1. Mom and Dad's Time Out
How often you utilize the services of a babysitter depends on your lifestyle, your work schedule and your guilt level. Many parents will not allow themselves a night out when they've been working full time. This may not be healthy for your parent-child relationship. On the other hand, if your child spends too much time with a sitter, they may come to form a stronger bond with the babysitter than with you. Look for balance in your schedule, allowing yourself quality time with your children every day.
2. Time in a Bottle
As long as you do not have to be present to breast-feed, you can go out and leave your baby with a sitter. As long as the sitter is trustworthy and experienced with babies, you needn't be worried about leaving for short periods of time. Make sure the sitter knows your baby's feeding schedule and how to mix the formula or use your pumped milk. Tell the sitter to put the baby to sleep on his or her back and to never, under any circumstances, shake the baby. Leave a number and answer your cell if it rings and the sitter asks for help.
3. Background Check
Get as many known references from a potential babysitter as you can and call them. When your children are still babies, it is best to use a friend or family member whenever possible. Teenagers are all right to use for children over two years old, but babies can be particularly difficult when they cry and cannot communicate their needs. If you cannot find someone you know to baby sit, spend the couple dollars it takes to run a background check online with a state agency. Most states offer the service.
4. Directions Included
In addition to a number where you can be reached, make sure your sitter has access to other assistance should she need it. Give the sitter a list of responsibilities you expect from her. Ask your children how things went and try to get them to tell you how the babysitter acted and what kinds of things she did while they were still awake. Consider locking your computer or making it off limits, so that the babysitter does not use it. Young people can get carried away with the Internet and lose focus on the task at hand--babysitting.
5. Paid in Full
If you want to get and keep good help, you need to be prepared to pay for it. Good babysitters will keep coming back and follow your directions if they are paid on time and in full after each job. In larger cities, babysitters can cost as much as $10 or $12 an hour, while other places may average closer to minimum wage. Younger sitters will accept less, but you should also expect less of them. Pay your sitter in cash if you are not employing them on a full-time basis. Pay for their transportation and snacks for the time they are at your house.
