1. If it's a new sitter, give them a schedule of the evening. Either written on a piece of paper or chalkboard. Then, go over the schedule with them and explain how things work in your house.
2. Be flexible about the schedule! Stuff happens, so if they put the kids to bed ten minutes late, it's not a big deal.
3. Feed your sitter...have dinner ready for the sitter and the kids. We always get the sitter and kids McDonald's and ask the sitter what they want.
4. ALWAYS pay them in cash! Checks are just not the same, especially when most of them don't have checking accounts.
5. Give them options of things to do that your kids like to do.
6. Always leave your cell number and let them know they can text you too (if your cell has that option).
7. Be up front about how much you pay. If you pay skimpy, don't expect the sitter to be available when you need them!
Trust me, if you have a great babysitter that you like and you pay them well, with cash, and provide dinner - they will MAKE themselves available to watch your kids whenever you need them to! We have had really good babysitters and my kids look forward to having Mom and Dad go on a date night!
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Great post! We can't afford sitters very often, so family members sit for us a lot. I've had a wonderful Mother's Helper come over several times, and I know she loved it when we all went to Chick-fil-a together. :)
ReplyDeleteI know...it's not cheap (we budget for our babysitters). But, I also have friends who co-op babysitting - like, leave their kids with friends one night a week, then swap and do the same another night for the other. We have family, but not usually available every time! We've had some great babysitters over the years...in a couple years, we'll be through with that stage!!
ReplyDeleteSuch great ideas. I especially like the one about paying in cash. When my daughter gets a check it's a real pain. Thanks for linking to We're Organized Wednesday. I'm featuring this later today.
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