You and your partner have come to the conclusion that a night out, just for you, only grownups is long overdue.  You’ve decided that your little one ( or ones) are ready to be exposed to a whole new adventure…the adventures in babysitting. 

Now you are on a mission to find the perfect babysitter.  Where to start?  Of course family, friends and neighbors would be the first choice and a perfect place to start looking but that is not always an available option.  You put your “feelers” out there.  Ask around, see if someone knows someone.  Ask other parents in your circle if they can recommend someone. 

Remember, you are trusting someone with your child, your most precious person!  Don’t forget that your first instinct is probably right.  If the feel is not right then don’t force it no matter how much you want it to work out.  There are many ways to back out of a sitting situation if the feel is not right.  Now that you have a list of names set up interviews. 

In the interview try to get a feel of the baby sitters personality and temperament.  Find out about school, friends, home life and experience.  Get references,  other families they have babysat for.  If you like, have your child meet with the potential sitter and see what kind of vibes are given off between the two of them.  See how the potential sitter reacts to your little one and how your child reacts to the sitter.  This will of course depend on your childs age but no matter the age,  you can get some kind of read on the chemistry between the two.

A good rule to follow is,  the younger the child the older the babysitter.  A young babysitter may not have the experience or patience to handle a toddler going through the terrible twos but may be wonderful with a baby that sleeps through the night and needs the occasional pacifier placement.

When you have made your decision on a sitter set the ground rules up front so that there are no misinterpretations later on.  Do you allow the baby sitter to have a friend over when babysitting?  What is the hourly wage?  Any house rules?  Anything that you can think of should be written down and discussed to eliminate conflicts later on.

Leave a way to get in touch with you, a list of emergency phone numbers, any medication that is needed,  a schedule of feedings or meals, bed time and routine.

If you have a baby the perfect product to help you get organized with your list and schedule of feedings is the Baby’s First Journal ( winner of the PTPA Media Award) , everything organized at your fingertips and there for you and your baby sitter to easily see.