Adventures in babysitting
We're going to be meeting with a potential babysitter for Hester this weekend. Considering what I do for work, I'm surprisingly nervous about the meeting. We've only left Hester once--with my parents--and that was just a couple of weeks ago. I'm not sure we're up to leaving her with a stranger, but there you go. We'll do our very best to screen this person; we'll call her references and ask her assloads of questions. After that, we'll go with our guts. If you have any advice on screening a possible babysitter, I'd appreciate hearing it.
(An aside: Why oh why don't we know any local parents? A child care swap would be AWESOME.)
(An aside: Why oh why don't we know any local parents? A child care swap would be AWESOME.)
Labels: Mamaville
posted by Clementine at 8:49 PM
4 Comments:
i am sorry we live so far too! but if it's ever for something you have to do here in town...you know where we live!
I know, I would LOVE to sit Miss Hester if only we were in the same town.
Well, if we ever are in the same town FREE BABYSITTING ANYTIME YOU WANT FOR ANY PERIOD OF TIME.
love,
Auntie JPP
p.s. For checking your babysitter, go with your guts and his/her references. Ask specific questions of his/her references, not just "is s/he nice?" I'm sure you know that. You probably already have a well thought out list. You INFJ you.
If you have any friends or neighbors in the area that you know well enough, maybe you could ask one of them to drop by for a minute when the babysitter is watching Hester. You could make up a fake reason like say the person is stopping by to pick up some of Hesters outgrown clothes or something... then they can see how Hester and the babysitter are around each other cause the babysitter would be acting more natural than she would if she knew you or someone else was observing her!
It's tough when you don't know other parents....I'm not sure if you are looking for the 'odd night out sitter' or daytime. I think odd night right? Well, when I didn't know anybody i went thru the college ece (early childhood education) program. They had a list and you could call and interview. I never actually used one but found the process interesting and would have but then i met some moms from the neighbourhood mommy mafia and asked about their sitters and such and got some names and checked them out AND if they were college or just before college age (16, 17) i checked out their parents. My best sitter every started sitting for me when MS B was 2 and M & M was 7. She was younger than i thought i would want BUT had the most experience and was sincere and was close with her family and such. Just had a vibe and it worked out. Also, have the sitter sit when you are there once or twice. It is definitely trickier when the child like HW is so young.
There just some rambling sense.
:)Lola
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