How to Find a Babysitter Online
Ask for referrals., Try a directory., Consider an agency., Post an ad (or respond to someone else's)., Follow agency/directory protocol, if using one., Start with email, messages, or a phone call., Be clear about your expectations., Meet in person...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Ask for referrals.
One of the best ways to find a sitter you trust is to ask people whose opinions you respect.
If you have a wide circle of local friends or relatives who are parents, try posting on your social media accounts or sending a group email asking for referrals.
You may even find a family who is open to nanny-sharing. -
Step 2: Try a directory.
There are a range of nanny and caregiving directories available online, including Sittercity.com and Care.com.
These provide a platform for connecting potential sitters with potential employers.
While they all operate a little differently and some cost money while others do not, they tend to give you the option to look through a range of qualified sitters so that you can compare profiles, experience, rates, and personalities.
Some such sites work just as directories, connecting sitters and employers, while others are more like agencies and require participation in the ongoing employment situation.
Be sure to read the FAQ and Terms of Service before you sign up for a service so you know exactly what you're getting. , Going a step further than a directory, some services create an ongoing relationship with their sitters and families.
These companies tend to be locally operated, so try searching in your area for websites of local options.
Many of these agencies get involved in actual payment of the sitter/nanny as well, acting as a go-between to handle taxes, schedules, etc.
This likely means your sitter will walk away with less money per hour than what you're actually paying to the agency.
However, the upside is that you can be sure scheduling, financial, and legal issues are taken care of by people with experience.
Another benefit of agencies is that they tend to have lots of sitters on their service.
If you need a last-minute option, calling up an agency can help you get connected quickly with someone suitable (particularly if you already have an existing relationship with the agency in general). , An option for the more "DIY" parent is to post your own ad on a classified ad site, like Craigslist.
Many of these sites offer a "child care" section that will include postings from parents seeking sitters, sitters seeking employment, and daycares offering open spaces.
Any time you post personal information online, it pays to be safe and cautious.
If you contact a potential sitter or are contacted by one, do your due diligence.
Spend time emailing about their experience, check their references, and meet in person for a thorough interview, before you leave them alone in the sitters' care. , Many agencies and sitter services have a set approach to matching families and sitters.
If you're using such a service as your go-between, follow their rules and procedures.
Many of the following steps may be handled differently, depending on their policies. , Once you find a potential sitter you're interested in, start with some contact to find out quickly whether it's a good match, before you meet.
You may or may not choose to address wages at this point, but it's definitely important to touch base on schedules, expectations, experience, and references.
Find out what kind of commitment they can make to the job, and be sure it matches your needs.
There's no point in pursuing the situation further if you need a full-time nanny and they only have a few hours a week free, or if you only need a Saturday night sitter and they want a full-time job.
Don't forget that you need to actually like your sitter, too.
Being a great babysitter involves more than just showing up and collecting an agreed-upon paycheck.
You want to "click" with your sitter, and be confident that they'll take an approach with your children that works for you. , In initial contact and further meetings, give the potential sitter a good idea of what you want from them.
Make sure you address any big concerns you have when it comes to parenting and childcare.
For example, if you're going to require your sitter to cook fresh meals from scratch every day, let them know that's a requirement.
If you have a particular parenting or discipline style, talk about it early, to make sure it's something they can adopt consistently, too. , If communication has gone well so far and you feel like you might have found a good sitter, try to meet in person before you need them to actually take care of your kids.
During this meeting, be kind and friendly, but do take it seriously; treat it like an interview for both of you.
You should ask questions about their experience, goals, and interests, and you should also be open to them asking you about your kids and family.
A great sitter will be just as interested in finding out about your family norms and kids' habits and hobbies as they will be in selling their services to you. , A good sitter should be interested in your children and consider their wellbeing paramount.
If everything has clicked so far in your interactions, then it's time to have them meet the kids.
Be present when they do, particularly if they're younger children.
If your kids are young, nervous, or shy, try to create a situation where you can all play together for a few minutes, before the kids get comfortable with the new sitter.
It's unfair both to the child and to the sitter to just introduce them and leave; your kid will feel uncomfortable, and your sitter won't have a good sense of how you interact with your kids.
They can learn your household norms better by seeing you interact for a while. , If you do decide to hire the sitter, let them know! Make them an offer on wage and schedule (if you haven't already).
This should be exciting for both of you, so add a little humanity in the mix by showing your enthusiasm and warmth.
But do make your terms/rates clear, and get confirmation from them that they want the job given those terms.
Be sure to address issues like tax withholding, benefits (or lack thereof), and any minimum guarantee of hours, from the get-go.
You don't want to get to the next tax deadline only to find out that you were hoping to keep payments off the taxman's radar, but they've been declaring them.
On that note, know that it's best to make any sitting relationship "official" and pay the necessary taxes, particularly if it's an on-going or long-term arrangement; not doing so may come back to bite you, with big penalties, in the long run. , Obviously, if your sitter do anything that makes you doubt their qualifications or mistrust them, then it's a good idea to discuss it and if necessary terminate the employment; your kids' safety is paramount.
However, if things are a little slow to start with because your sitter and kids are still getting to know each other, don't take that as a sign of failure.
Keep an open mind for a little while, as they get to know each other, and let the relationship build naturally.
If you need to, you can always revive your search and look for a replacement, but give your first hire a fair chance to show what they can do and get comfortable in the role, before you decide to move on. -
Step 3: Consider an agency.
-
Step 4: Post an ad (or respond to someone else's).
-
Step 5: Follow agency/directory protocol
-
Step 6: if using one.
