Need a babysitter URGENTLY, anyone got ideas?? please!

[StealthMouse]

Ok, here's the scenario - I have to go to a dinner & dance at the weekend which means I have to leave dd before her bedtime. I usually have a wonderful young girl who sits for me and although not often she has put dd to bed before and dd loves her. Last night I heard that she wouldn't be able to sit on Saturday and under the circumstances I doubt she will be able to sit again (at least not in the near future).

This leaves me with two situations, firstly, I am in desperate need of a babysitter for this Saturday who would be able to put dd to bed - all my friends are busy and all my family will be at the same do that I am attending/

Secondly how do I go about finding a new regular babysitter (for one night a week on average)?? I've tried asking around but nobody seems to know of anyone. My usual girl was a friends dd.

I am reluctant to advertise for someone but it looks like I won't have much choice, has anybody successfully found someone through a local advert? Are there any businesses that keep babysitters on their books?

Please help - particularly with ideas about a solution for Saturday night. TIA

Try www.sitters.co.uk - i think there is a click through from MN, plus a discount iirc.

do any of your friends have au pairs/nannies that your dd knows? does she go to a nursery (you could ask one of the workers there). there are babysitting agencies but i dont' know any of them so would n't be able to recommend. where do you live btw?

dd is next in nursery on Thursday - I have everything crossed that one of them can do it on Saturday (but it's valentines weekend and short notice) also they are going to be too expensive for me to use regluarly (I imagine).

Not many people I know have kids let alone nannies!!! In fact I don't think I've ever even met anyone that has a nanny!

Agree with Sitters, they're good ime. But I don;t think babysitters would usually be expected to put a child to bed, depends on how old your dd is. What about contacting colleges running nneb or other childcare courses to see if any of their students would like some paid work experience babysitting?

one of the single ones might be glad of the money and to be removed from the yukkyness that is Valentines Day! i found a few nannies by word of mouth through 2 o'clock clubs etc. they tended to be youngish german/czech girls and i got them to come and meet my dds first. our nursery workers vary in price btw, between £5 and £7 per hr.

For the emergency on Saturday, would the mummy one of dd's friends help. Then it could be someone she knows.

Long term, I think you will need to advertise/put a note in the local shop, that kind of thing.

How much do you usually pay ?

If you can use nursery girls it would be great at least for this sat, DD will be used to them and they would be capable!! I pay about £15 when we go out and leave our kids with DS1-s ex-nursery teacher and she seems delighted to get that!

and I would expect a babysitter to put a child to bed. Ds has never gone to bed until 7:30 - 8:00pm, so we would never have gone anywhere if we couldn't go before he went to bed. And anyway, it doesn't seem hing to be put to bed by Mummy, but if you wake up someone else comes and says mummy's not there.
Always better to let child see who is there, and they can do bedtime together.

Sitters seems a bit pricey

DD is normally in bed, this Sat is a one off and ex. sitter is a dd of friends. She had been putting dd to bed as practice for this Saturday coming.

I pay her £15 until midnight then £5 per hour after that. My friends sister used to sit for me occassionally, she is qualified and I gave her £5 per hour.

I would expect to pay one of the girls from nursery between £5 and £6 per hour.

I don't have many friends with children (I work full time) and non of them are in a position to help me out tbh

Hoping a nursery girl can do Saturday or I'm stumped really!

I have just written an ad for the local shop - does it sound ok?

Babbysitter Required. Regular Weekend Work. Good Rate of Pay. Must be 16 or over and reliable. Child care qualification and/or references preferred but not essential. contact: nnnnnnnnn

Never done this before, being a single parent doesn't help either as they have to be able to get home on their own afterwards!

Ps. thanks for the input so far - you've all been really helpful

which area do you live in?be careful just putting a notice in a shop check the person out thoroughly 1st

I live in a small-ish town just outside Milton Keynes.

How can you check out people if the respond to an add? I've tried word of mouth but nobody can think of anyone.

I'm a bit young to have a lot of friends with teenage children and most of my friends haven't got kids of their own