It is great how many of y’all have promised to date your spouse in the next two weeks! Today’s step in the dating process is figuring out ways to find an affordable and reliable babysitter. In the comments, share your experiences and your advice to help other moms!
Care4hire.com is a great affordable resource to hiring a babysitter. There is a free preview avaiable. You can search for sitter throughout the United States and Canada.
http://www.care4hire.com
I’ve seen parent’s night out being offered by Kids Park, local YMCA, and local private gymnastics groups. We have used Kids Park many times and have had no problems. They have been compassionate about my son’s health problems too.
You all are geniuses! I love Ikea even more now – thanks Jessica! And a babysitter training day – how smart is that?!?
My kids are 8 and older, and thankfully, my mother-in-law has committed to babysit on a regular basis for us. We get a date, she gets time with the kids. I don’t take for granted how blessed I am by that, and hope to do the same for my kids & grandchildren. She has truly made an investment in our marriage. All that to say, I love babies & young children. I babysat last week for 2 different friends. It truly was a gift to be able to play for a couple hours and then go home 🙂 Plus, one was in the evening. To have a QUIET house to myself after bedtime was a treat for me. With older kids & especially teens, they stay up late! I often go to bed before the older ones and crave that quiet time. Ask a friend with older kids. If you don’t have any – get some! 🙂
I totally agree with all the above suggestions. I also recently hosted my own “Baby Sitter Training Day” at our Church. I taught them a lot about baby basics and how to play with children. It was fantastic. From that I found out who I would want watching my kids, and who I wouldn’t. I also knew of a girl that lives one street over from us. I paid for her to attend the training so that I was assured she would know what I expected of a sitter! Teens today are SO unreliable, so my first choice is the local grandparents, second choice another mom, third choice a teenager that I’ve trained!
Is the biggest hinderance finding a good babysitter, or the guilt of asking someone to keep your kids for a couple of hours? I’d definitely say the latter. If you have a friend, you have a babysitter 🙂
When we’re wanting a spur of the moment date (or we just need a break!) we often head to Ikea. Sure it’s a 45 minute drive, but they have 2 hours of free child care, a cafe, and lots of comfy chairs and couches 🙂 We also did that at our grocery store – they had a supervised play room for kids while their parents shopped, so even if we were just grocery shopping, we got to do it just the two of us. There’s also a Harkins movie theater out here that offers child care (I do think you have to pay a small fee).
Don’t forget grandparents, even if they’re not ‘yours’! Lots of older people live a good distance from their grandchildren and would love to ‘borrow’ yours!
I have similar methods as Beth. Yes, the trade-off method is best to save money. We would also not get a stranger unless it came from a referral from a good friend. I would also feel comfortable with an older teen from my homeschool group.
We have always asked good friends who love their sitters for their numbers. If they aren’t available, they usually have a friend or sister who is.
Also, ask your Children’s or Youth Ministry staff at church … they usually have experience with youth that volunteer with kids already (bonus) or have worked themselves with the possible sitter (double bonus). The Youth Staff usually knows which kids are reliable or are looking for babysitting opportunities as well.
It has also served helpful at times when I’ve asked about a possible sitter and found out they might not be a good fit for my girls … they are usually a great resource.
I suggest the trade-off method if money is an issue. If you know another couple with small children, you watch their kids and yours for one evening. Later they get all the kids for an evening as you and your spouse go out. (My second choice is to find babysitters at church, where I know the teens who are available. I would never get a stranger.)
Mature teenagers from church are great to use. We also have a Christian university closeby. You can place classifieds there to find babysitters. I want to make sure that the person has similar values. Co-ops with friends also work and keeps costs down.
I’ve found several good sitters on craigslist. You look at their adds or post your own. Contact them. Have them over to your house for an interview. Decide who you want to try and hire them. Takes some time but then you have several that you can call when you need one. I have a list of 2 HS girls, 2 College girls & 2 adults (all found on craigslist) that I can contact when I need someone. It’s better to have more than one so if the first person you call can’t do it then you have other options.