Has anyone used Sitters? Where they OK?

[Neena28]

Just wondering whether anyone on here has used sitters? We have been left in the lurch at the last moment again and would like somehting a bit more reliable.

Sitters certainly looks OK and answer all the questions right but it just worries me a bit. They kids are 1 year and 5 years and wold both be in bed (baby asleep and 5 year old reading a book) when we went.

Any thoughts or reassurances please?

TIA

we used to use them and never had any problems - tended to use the same 2 people and they were both very nice, always on time. I think it helped that they were both older (ie in their 30s) and both had kids - so were responsible and sensible _ I think Sitters mostly like to use people like that

Thanks thewoman..., seems funny to have people in the house that I don't actually 'know' if that makes sense? Especially looking after the kids. One of the women is in the same village so I have a feeling I might know her but the other are a few miles away. We'll see what they come back to me with.

Sorry for title was distracted...its meant to be 'Were' they OK? not 'where'.

Anyone else?

I used to work for sitters and i loved it, the parents welcomed me in and i really liked looking after my regular families. Shame i had to give it up otherwise i would still be doing it. She or maybe he are professional as they all work in education of some sort and are checked very well. Give them a go you could always go back early if you are worried or give them a call and see how the kids are.

We use them about once a week. We've had three different sitters and all of them have been great. They haven't had to do much as the kids are always asleep by the time they get there, but I feel absolutely confident that they'd manage fine. I thought it would be weird leaving someone I don't know in my house, but we have no family in the country and quite frankly, needed to get a life. I would recommend them.

My SIL uses them frequently. Recommends them highly. The two ladies they particularly like are both PhD students apparently. SIL books them to arrive about half an hour before bedtime so they have a chance to play with the child and he won't be frightened by an unfamiliar face if he wakes up during the evening. HTH

we had one bad experience (though I feel bad talking about it here because we never got back to them to tell them why and give them a chance to sort it out!)

they sent a woman who turned up 45 mins late and then complained bitterly about how difficult our place was to find as if it was our fault she was late - she insisted there was no street name at the end of the street (there is) and that our street was not on the A to Z (it is). I seem to remember you had to be out for 4 hours to make it worthwhile (this may have changed) and because of her lateness, it meant we never really got our money's worth. She also gave us a really hard time about what we thought she should do if the kids woke up.

We never used them again! After that, I got recommendations for local students/people who wanted to earn a bit of extra dosh and used them instead.

I have used them. We must have had about 5 different sitters. Only one was a "problem", she helped herself to all sorts of food including opening a tesco cake!

Thanks so one the whole good unless you get a boshy sitter.

That makes me feel lots better about the whole thing.

Although way it is looking there isn't nayone free in our area anyway! Sods law.

Thanks all though for your help.

hi there, whereabouts are you? i sit for sitters qualified and c.r.b checked. and a mum !!

I use them, used in Bristola nd have used since we've moved, we're now in SE. I've found

They're all qualified in someway, registered childminders or nannies, they only take qualified people

They're v efficient, text you to confirm your booking and text you on the day to remind you you're going out

Not expensive, I think it's £12 a quarter membership and then £4 a time booking fee, then you pay the sitter on top. The first person they sent happened to be a friend of a friend and she told me their recruitment process was very stringent. The sitter calls you an hour before to check you still want her to come.

We had 1 woman I wasn't keen on in Bristol (she logged on to her email without asking and I didn't like it, I know, unreasonable maybe but she didn't ask and I'd left the pc OFF) but i told them and they didn't send her again. And one I wasn't mad keen on here so I told them and they sent a much nicer one next time.

I think they're fab. Would recommend, absolutely. My children are 8 and 2 btw so 2yo is asleep when we go out but 8yo isn't always.

WWW - that move to MK is looking more appealling by the minute! We can go out! Have a social life! Yay!

Have now had confirmation the women they are sending is OK to come and I went to school with her! She's the assistant manager of the local day nursery (good reputation) and has a girl same age as dd!

What more could you ask for!?

Thanks all am feeling much much more relaxed now as although I wouldn't have invited the women round tbh for a playdate I have no doubt about her commitment to kids and niceness!

HAving just said we've never had any problems with them, last night we used one of our regular sitters (our favourite one). I told her to help herself to tea and coffee.

This morning I was packing for a picnic that we're going on and I looked for a bag of crisps that I had bought for the occasion. I found it, half empty. So I bollocked my DH for eating the crisps when I'd expressly told him that they were for the picnic, and he said he hadn't eaten them. Which meant the sitter did. Then I went looking for the cans of diet coke that I'd bougtht to take with us - and she'd drunk two of those too.

Now if I'd said: there's crisps and soda - help yourself, I'd have no problem. But I didn't invite her to help herself to these things and just think it's not on.

I've used sitters for a few years now, and never had any problems. I've always had the kind that don't take anything. My last was a nanny who came in and said I'll jsut pop this in the fridge - she had brought her supplies with her.

Maybe you need to leave specifics out and say they can have this. I usually point out the biscuit barrel, fruit bowl and maybe some choc in the fridge.

We've only had one problem sitter, and she was a lovely lady but just a total pushover. My dd (5 at the time) managed to con drinks out of her all evening by convincing the woman that she was incredibly thirsty, wouldn't go back to bed til 10pm and then ended up taking trips to the toilet all night! the sitter seemed clueless, didn't understand why dd kept needing the toilet.
If you don't want someone again, you only have to tell them, and you can let them know your favourites too.

have had good experiences - used them 5 or 6 times now.

would love to know why one asked if we had a grater when i was showing her the tea and coffee stuff. i was too embarrassed to ask her, and there were no clues when we returned as she'd washed it up.

[bemused emoticon]