How to Find a Babysitter on Craigslist

In an ideal world, the next-door neighbor's daughter would be a responsible straight-A student who'd rather babysit than date. Alas, this is rarely the case. Rather than spending Saturday nights at home with the kids, you can try your luck on Craigslist.com. With extensive screening, this website can be a source of babysitters.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Go to Craigslist.com and find your city. Click on it to go to your local Craigslist website. Under the "Community" heading, click on "Childcare." On this page you'll find listings for babysitters and nannies, or you can post a help wanted ad.

2. Read through the "babysitter available" ads and see if any of them look promising. If not, write your own ad. Never include any personally identifying information. List your children's ages and mention experience requirements and how frequently you will need the sitter's services. Include any other requirements you have, such as nonsmokers only, or whether the sitter needs fluency in a particular language.

3. Convey your personality in the way you write your ad so the job candidates have an idea of what to expect. Writing "Sleeping on the job is strictly prohibited" has a stern feel, while "Our kids are very active and we need someone who will be alert at all times" is both firm and friendly.

4. Begin screening candidates once you get responses. If you've responded to a babysitter ad, investigate thoroughly before you hire anyone. Require at least 3 references and ask the sitter's past clients questions about responsibility, tardiness and any unexplained absences. Consider running a background check.

5. Invite the potential baby sitter over for an interview. Ask about her experience and make sure she knows what the job entails. For example, if you want her to do light housekeeping, make that clear from the start. Your kids should be home so you can observe what kind of rapport she has with them. If the interview goes well, you can let your children play with her while you watch.

6. Discuss salary. Have a range in mind before you begin the hiring process. Check the other ads in Craigslist to get an idea what the market will bear. Base the salary on the sitter's experience. Make sure she agrees to the pay rate before you hire her.

Tips & Warnings

• For peace of mind, you might want to install a nanny-cam to observe the babysitter the first few times she watches your kids.
• Occasionally Call home and check up on the babysitter. You can also ask a neighbor to drop by unannounced to "borrow a cup of sugar," so she can report on how the sitter is doing.
• Do not hire a babysitter from Craigslist without checking references firsthand.

Who Can Help:

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Resources

• Visit Craigslist.com to find a babysitter.

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on 6/17/2008 I like Care.com for finding a sitter...