How do you find a babysitter in London?

[elaineq]

Hello mums,

I hope you don't mind but I would like to ask some advice. I am a 28 year old girl living in London. I work as a PA during the week but to boost my income I have started making myself avaiable for babysitting locally. I have plenty of experience, but I am really struggling to find many jobs in my area of West Hampstead despite the fact that I know it can be a real struggle for families in London (with no family living nearby) to find a good reliable babysitter.

I have advertised locally, put ads on Gumtree and registered with 3 different babysitting websites and so far I have only gotten one job. Now the family I sat for were very happy with me and have said they would like me to sit for them again but I would like to try to build up my contacts and get some semi regular sitting going. I just don't know how to reach out to families any more than I am doing!

Can you tell me how you found your babysitter? Was it through a friend or maybe through your kids school? Or did you use a website?

Any advice you could give me about how to get my name out there would be greatfully received.

Thanks for reading :-)

I'm a member of Sitters.
Crap crap crap pay (they set the fees) but it's very regular work

Word of mouth is really important. Keep publicising yourself, and once you get in with a group of mums you'll find the work starts coming in. Or at least this was my experience 20 years ago!

Thanks both.

FrazzleRock, the problem is I am not CRB checked, so I didn't think I could register with an agency. Also the idea of them setting the fees does sort of make it less unappealing. I would also like to build up a relationship with the families I sit for, do you find you sit for the same people regularly or is it different people every time?

it's different people every time as I don't do it very often due to the jobs starting too early in the evening (DH doesn't get home till 8pm). I do Saturdays now and again but between DH's nights out and mine I don't get the chance to do much work for them.

If I took regular jobs (and I get texts nearly every day), I would end up working for the same families as they can request babysitters they like.
I've had various jobs sent to me where the families have specifically asked for me but its always bad timing for me so have had to decline.

Thanks FrazzleRock, that's very helpful. I'll look into that.

I am also with sitters not in London but I have a varied number of jobs, sometimes only 1 a month sometimes 5 or 6. I'm in Suffolk and get £5.80 per hour but it's hassle free.

You have to have a CRB check and first aid certificate so it usually for people who work with children anyway but worth contacting them and they can tell you if you meet their criteria.

Thanks, I'll do that :-)

I've fallen at the first hurdle. As I've only started sitting again I don't have the two years experience they require to join.

Back to the drawing board :-)

aw shame Catch 22 isn't it!

Its tricky!

Bump... still looking for more suggestions anyone may have! Thanks all...

What specifically have you done to advertise locally?

Do you know any families in the area where you live? Perhaps you could sit for them, and then they could tell their friends....

Hi Earlybird

I've advertised in local supermarkets (but the library or leisure centre won't allow babysitting ads). I put regular ads on Gumtree and I've registered with 3 sitting websites. I've had one job (through findababysitter) but need to try to build up my contacts.

Is it too much to put flyers in peoples doors? I don't want to do anything that puts people off as obviously choosing a babysitter is a very difficult decision and it might put people off if I were to put a flyer through their door.

Will news agents let you put up a notice?
Are there any local leisure centres or gyms that might allow it?
Hair salons or beauty treatment shops?

You could try putting an ad in the cafe in Queen's Park (very mummy area and have seen lots of ads for babysitters / nannies in there).

I live in NW6 (near Queen's Park) and am looking to find a regular babysitter. If you let me have a contact email address perhaps we can chat about it.

Thanks,

Thanks both, that's really helpful.

Ronipops, my email is [email protected] if you'd like to email me about the sitting you mentioned. Thank you!

I answered a message on netmums and this one contact has now passed me on to all her friends and I'm working three nights a week.
Try Fara if you have them its a childrens charity shop and I have got good results from ads on their notice board.
Not sure that many people would be happy having someone without a CRB though?

Its a good point macfi, I'm thinking of paying to get the check done as I also need it for registering with sitting agencies.

Bump :-)

How about placing some signs at local nurseries - I sometimes see some at my son's nursery from other nannys and au pairs advertising. Or you could put some flyers through local houses advertising yourself

I would maybe try posters in obv places such as lesuire centres, children centres etc and maybe make some a5 leaflets and pop through letterboxes.

I guess for many parents when looking for someone to babysit through private advertising then you are looking for someone with childcare experience, CRB checked and several references so although you have advertised in lots of the right places you are probably competing with nannies, childminders, nurses etc who offer babysitting around their full time jobs and are obv CRB checked and very experienced and may charge the same as you little or little more than you.

Good luck with it all but guess it may one of those things thats slow to take off and probably in a year through word of mouth you will be babysitting for lots of families.

try the safehands childcare network as think they could prob get a CRB done for you and they are a babysitting agency so perhaps would be able to find work for you also think they pay around £5.50 an hr.

I might try flyers - I have tried leisure centres and libraries and they are all reluctant to put up a babysitting ad. I am also going to do as Ronipops suggested and try the cafes in Queens Park and West Hampstead

Thanks for the advice everyone!