babysitter (follows her down the driveway crying when she leaves!) and my daughter loves the responsibility and the cash - and she says she has fun coloring with him!! Everyone is happy.

My point: You have to ask around everywhere - neighbors, friends, etc. If you get a suggestion, meet the person and make your own judgement. Start small and work from there.

Good luck.

 

[mamaminnie]

Someone mentioned asking at local high schools which is a great idea. Also ask local daycare or preschools if they have any teacher who babysit. Any place like Gymboree or My Gym will also have people who may be interested in sitting for you.

Good luck.

 

[minkydog]

I have the same problem and I'm with you, I don't hire 12-13yr old babysitters. Never have, never will. I don't think they have enough life experience to make good decisions. Flame away, but I'm 50yrs old and I've been around the block a few times. I think 15yo's in general are better, more mature, and more likely to speak up if they have a problem. They don't panic if the lights go out, the cat drags a mouse into the kitchen, or the toddler spills red Koolaid on the floor. And I don't mind picking them up and dropping them off; if they're good, I pay top dollar to keep them.

Sadly, for us the cost of a "good" babysitter (Mrs. Doubtfire) is just prohibitive. My youngest is 11yo and severely autisitic. He wears diapers and doesn't talk. There isn't a 16yo on the planet that I would hire to keep him. His own 13yo sister has difficulty with him--he's a big as she is. His 20yr old brother can only manage him for a couple hours without a break(and he hopes he doesn't have a poopy diaper!) The state helps with some of our cost, but just finding someone willing to take him on is a huge job in itself.
So we usually just take him with us or stay home. We have a nice DVD collection and I have microwave popcorn down to a science.

 

[rigs32]

Because the hours are not consistent and other adults want to go out on the weekends just like you do.

 

[connorlevismom]

Thanks for all the advice ladies! Connor atually attends daycare during the day and there are no workers that do babysitting on the side at this time. There was a couple but they left to go back to college.

As for the 12-13 yr old debate. I am just not comfortable with it. That does not mean that I think you should not be comfortable with it as well. But for me, it is just going to work. Besides, what is a 12 year old going to do in a major emergency? I don't believe that if my son seriously got hurt while in there care, they would panic and not have a clue as to what to do.

Minki - wow, that is tough.

I guess I will continue my search! And yes, I understand that the hours are not consistant. But there has to be someone that does not want a FT babysitting job around. I don't want a nanny, just a babysitter!

 

[Alex2kMommy]

You could ask Connor's daycare teachers for recommendations. Maybe they use a sitter for their own children, or have a teenage daughter who babysits, or just know other daycare teachers who babysit.

Even though we don't use a daycare anymore (I quit my job when DS5 started kindergarten, so I'm home with DS2), we still go back to visit, and I've called to ask the director several 'how do I handle this' questions. They're really a great group of people, and a wonderful resource.

 

[hidmickey:myantidrug]

I would put up a flyer at a local ice cream place or some small food place by a high school, etc.

I agree that 12 can be too young but if you find a dedicated one, go for it! I was watching my very young cousins at 9 but I was mature for my age and obviously babysitting family is different than somebody else's child.

I also agree that $10 an hour is steep. I also hate when people say what they charge. I was always brought up to say to people who asked how much I charged to say 'whatever you feel is fair'. Sometimes that was $10 and sometimes it's $3. I think that if you find a person not caught up in how much they are making, they will tend to take better care of your child.

 

[noahynav]

sorry, duplicate post

 

[noahynav]

QUOTE: As for the 12-13 yr old debate. I am just not comfortable with it. That does not mean that I think you should not be comfortable with it as well. But for me, it is just going to work. Besides, what is a 12 year old going to do in a major emergency? I don't believe that if my son seriously got hurt while in there care, they would panic and not have a clue as to what to do.

I was only offering advice, it is ok if you are not comfortable with a 12 or 13yo sitter, you are the mom and you have to be sure that the decision you make is the right one. Period.

That being said, where I live the local hospital offers a babysitting course for kids 12 years old and up. It teaches first aid, child care, nutrition, kitchen safety, and how to handle emergencies should they arrise. If the student passes the course they receive a certification of some sort.

