How to Find a Babysitter

Welcome, dear listeners, to our first exciting episode of the (relaunch) of the "Dad Shoes Podcast" – the show where we explore the convoluted world of modern parenthood, one step at a time. I’m your host (Johnny)

And I am our other host (Connor), and today, we're diving headfirst into a topic that's as essential as a trusty pair of dad shoes when it comes to parenting: hiring a babysitter. Because the first thing we want to talk about on our parenting podcast is how to get away from your kids. 

Picture this scenario: It's a Saturday evening, and you and your partner are desperate for a date night. You've been knee-deep in diaper changes, school pickups, and superhero bedtime stories all week. What are you going to do? 

Finding the perfect babysitter who not only cares for your kids but also shares your values and parenting style. In today's episode, we're here to guide you through the process, from initial search to the moment you step out the door and maybe a little bit about what you are going to do with this new found ‘me’ time.

Or ‘us’ time for you and your partner!

We'll be sharing some researched tips, and sprinkle in a little from our own experiences, as we try to answer some of the biggest questions parents face when trying to hire a babysitter.

Whether you're a seasoned parent or one soon-to-be, we've got you covered. So, grab a comfy chair, slip into your favorite dad shoes, and let's embark on this babysitter-hunting journey together.

But before we jump in, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the Dad Shoes Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback means the world to us, and it helps us continue bringing you invaluable insights and heartwarming stories from the frontlines of parenthood.

So, sit back, relax, and lace up those dad shoes, because today, we're diving into the world of hiring a babysitter. 

So we have 5 questions we think you need to ask when trying to hire a babysitter:

How do I even find a babysitter?

How do I vet a babysitter? 

How do I prep the kids/my house? 

How much do I pay a babysitter? 

And finally, what do I do while the house and kids are covered? 

That last one is probably easier to answer than you think. But before we get into all that…

 

How do I find a babysitter 

If only there was a website where it was just as easy to find a babysitter as it is to find a ride. Turns out there is! 

https://www.urbansitter.com/ 

           https://www.care.com/babysitters 

https://www.indeed.com/hire/how-to-hire/babysitter - how to hire a babysitter

 

Some suggestions from Indeed

• Ask around the neighborhood. Asking neighbors may lead to teenagers or young adults who are qualified to look after your children and seeking an income. 
• Ask your coworkers. Your coworkers may have qualified teenagers, nieces and nephews who can take care of your children. 
• Post help wanted signs around the community. Putting up posters around the neighborhood may create leads and generate quality candidates to watch your children. 
• Check online sites for the right candidate. There may be some potential caretakers who have posted on popular internet sites looking for work. 
• Post your job online. Try posting your babysitter job on Indeed to find and attract quality babysitter candidates.

 

Ask your friends and family, maybe there is a cousin or a grandma who would love to help out. 

 

Community connections! For me that means church, is there an event you can take them too. Our church does parents night out once a month. 

 

Who else watches your kids? Ask their teachers, coaches, activity leaders. Maybe they are looking for a little extra side hustle and it's someone you and your kids already know. It is likely they know other parents who have babysitters and help you find someone with experience. 

 

I used to work in Aftercare in an elementary school and we could put our names on a babysitting list if we were interested in working over time. 

How do I vet a babysitter? 

Interviewing babysitter candidates

Strong candidates for babysitter positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• Discipline techniques
  • How they manage multiple children
  • Their experience working with children

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of babysitter interview questions for examples (with sample answers). 

Do you smoke or vape?

Do you drink?

Do you have a valid driver's license, insurance, a clean record?

Do you do drugs?

Do you know CPR/first aid?

Tell me about your family.

How do you plan to entertain kids?

(CUT)If you were hiring a babysitter for your own kids, what would YOU look for?

Can 11-year-olds babysit?

There is no legal minimum age for babysitting work. The minimum age to take a babysitting course with the Red Cross is 11, and the average age that people start babysitting is from 11 to 14 years old.

 

How do you prepare you house and kids for a babysitter?

Prepare your kids, and prepare you home.

Make sure the house is, relatively, picked up so the babysitter can find the appropriate tools and toys.

Be sure to have dinner plans for the kids, whether that is eating before you go out, or have dinner ready.

Make sure the babysitter knows what those plans are.  Will they be eating with the kids, or will they need to eat before they arrive?

How do you determine who can watch your kids?

Certifications,

Relationship to the family,

How old are your kids

 

https://www.news4jax.com/news/morning-show/2022/07/27/parents-heres-how-to-vet-your-babysitter/

“Most say they pay/charge between $12-20 per hour depending on the number of children.”

Kidsafefoundation.org no longer works.

https://www.hallmarkchannel.com/home-and-family/videos/how-to-vet-a-babysitter

“What do you like about children? What kind of activities do you like to do? What ages have you been engaged with in the past? How would you handle an emergency?” 

https://community.today.com/parentingteam/post/5-tips-for-hiring-a-babysitter 

Get references

Do a trial run: have them come to the house and watch the kids while you are home.

Make sure rules and expectations/responsibilities are clear.

How do you handle discipline?

 

What do I pay for a babysitter? 

It is alway appropriate to ask if you don't know. Most experienced babysitters will have a rate they can share with you from the start 

According to Care.com, in an article from June of 2023, the average charge for a babysitter in the US is $18.30 an hour.

https://www.care.com/c/babysitter-pay-rate/

The rate can vary based on the number of kids from 16-20+ depending on the number of kids they’re watching.

 

According to a quora post from four years ago, $10-20 seemed like the rate.  I think that, depending on your area, and how many kids, $10 now seems very low.  I think you would be…lucky? to get a babysitter now for much less than $20 an hour.

Someone in the answers, also four years ago, said that, when their daughter was 16, she would get $20 for the first 2 hours or so, but for 5-6 hours she would only get $40.  I feel like that is low, but I would be comfortable paying a 16 yo 50-60 for 5 or 6 hours.

 

Connor Experience: We recently hired a babysitter and we asked her rate and she told us $18-$20/hr. She came recommended by a friend who works with kids professionally. She was with our kids for 4 hrs. 

 

I want to ask you, do you think you should tip? 

 

John Experience: We’ve been lucky to have my mother able to watch the kids if we wanted to go out without them.  Most times we have had work events it was for only one of us, or the kids were invited as well.

What do I do while my kids are covered? 

 

To have a night out without the kids, I figure a minimum of three hours.  If you just go to dinner, maybe two hours, but figure at least an hour for dinner, once you sit down.  Depending on the restaurant you go to it could be two hours just sitting down and eating.  Factoring in travel time, I wouldn’t expect to need a sitter for any less than three hours.  If you go to a movie as well, you’ll need to include another two hours for the movie.

 

I have never been a very creative date planner.  My wife and I tend to like to go out for a motorcycle ride.  We may only ride out to dinner and maybe a movie, if there is one we both want to see.  Sometimes we’ll eat at home with the kids and take the bike out and go for a nice ride by the beach, maybe stop and walk around.  We may go to a friend's house for a game night or something.

 

If there is an event we want to go to, like a play or something, then I can come up with a decent plan.

What are some things you like to do when the kids are with the sitter? 

(your suggestion could be featured on a future episode)