[SupaModel]

I'm on my way to interview a new babysitter. My GF placed an ad on craigslist and she responded. I'm kinda nervous about leaving DS alone with someone I met over the internet. I know plenty of people do this (several friends) but I just feel weird. I wish I had family around

How do you guys find your babysitters? Have you used craigslist before?

Please tell me something that will make me feel better.

[binkybear]

use word of mouth with friends, neighbors, or work if you can. I watched a little one who's mom worked with my sister. I had just left a long stint with a former employer was ready for a major change and was more than happy to sit with a little one. She felt good knowing something about me via my sister. It was a great situation for both of us

[aclee]

Be very careful and do a back ground check. I used to find my Nanny jobs on CL and then a woman applying for a Nanny job on CL went to a house to interview and was raped and killed.

Another women hired a window washer on CL and he killed her.

Can you find a good baby sitter on CL...YES. Should you be VERY careful. Yes.

Sittercity.com is really good and they do all the checks for you.

We did find out daycare provider on CL, but once we got there, DH realized he had gone to school with some of her kids, and his sisters as well. We still checked references and asked her to update her background clearances, CPR and first aid.

[Saya]

Well we lucked out. DD goes to a small family-based day care, so the caretaker is kind of a cross between a babysitter and a day care provider. DH actually met her in the playground! She was there with a couple of her charges and he could see that she was really loving and responsible. They started talking more after bumping into each other a few times, and at one point she revealed she was going to have a space open that worked with our schedule. Of course we still followed up with 3 different references!

I don't know where you live now, but maybe your community has some kind of on-line parenting group where parents give babysitter recommendations? Our area has this and I find it more trustworthy then Craig's list, jmho. Or talk to parents (or babysitters) on the playground or in classes and see if they know anyone? I think word of mouth often works best here.

Edited to say - wow aclee, now I'm never using CL for anything ever again! Sucks, because we got our stroller, cheap. . .

[manni28]

Use word of mouth. I found my son's babysitter by asking around. Ms. WaWa ( our son's babysitter),is a retiree and since she retired she's been babysitting the neighborhood children ever since. Ask about any retirees that baby sit.

[Wisdom]

We want to hire a sitter, too, and I was thinking of a place like sitter.com or one of those on-line babysitting services who do background checks on their sitters (not that a background check will necessarily tell you everything). I think the best route is finding someone through a friend or a church. I plan on being home working in our office upstairs while the sitter is here, so I'd be able to keep an eye out. I'd be really careful with craigslist or finding someone who's not with an agency or through someone you know. Supa, you seemed to be pretty active with other moms and groups, maybe you can ask someone through those avenues.

[SupaModel]

Ok... I just got back from meeting the girl and she seemed really nice. I got a good vibe from her and my GF loved her too.

Darn it Aclee you scared the crap out of me!!! Now I don't know what to do!!

[aclee]

Originally Posted by SupaModel

Ok... I just got back from meeting the girl and she seemed really nice. I got a good vibe from her and my GF loved her too.

Darn it Aclee you scared the crap out of me!!! Now I don't know what to do!!

Okay, I don't think a teenage girl is using CL to prey on small children. I guess it could happen, but that's not really what I worry about. I think men use it to prey on women...I didn't want you going to some house, alone, banking on it being a teenage girl you were meeting...that's all!

[Beth34]

We found DD's sitter on Craigslist and we couldn't be happier. She is wonderful and has been really responsible and caring. You just have to really ask a lot of questions and really interview a lot of people. This gives you a lots of people to compare and contrast. We did our own background check by checking with our county's (and several counties around us) clerk of courts websites. Many here have online case dockets where you can check to see if someone has criminal and/or civil cases. We also check the property tax websites to see how long they've been in their house and basically if their stories jive with what they tell us.
HTH!
Beth

[ourdreamcametru]

I keep children in my home and I find all my kids off CL. As far as I know all my parents are happy, I've had the kids over a year!!!!! Just be careful and trust your gut!

[nikkianni]

Holy crap aclee! I've never used CL but I'm not going to start now for sure.
We lucked out with DD. MIL watched her for the first year, then she was with the aunt of a coworker (word of mouth) for two months before my aunt retired. Now my aunt watches her Tuesday-Friday. My SIL was taking care of Mondays for us but as of yesterday she's officially a college student three hours away.
We're proud of her, but now we don't know what to do about the Mondays.

[tanmansmom]

We recently bought a second home (due to my husband's business) and it is about 3 1/2 hours away from where we live. I was desperate to find someone to help with TJ so I could help Bo out in his business as well as maybe a date night or two. I called the local high school counselor. She was terrific. Ended up, her 18 year old is now TJ's babysitter. We also met a girl at a local restaurant and TJ wouldn't let her put him down. She gave us her name and number and I asked the counselor about her too. Turns out, she is wonderful. We are now blessed with two sweet, sweet girls to help us out. People in schools love to brag about their best and brightest especially if they know of a really terrific kid who needs the money.