FINDING A NANNY OR BABYSITTER
There are pockets of care givers just waiting to be found, you just have to find them! Check for websites/services such as www.Care.com or www.SittingMadeSimple.com. We have used both, I find Care.com to be a much more daunting process, and have only used for long-term Nanny or consistent babysitters, due to the amount of people to sift through. In limited markets, Sitting Made Simple is available. This was not my first choice before Ivan could talk, because you do not meet the sitter prior to the appointment! They have a registration fee, and then you pay the service per appointment you book. Once you request a day/time, a listing of available care givers populates. You then choose who you’d like to request. At this time, you are able to see a headshot and read a brief bio of the care giver that includes age, what they are studying (all have been college students that I have seen), where they are from, etc. Then the chosen care giver accepts the appointment and you get a notification that “Sally” will be at your home on the requested day/time. This service has been AMAZING in a pinch. One of the steady, full-time Nannies we hired ended up flaking out and it was a slow but predictable thing to watch! Realizing she wouldn’t be showing up the next day, I called Sitting Made Simple and for a $25 fee they had an excellent gal over the next day so I could keep my work commitments. Through Sitting Made Simple, you pay the caregivers directly. I've been very happy with all of our Sitting Made Simple sitters!

Ask other Mom’s in your area how they found/find their sitters. It’s always nice to have a few in your back pocket for a date night or in a pinch! Facebook also has some area/neighborhood babysitter pages that I have had success with. The current gal we consistently use was found this way. I made sure to give her all the cons to the job right up front!

SETTING EXPECTATIONS
Just like when dating, it’s always best to share any hang-ups or expectations you might have upfront! This can be tricky on your first hire or two, because you might not know what will make you uncomfortable until you encounter it! Over time, I compiled a list that I give at our first or second communication – I like to share this prior to the first face-to-face meeting so they can bail if I’m too crazy out of the shoot for them!

I also like to stress that it is very important to me that they be comfortable – after all, you are leaving them in your house with your child! Not only do you need to be able to trust them, but they need to be comfortable to ensure your child’s mental and physical safety!

MY CRAZY MOM LIST FOR BABYSITTERS:

No McDonalds, Wendy’s, Burger King, Taco Bell or other fast food in the house or around Ivan
No friends/boyfriends/girlfriends while with Ivan (without clearing with Melissa) … including meeting a friend/boyfriend/girlfriend at a park or other location
No leaving Ivan alone – leaving the house while he’s napping, leaving him in car to run into store or gas station, etc. He must be an arm’s length away (unless he’s asleep at all times)
No perfume or fragranced lotions
Phone use (texting, social media, etc) should only be for emergencies or to communicate with me (During naptime, phone use is permitted)
If leaving the house (I don’t care if it’s to walk around the block) I’d like a text that you are leaving, where you are going & another text when you arrive home
Everyone’s hands get washed when entering the house, after using the restroom and before eating