I am not sure that in a true emergency, a 16 yo is any more capable than certain 12 yo's. Anyone can panic. It really depends on the individual. I have known plenty of 16 yo's that are VERY immature. I have also come across a few 12 yo's that are amazing with little kids. The specific girl I am thinking of comes from of a family of 6 children so maybe this is why I feel she is so capable. Afterall she has been around and taken care of children all her life. I defintely feel that she is more qualified to take care of kids than a 16yo with limited exposure to small children. I do realize that she is the exception to the norm, but I was only trying to say that not all younger girls should be totally ruled out.

 

[wrldpossibility]

QUOTE: As for the 12-13 yr old debate. I am just not comfortable with it. That does not mean that I think you should not be comfortable with it as well. But for me, it is just going to work. Besides, what is a 12 year old going to do in a major emergency? I don't believe that if my son seriously got hurt while in there care, they would panic and not have a clue as to what to do.

I was only offering advice, it is ok if you are not comfortable with a 12 or 13yo sitter, you are the mom and you have to be sure that the decision you make is the right one. Period.

That being said, where I live the local hospital offers a babysitting course for kids 12 years old and up. It teaches first aid, child care, nutrition, kitchen safety, and how to handle emergencies should they arrise. If the student passes the course they receive a certification of some sort.

I am not sure that in a true emergency, a 16 yo is any more capable than certain 12 yo's. Anyone can panic. It really depends on the individual. I have known plenty of 16 yo's that are VERY immature. I have also come across a few 12 yo's that are amazing with little kids. The specific girl I am thinking of comes from of a family of 6 children so maybe this is why I feel she is so capable. Afterall she has been around and taken care of children all her life. I defintely feel that she is more qualified to take care of kids than a 16yo with limited exposure to small children. I do realize that she is the exception to the norm, but I was only trying to say that not all younger girls should be totally ruled out.

I agree that age matters little as far as maturity and the chance of someone panicking. I love my 13-year-old sitter. That said, you have to go with what you feel comfortable with, of course.

Maybe you're having trouble because you're asking for too many hours? Every other Sat. plus some weeknights is a lot to ask of one teenage sitter, IMO. They may not want to commit to that. If you could find an adult at daycare or toddler class, etc, that may be different. But the teens I know who babysit like to take it on a job by job basis. I only call for specific dates, not a standing job. Maybe start out finding someone you like (other parent recommendations work best for me), then ask if they are interested in so many babysitting hours once you've tried them out a few times.

 

[va32h]

ThiThe best qualified sitters who truly love children are probably working full time as nannies or childcare providers.

Teens these days often get generous allowances or have access to other jobs that give them a steadier income and are easier than babysitting.

I honestly don't think you will have much luck in finding an occasional sitter who does it purely for the love of random children.

I pay $10 an hour - I honestly wouldn't trust someone who would take less. They are either desperate for cash or don't value themselves enough to ask for more.

 

[TinkerbellMama]

So please, someone tell me why it is so hard to find a good babysitter!



Kristine

IMO it's hard because it's not an easy job (especially with toddlers), it doesn't pay that much, you aren't willing to hire younger teens who WOULD want the job (and I am 100% in agreement on that, personally), and a lot of kids these days get money from their parents and don't feel the need to look for babysitting work. Also, you will NEVER find someone who cares as much about your children as you do, with the possible exception of your own family members...especially not at $10/hr. Not to be a wet blanket, but it's probably going to be extremely hard to find someone suitable who will accept the pay and "love children" the way you want her (or him) to. If you do find someone, hold on to 'em tight! Treat them well! As for me, I wouldn't let someone pay ME to watch my son! LOL
His grandmothers babysit him for a few hours here or there on a very rare occasion. So far, it's been only 3x in 21 months.

 

[TinkerbellMama]

I have the same problem and I'm with you, I don't hire 12-13yr old babysitters. Never have, never will. I don't think they have enough life experience to make good decisions. Flame away, but I'm 50yrs old and I've been around the block a few times. I think 15yo's in general are better, more mature, and more likely to speak up if they have a problem. They don't panic if the lights go out, the cat drags a mouse into the kitchen, or the toddler spills red Koolaid on the floor. And I don't mind picking them up and dropping them off; if they're good, I pay top dollar to keep them.

I am literally LOL at your post...
No flames from me!
I am only 33 (almost 34) but not only do I not trust 12-13 year old babysitters, I barely trust my own dear mother and MIL who have raised 7 children between them!
Okay, okay...it's not that I don't trust them. I just don't feel 100% comfortable leaving my son yet. I know they both do a great job on the rare occasions they do babysit, but finding a temporary replacement mama is, well, hard on the mama!