Top tips for finding babysitters??

[Notyummy]

We live 4 hours away from any members of our family. We do have a couple of friends around here, but they all have family close who babysit for them, so I feel like if I did ask them to babysit I would be imposing, as they don't need us to return the favour. Dh and I would love he occasional night out (once a month perhaps) but we are stumped for babysitters. We did have a nursery nurse from dd nursery, but she has moved. Tried asking at the nursery....no one else does it. I am aware of agencies, which I may try (although they are VERY expensive!)

What do other people do?? Should I try advertising?

Message withdrawn

Thanks Cod

any other ideas anyone??

bump

www.sitters.co.uk

you can build a relationship with a regular one so your child gets to know them. This is what we used until recently, and would use again if we had regular babysitting needs.

How old are the children? When the dcs were little we used an agency (ask around, not all are ridiculously expensive), but now they are 4 and 6 I don't think that you can beat Cod's suggestion (other than having said girl living across the road from you so you don't have to drive them home!). You can choose your school selectively of course!

dd is 16 months. I do like the idea about the school, although obviously some 6th formers are smoking spliffs and shagging their bfs in my bed (or I am just judging them by my standards at that age . Altho agencies aren't a bad idea, I just looked at the one weegle suggested and they tell me they have limited coverage in my area and it probably isn't worth me joining. We are in a town (not too remote), but in Lincolnshire, so maybe there is not as much demand/money as the home counties.

Thanks for the ideas...keep them coming!

I found mine by doing some volunteering at Ds1's (secondary) school.She's only 18 months older than Ds1 but well,you know,she's a girl and not close family so all three boys behave for her.

Do you work? We have a couple of work colleagues we can call on (it's a reciprocal deal) which is good. Otherwise DD is starting to go on sleepovers (she's 6.5y) so we make sure we go out then, even if we don't feel like it.

I work 4 days a week and had never thought about the colleagues thing. I know at least one of them has kids under 5, so might mention to her that I am available for babysitting and see if she responds! Don't really have time for volunteering, and dd not quite at sleepover stage yet....but shes very much the extrovert and loves new frinds/places, so I suspect she may be completely up for them when she is a little older!

no you go to a NICE school adn get a nicE girl
you haev it all worng

What about putting up an advert at the local college - where they study childcare course - they will all have some experience of children, be CRB checked and may have first aid experience - they should also have PPE's which they could show you

Try advertising on gumtree. You get a lot of nannies who are looking for a bit of extra work in the evenings. Obviously you have to do a lot of reference checking, but both times I've advertised I had loads of replies and could pick the best.

I have asked around at mums and tots for recomendations, now have 2 students ( one on play therapy, one on child care course) on my list of possible Baby sitters for those times when i can't arrange it as a baby sitting swap with another mum.
Returning favours doesn;t have to be by baby sitting tho. if you do ask another mum you could offer something else in exchange- cake, wine, ironing, oven cleaning, grass cutting...

Ok, I will def contact local girls school (there is a girls grammer near us with a sixth form) and try and post an advert at Lincoln college, which is the nearest college offering childcare courses (20 miles away though, so I hope some of them live near me!)

No luck on Gumtree....only cities covered, and we are too far from Nottingham which is the nearest city.

I don't do Mum and Tots because I work, but take the point about favours being more then just babysitting.

Any other thoughts gratefully received, and thanks for the ideas so far.

Hi Mums & Dads I was woundering are you intersted in finding a full time childminder in the Great Barr area of Birmingham? I have limited spaces, if you are interested why not visit my websites:www.babyhippos.co.uk.or www.babyhippos.ash.com

If you type babyhippos one word into google search engine you will find me under home! If after contacting me you want to make a pre arrange visit you will need to bring with you two forms of ID i.e. passport or driving license and a bill paid in your name, but first fill out my enquiry form found in my main website and we can make further arrangements here i can answer more of your questions about your childcare needs.

Please read the full contents of websites and as they form part of my full terms and conditions, full terms and conditions is found in my contract, which can be emailed to you once you have visited, deposits are required before your child/ren can start and is non refundable.

Please note Baby Hippos is a christian owned bbusiness so it's christians teaching will be passed onto your children, so this childcare setting might not be suitable for parents who disagree with a christian teaching, the business is non denomination but is of evangelical in belief.

this is a very old thread

and you ahve to pay to advertise

nth