Sittercity Guide

The task of finding a good baby sitter is not an easy one for most parents who don't a lot of alternatives. However, there are some few nice resources and informed approaches to take when considering taking a baby sitter for the family. And there are also visible signals that indicate that your choice might not be the correct one.

No doubt, it is a huge task to find someone to care for your children, because most parents simply dread the thought of leaving their children with a stranger, even the specially trained child care providers. The task of leaving your child in someone else's care might be difficult, but it is equally the correct step to take if you want your child to develop a healthy attachment to you.

For parents with a child in a daycare, it is a good idea to ask about what is termed parents night out. This king of service is rendered by some daycare centers, which practically eliminates the need for a baby sitter.

A good example is my niece. She attends daycare three times in a week, while I act as her baby sitter the other two days. And on one Saturday every month, her daycare staffs will look after the children for a fee, which is a welcomed service and relief to parents.

Note however that it is not every daycare that offers baby sitter service; there might be a need for a baby sitter on a day different from the one chosen by the company. This could be due to a lot of reasons that ranges from aging grandparents that cannot physically cope with children's needs, your family is living far away from relatives and friends, to the simple reason that you just don’t feel at ease with someone who is not trained to baby sit. What should you do in such situations?

The most important thing is to have a network. You can make enquiries from friends and neighbors who have children that are of the same age as yours who they use.

The church and your work place are also good places to ask questions. Both these methods are effective ways to get a good baby sitter in your vicinity.

But sometimes when you've eventually found a baby sitter, you may entertain doubt about your judgment. Questions like the experience of the person, or if your child will get the correct care will usually cross your mind. And most of the time this hunch may be proved right, because some baby sitters are certainly not very good.

A good way to determine this is to close observe the behavior of your child. How does the child respond to the arrival of the baby sitter? Is it by crying or by getting unreasonably upset? Does the child look too eager for return?

Though this might sound odd because every child is excited about the prospects of seeing their parents, but if your ward does this by peering out of the window or by standing near the door, then it is time to get a new baby sitter.