I have a 3 year old daughter (almost 4). We don’t have a steady babysitter. But once in a while we need a babysitter for a few hours here and there. There are a handful of people we call. One is a 28 year old stay at home mom of three, one is a 20 year old college student, and one is a 17 year old high school student. How much should we pay per hour, and should we pay each of them different rates?

By: kathrynccu

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I nanny for a 3 month old and a 7 year old 4 days a week. Well she was out of town friday and saturday and said she would need me today. Well i called to make sure and she said no she wouldnt need me today or tomorrow. I said ok i will stop over tomorrow and get my check. I find out that she does have to work today and tomorrow. Well i texted her to ask if she had found someone else or would she still be needing me? Because i am pregnant and need to know so i can find another way to make some money.She said she does still need me and that she installed a nanny cam and she hopes there is no hard feelings. I said of course not i worked in a day care with nanny cams and i am not doing anything anyways. I am just wondering if she is just trying to not be rude or what is going on. I just want to know if there is something wrong so i can find a new job you know? what does this sound like to you? I thought maybe she was waiting to get the camera installed or something but i am just confused? can someone please help? thanks

Make sure you hire the right baby sitter for your kids if you want to have a great time when you go out without them. Just knowing they are in safe, capable hands means you can enjoy yourself without having to worry about what’s happening at home. Here are a few tips for choosing the right baby sitter for your kids.

Ask around


Hiring a baby sitter who is known to you or even known to a friend of a friend is certainly better than hiring a total stranger. So ask your friends, colleagues and neighbors. Somebody is sure to have a teenage kid or at least know somebody else who does. Teenagers can always do with the extra money and would be happy to baby sit for you. Don’t forget to ask your nephews and nieces first. They may just relish the opportunity of spending time with their little cousins.

Get to know your baby sitter


It is vital to have the baby sitter come on over prior to D-Day. Besides conducting a kind of casual interview with him or her, it’s even more important to gauge the chemistry between the babysitter and the kids as they spend some time together. You need to check out how the baby sitter deals with the kids as well as how the kids react to this new person into their lives.

Organize a trial run


If you don’t mind paying a little bit extra you could even have a trial-run to make 100% sure your choice is the right one. Look for the little things- the tone of voice, facial expressions, how the kids’ respond. One of the biggest advantages of having a trial run is that the kids will get the opportunity to know their baby-sitter while you are around. That way they will see the baby-sitter as a friend of the family and will not associate the baby-sitter with you going away.

Boys vs. boys


Teenage boys make perfect baby sitters for younger boys. Everybody knows younger boys look up to the bigger ones and hero-worship them. As for the bigger boys, they secretly love being looked-up to. It’s the perfect combination and everybody’s a winner.

Trust Your Instincts


Regardless of how well you may know the baby-sitter or how highly recommended he or she comes, if you feel this is not the right person for your kids, look for someone else. Sometimes the chemistry is just wrong and your kids and the baby sitter may not hit it off for no apparent reason. Also make sure your baby sitter is mature and capable enough to make a phone call in case of any emergency.

By: Adrian Adams

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