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Having a back-up baby-sitter option in case your child's school is closed on a holiday or your current sitter needs an off day can be helpful.
I love having a list of child care options in case I have a meeting or appointment come up for work that I was not expecting.
Having a date night or time to get out with your friends is great for self-care if you are a busy parent. You deserve to do have some adult time and unwind without worrying about refilling sippy cups for a couple of hours.
Sometimes when parents do not live close to relatives or friends they know; it can make it a tad difficult on where to look for baby-sitting options. Check out the list below of options of services and companies that have listings of baby-sitters.
On the websites listed below; you can read reviews about the sitter, see their pay rate, message them, book them and pay all in one place. You can also apply as a baby-sitter on the websites listed below. If you are searching for housekeeping, pet sitting or senior care; I would try care.com.
I think this one is better more so for date nights or occasional baby-siting.
Sitter City has more options than just baby-sitting. They have caretakers, nannies and more.
Rates on baby-sitters and nannies vary pending on your location, number of children and tasks needed fulfilled. Nannies generally do more tasks such as taking the children to activities, cooking, housekeeping and so on.
When interviewing a potential baby-sitter; I suggest asking questions such as:
Will they be able to work the hours needed?
Do they have reliable transportation and have they ever worked with children your age?
Are they comfortable with pets or chores? Do they have any certifications or training such as CPR, first aid and safe sleeping?
You could even suggest meeting in a public place after a telephone call interview....such as a coffee shop. To save time; have the potential sitter bring a list of references from previous jobs.
Happy interviewing!