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The Sitter Shuffle
By Sittercity.com
Summertime is here, marked by a myriad of backyard barbecues, refreshing swimming
pools, al fresco family dining and the inevitable challenge of how to entertain
the kids for three solid months. And on top of all the commotion, it's a time
where most parents inevitably lose their favorite sitters in what we call The
Sitter Shuffle.
While your high-energy little ones are bouncing off the school bus for the
last time this year, your beloved babysitter is packing up her dorm room and
heading home
a thousand miles away. From the looks of things, you'll
be kissing any adult-type events goodbye for the season. Or will you?
Remember, while you're mourning the loss of your beloved babysitter, a flood
of new, unfamiliar sitters are leaving their respective colleges across the
country and migrating right to your town. But how can you find them? Are they
really trustworthy? Will one be as good a match as the school-year sitter? Can
they make outdoor activities as fun as (but safer than) fireworks?
Worry no more. We've got the answers, along with tips and suggestions for maneuvering
through The Sitter Shuffle without so much as a misstep.
LOOK ONLINE
Forget trying to convince your totally competitive neighbor to reveal her favorite
summertime sitter's phone number. In today's digital age, it's the next big
thing: finding a babysitter online. Online parent-babysitter matchmaking services
can connect you with sitters in your area, providing you with countless search
options and pertinent information upfront, from CPR certifications to years
of experience.
But because of the risks associated with searching for any kinds of services
online, you'll want to make sure you register with a safe, secure, well-respected
website - such as Sittercity.com. Sittercity is the first and largest parent-babysitter
matchmaking site out there, and is considered the inventor of online child care.
Sittercity makes it safe and simple to find a sitter, providing such a vital
service that the Today Show, Wall Street Journal, Redbook, Parenting, CBS Early
Show, CNN and ABC News have featured it as a big advance in child care.
Not only is Sittercity a national database with hundreds of thousands of sitters
across America, it also provides invaluable tools for parents, including a thorough
four-step screening process, interactive Rate Calculator, background checks,
parent-to-parent feedback on sitters and resources such as what to ask a sitter
in the interview.
POST YOUR JOB
When you register with online babysitter sites, you could immediately search
for sitters in your local area and contact them without posting a job. But it's
an even better idea to post the job and let sitters come to you. It sounds like
a counterintuitive approach, but it works!
Not only is this easier on you (summer's keeping you busy enough), it's also
more effective. And, to make sure your posting receives maximum exposure, Sittercity
will email your job out that same day to sitters in your area so those whose
schedules and credentials match what you're seeking will apply. Really, it couldn't
be easier!
Sittercity tip: If you do decide to conduct a sitter search instead of posting
a job, don't conduct a search by college. While this may work during most of
the year, many of those sitters may not originally be from the area (like your
own sitter) and will have gone back home for the summer.
SCREEN THE SITTERS
Before you actually hire a summertime sitter, we recommend following Sittercity's
four-step screening process:
1. Check the sitter's online feedback on Sittercity.com from parents who have
hired her in the past.
2. Call the sitter's references, conveniently listed directly on her online
profile. (For extra help, Sittercity's library includes an article on what questions
to ask the sitter's references to make the most of the phone call.)
3. Conduct an in-person interview - and keep your kids around! Watch how they
interact with and react to the sitter firsthand.
4. Conduct a background check on your top candidate. Sittercity provides convenient
background checks through LexisNexis right on Sittercity.com.
Sittercity tip: Instead of just hiring one sitter and moving on, keep your
top two "backup" sitters in mind in case your primary summertime sitter
can't make it. This will save you a huge headache later!
NEED MORE HELP?
Sittercity has a comprehensive Tips and Resources library to help guide parents
through the process of hiring a sitter -- summertime and beyond. Learn the stand-out
characteristics of a great sitter, how to tell if the caregiving relationship
isn't working out, strategies for communicating with your babysitter, which
questions to ask during the interview and much more.
Sittercity also has parent message boards to help you connect and communicate
with moms and dads across the country. If you've got a difficult situation on
your hands, ask the other Sittercity users for advice - many of them have probably
been there!
In addition to the message boards, Sittercity's on-site Customer Service department
is available to answer your questions, respond to your comments and guide you
through the registration process. So don't get lost in the Sitter Shuffle this
summer; join Sittercity and make the most of the season. After all, it's your
summer too.
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