Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What 8:09 said. If it's an evening babysitter, anything more is overkill.

+2

Have her come 30 minutes before you need her to. Show her around and introduce her to the kids, then go.

And what if the kids don't connect well with her? Send her on her way? I don't like the idea of committing to a sitter before getting a chance to see if she will be a good fit

It's an evening sitter, not a nanny. What's the worst that happens if she's not "connecting well" with your kids? They watch a couple extra hours of TV and ask you to bring back Ms. Jane because she's so much more fun? I bet they'd survive that...

If she shows up and you realize you don't feel SAFE leaving her with your kids, apologize for the change in your plans, pay her for an hour of her time, and send her home.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would a busy babysitter (who usually has a day job) fight traffic at 6pm to "play" with our children for an hour and a half for $25 just so you feel comfortable with them?
Check references, do a background check and move on.

Continue being lazy and getting through life doing the bare minimum

If you had ever employed a nanny, you would find that very few of us do the "bare minimum" to get by. Many nannies are students who work full time in addition to going to classes and doing course work, many have to work multiple jobs in order to survive on the incomes that some families feel are adequate, many are people who are working their asses off for as much time as possible in one day to make money in order to further their lives. Do us all a favor and stop commenting on a topic where you clearly have no experience.

And in case it wasn't clear from the numerous posters who made this point, sitting in traffic after a full day of work to come and spend the evening with you and your family-regardless of pay-is something that NO ONE wants to do. Fortunately, few of us need to. Good luck every finding some one to stick around for you.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would a busy babysitter (who usually has a day job) fight traffic at 6pm to "play" with our children for an hour and a half for $25 just so you feel comfortable with them?
Check references, do a background check and move on.

Continue being lazy and getting through life doing the bare minimum

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would a busy babysitter (who usually has a day job) fight traffic at 6pm to "play" with our children for an hour and a half for $25 just so you feel comfortable with them?
Check references, do a background check and move on.

Continue being lazy and getting through life doing the bare minimum

Anonymous wrote:Why would a busy babysitter (who usually has a day job) fight traffic at 6pm to "play" with our children for an hour and a half for $25 just so you feel comfortable with them?
Check references, do a background check and move on.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a professional nanny who babysits during the evening several times per week. If a new client were to ask me to come over to play with the kids for 1-2 hours on a random night, I wouldn't babysit for her. I would absolutely view you as annoying and high-maintenance.
Good babysitters usually don't need new clients. I wouldn't be willing to jump through your hoops.

That's ridiculous. We're talking about a paid job. Are you intimidated by parents who care who they leave their children alone with? What are you trying to hide?

No one is trying to hide anything. Most nannies who take evening jobs are incredibly busy though, and don't really need to spend an additional evening with you and your children. We are talking about maybe feeding your kids dinner and putting them to bed, it's not rocket science and most nannies have been doing it since they were 13 or 14. Ask for a reference if you are really that concerned, but 30 minutes should be more than enough time to judge if someone will be a good sitter. And if it doesn't work out, then you may have to cancel your precious plans...if it is something really important, don't rely on someone you have never met. It's pretty simple stuff.

That is an "additional evening" babysitter would be compensated for. So again, what are you trying to hide?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a professional nanny who babysits during the evening several times per week. If a new client were to ask me to come over to play with the kids for 1-2 hours on a random night, I wouldn't babysit for her. I would absolutely view you as annoying and high-maintenance.
Good babysitters usually don't need new clients. I wouldn't be willing to jump through your hoops.

That's ridiculous. We're talking about a paid job. Are you intimidated by parents who care who they leave their children alone with? What are you trying to hide?

I'm not hiding anything. I'm telling you that I have MANY, MANY clients who don't make me jump through hoops.
I am in demand and rarely if ever do I have to take on new clients. I don't want to put up with BS for your $13 per hour job.
More importantly...I'm in a position that I don't HAVE to put up with BS for your $13 per hour job.

I highly doubt you're in that much demand with that ugly attitude you have.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a professional nanny who babysits during the evening several times per week. If a new client were to ask me to come over to play with the kids for 1-2 hours on a random night, I wouldn't babysit for her. I would absolutely view you as annoying and high-maintenance.
Good babysitters usually don't need new clients. I wouldn't be willing to jump through your hoops.

That's ridiculous. We're talking about a paid job. Are you intimidated by parents who care who they leave their children alone with? What are you trying to hide?

No one is trying to hide anything. Most nannies who take evening jobs are incredibly busy though, and don't really need to spend an additional evening with you and your children. We are talking about maybe feeding your kids dinner and putting them to bed, it's not rocket science and most nannies have been doing it since they were 13 or 14. Ask for a reference if you are really that concerned, but 30 minutes should be more than enough time to judge if someone will be a good sitter. And if it doesn't work out, then you may have to cancel your precious plans...if it is something really important, don't rely on someone you have never met. It's pretty simple stuff.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a professional nanny who babysits during the evening several times per week. If a new client were to ask me to come over to play with the kids for 1-2 hours on a random night, I wouldn't babysit for her. I would absolutely view you as annoying and high-maintenance.
Good babysitters usually don't need new clients. I wouldn't be willing to jump through your hoops.

That's ridiculous. We're talking about a paid job. Are you intimidated by parents who care who they leave their children alone with? What are you trying to hide?

I'm not hiding anything. I'm telling you that I have MANY, MANY clients who don't make me jump through hoops.
I am in demand and rarely if ever do I have to take on new clients. I don't want to put up with BS for your $13 per hour job.
More importantly...I'm in a position that I don't HAVE to put up with BS for your $13 per hour job.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a professional nanny who babysits during the evening several times per week. If a new client were to ask me to come over to play with the kids for 1-2 hours on a random night, I wouldn't babysit for her. I would absolutely view you as annoying and high-maintenance.
Good babysitters usually don't need new clients. I wouldn't be willing to jump through your hoops.

That's ridiculous. We're talking about a paid job. Are you intimidated by parents who care who they leave their children alone with? What are you trying to hide?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a professional nanny who babysits during the evening several times per week. If a new client were to ask me to come over to play with the kids for 1-2 hours on a random night, I wouldn't babysit for her. I would absolutely view you as annoying and high-maintenance.
Good babysitters usually don't need new clients. I wouldn't be willing to jump through your hoops.

That's ridiculous. We're talking about a paid job. Are you intimidated by parents who care who they leave their children alone with? What are you trying to hide?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What 8:09 said. If it's an evening babysitter, anything more is overkill.

+2

Have her come 30 minutes before you need her to. Show her around and introduce her to the kids, then go.

And what if the kids don't connect well with her? Send her on her way? I don't like the idea of committing to a sitter before getting a chance to see if she will be a good fit