-
Step 7: Start with email
-
Step 8: messages
-
Step 9: or a phone call.
-
Step 10: Be clear about your expectations.
-
Step 11: Meet in person.
-
Step 12: Introduce them to your kids.
-
Step 13: Agree to terms.
-
Step 14: Keep an open mind for the first few sitting sessions.
Detailed Guide
One of the best ways to find a sitter you trust is to ask people whose opinions you respect.
If you have a wide circle of local friends or relatives who are parents, try posting on your social media accounts or sending a group email asking for referrals.
You may even find a family who is open to nanny-sharing.
There are a range of nanny and caregiving directories available online, including Sittercity.com and Care.com.
These provide a platform for connecting potential sitters with potential employers.
While they all operate a little differently and some cost money while others do not, they tend to give you the option to look through a range of qualified sitters so that you can compare profiles, experience, rates, and personalities.
Some such sites work just as directories, connecting sitters and employers, while others are more like agencies and require participation in the ongoing employment situation.
Be sure to read the FAQ and Terms of Service before you sign up for a service so you know exactly what you're getting. , Going a step further than a directory, some services create an ongoing relationship with their sitters and families.
These companies tend to be locally operated, so try searching in your area for websites of local options.
Many of these agencies get involved in actual payment of the sitter/nanny as well, acting as a go-between to handle taxes, schedules, etc.
This likely means your sitter will walk away with less money per hour than what you're actually paying to the agency.
However, the upside is that you can be sure scheduling, financial, and legal issues are taken care of by people with experience.
Another benefit of agencies is that they tend to have lots of sitters on their service.
If you need a last-minute option, calling up an agency can help you get connected quickly with someone suitable (particularly if you already have an existing relationship with the agency in general). , An option for the more "DIY" parent is to post your own ad on a classified ad site, like Craigslist.
Many of these sites offer a "child care" section that will include postings from parents seeking sitters, sitters seeking employment, and daycares offering open spaces.
Any time you post personal information online, it pays to be safe and cautious.
If you contact a potential sitter or are contacted by one, do your due diligence.
Spend time emailing about their experience, check their references, and meet in person for a thorough interview, before you leave them alone in the sitters' care. , Many agencies and sitter services have a set approach to matching families and sitters.
If you're using such a service as your go-between, follow their rules and procedures.
Many of the following steps may be handled differently, depending on their policies. , Once you find a potential sitter you're interested in, start with some contact to find out quickly whether it's a good match, before you meet.
You may or may not choose to address wages at this point, but it's definitely important to touch base on schedules, expectations, experience, and references.
Find out what kind of commitment they can make to the job, and be sure it matches your needs.
There's no point in pursuing the situation further if you need a full-time nanny and they only have a few hours a week free, or if you only need a Saturday night sitter and they want a full-time job.
Don't forget that you need to actually like your sitter, too.
Being a great babysitter involves more than just showing up and collecting an agreed-upon paycheck.
You want to "click" with your sitter, and be confident that they'll take an approach with your children that works for you. , In initial contact and further meetings, give the potential sitter a good idea of what you want from them.
Make sure you address any big concerns you have when it comes to parenting and childcare.
For example, if you're going to require your sitter to cook fresh meals from scratch every day, let them know that's a requirement.
If you have a particular parenting or discipline style, talk about it early, to make sure it's something they can adopt consistently, too. , If communication has gone well so far and you feel like you might have found a good sitter, try to meet in person before you need them to actually take care of your kids.
During this meeting, be kind and friendly, but do take it seriously; treat it like an interview for both of you.
You should ask questions about their experience, goals, and interests, and you should also be open to them asking you about your kids and family.
A great sitter will be just as interested in finding out about your family norms and kids' habits and hobbies as they will be in selling their services to you. , A good sitter should be interested in your children and consider their wellbeing paramount.
If everything has clicked so far in your interactions, then it's time to have them meet the kids.
Be present when they do, particularly if they're younger children.
If your kids are young, nervous, or shy, try to create a situation where you can all play together for a few minutes, before the kids get comfortable with the new sitter.
It's unfair both to the child and to the sitter to just introduce them and leave; your kid will feel uncomfortable, and your sitter won't have a good sense of how you interact with your kids.
They can learn your household norms better by seeing you interact for a while. , If you do decide to hire the sitter, let them know! Make them an offer on wage and schedule (if you haven't already).
This should be exciting for both of you, so add a little humanity in the mix by showing your enthusiasm and warmth.
But do make your terms/rates clear, and get confirmation from them that they want the job given those terms.
Be sure to address issues like tax withholding, benefits (or lack thereof), and any minimum guarantee of hours, from the get-go.
You don't want to get to the next tax deadline only to find out that you were hoping to keep payments off the taxman's radar, but they've been declaring them.
On that note, know that it's best to make any sitting relationship "official" and pay the necessary taxes, particularly if it's an on-going or long-term arrangement; not doing so may come back to bite you, with big penalties, in the long run. , Obviously, if your sitter do anything that makes you doubt their qualifications or mistrust them, then it's a good idea to discuss it and if necessary terminate the employment; your kids' safety is paramount.
However, if things are a little slow to start with because your sitter and kids are still getting to know each other, don't take that as a sign of failure.
Keep an open mind for a little while, as they get to know each other, and let the relationship build naturally.
If you need to, you can always revive your search and look for a replacement, but give your first hire a fair chance to show what they can do and get comfortable in the role, before you decide to move on.
About the Author
Beverly Garcia
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow lifestyle tutorials.
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