Utilizing SitterCity.Com and my Experience

New to a neighborhood, need a sitter, looking for a back-up option, click here to register, My employer provides a membership to the Sitter City program as part of our benefits and is great for helping our us parents.

Sitter City offers a review structure and background checks for a variety of care services including nannies, Au Pairs, occasional sitters, tutors, housekeepers, senior care and pet care specialists. Having limited family in the area and wanting to have parent date nights, I jumped on this.

I did eventually find a regular babysitter in our area, even used some of the site’s helpful tips in interviewing. Here are a few things I learned:

• Plan your posting by reading babysitter bios and other posts.
• Set your distance because responses will express interest from all over your area, I want my sitter in our community, less than 15 minutes away.
• Get your first two interviewed and selected now, when you need them you will be too rushed and putting them on stand-by costs nothing, the are contractors.
• I am not communicating with adults, both our primary and backup like to schedule over text message, which is awkward to me still. I admit, I do LOVE asking for kid updates mid-outing without kids or my evening being interrupted by a phone call.

I discovered a great find as I searched for two occasional sitters, a piano teacher. Our six and seven year olds just began piano lessons with a place we quickly became dissatisfied with. In an ‘I wonder if’ moment, I found somebody on Sitter City who was not only half the price, but came to our house! Now we look forward to weekly lessons while mom & dad are much happier about the price since we are uncertain of their future commitments to Juilliard.

Note to those sitters out there posting:

• This is a profile picture for a 'trust me with your kids' site, not a Chive selfie from the bar. (I found plenty of these)
• Think school photo, way to many out there of your full body looks like advertising looking to be daddy's new lolita. (ask mom 'is this picture church appropriate')
• Learn to use the calendar and reminders function on the damn phone your face is glued to! I set up two phone calls and a 'meet the kids' time with prospects to show you can be reliable. Multiples missed a meeting completely.