Best website to hire babysitter?

[Anonymous]

Hi,

We’re looking for a babysitter on short notice to go in a date night. We have never had one before (MIL usually helps). Sittercity, care.com, urban sitter, what does everyone use and have you had good/bad experiences? Do you usually interview the candidates? TIA!

[Anonymous]

OP again - we were planning on having the sitter come over after our toddler is asleep, but worry she‘d freak out if she wakes up and a the only one there is a stranger. But we also find it hard to believe that she would let a stranger put her to bed.

So do we have the sitter just ‚be around‘ during bedtime so they can at least meet?

[Anonymous]

Personal references, local people recommended through Next Door or local Face Book page.
How old are your kids? Have you had any form of care for them? For example, I had had some of the staff from my gym daycare babysitting my daughter, and also at the end of summer camp I asked her counselors if they would be open to babysitting, so I got they contact info. I prefer to hire someone my children would already know.

[Anonymous]

I would never do this right now with the pandemic surging. You're willing to have a perfect stranger in your home and you have no idea of their history?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would never do this right now with the pandemic surging. You're willing to have a perfect stranger in your home and you have no idea of their history?

Exactly! OP is totally nuts, aside from the covid issue.

Dear OP, You ask your RESPONSIBLE friends and neighbors for personal recommendations. Or you stay home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would never do this right now with the pandemic surging. You're willing to have a perfect stranger in your home and you have no idea of their history?

Exactly! OP is totally nuts, aside from the covid issue.

Dear OP, You ask your RESPONSIBLE friends and neighbors for personal recommendations. Or you stay home.

Are you saying there are no apps which vet sitters and have a qualification tab that includes 'Vaccinated' or 'Boostered'? I mean if you're going to get a sitter anyway I don't see the big deal as that person, regardless if the recommendation comes from a friend/neighbor, is going to be working and interacting with other people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would never do this right now with the pandemic surging. You're willing to have a perfect stranger in your home and you have no idea of their history?

Exactly! OP is totally nuts, aside from the covid issue.

Dear OP, You ask your RESPONSIBLE friends and neighbors for personal recommendations. Or you stay home.

Are you saying there are no apps which vet sitters and have a qualification tab that includes 'Vaccinated' or 'Boostered'? I mean if you're going to get a sitter anyway I don't see the big deal as that person, regardless if the recommendation comes from a friend/neighbor, is going to be working and interacting with other people.

Any parent who would rely on an app to vet someone to care for their child.... is insane.

[Anonymous]

I have used care.com with great success. I did have one dud on there (a nanny we had for a while who turned out to be anti-vax; she was great at her job but that would have been a dealbreaker). So make sure you ask about vax status and maybe check their card. But I found our 2-3 regular sitters there. They are all adults with day jobs who love kids and babysit for extra $$.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Personal references, local people recommended through Next Door or local Face Book page.
How old are your kids? Have you had any form of care for them? For example, I had had some of the staff from my gym daycare babysitting my daughter, and also at the end of summer camp I asked her counselors if they would be open to babysitting, so I got they contact info. I prefer to hire someone my children would already know.

This is a good rec and I know people who've hired their daycare teachers as nannies, babysitters, etc. but be aware some daycares have anti-poach provisions in the contract. I would LOVE to have my kid's favorite daycare teacher babysit but I'm not supposed to ask. If she ever leaves I will absolutely slip her my phone number.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP again - we were planning on having the sitter come over after our toddler is asleep, but worry she‘d freak out if she wakes up and a the only one there is a stranger. But we also find it hard to believe that she would let a stranger put her to bed.

So do we have the sitter just ‚be around‘ during bedtime so they can at least meet?

PP here who mentioned care.com. My sitter comes right before bedtime and plays with DD a little bit then does the bedtime routine. I felt it was better to have her get to know the sitter so, as you mentioned, she wouldn't be freaked out if Mom and Dad weren't there if she woke up. However, my kid is an easy sleeper who warms up to other caregivers easily -- you know your child best.

[Anonymous]

OP are you in any parenting groups that are local? Ask for recos there or ask if someone would like to swap babysitting nights.