Has anyone used www.sittercity.com to find a babysitter?

[Personal Chef]

I saw a news story on the Today show about 6 months ago about www.sittercity.com. They match up babysitters with families based on zipcodes. I was wondering if any of you would be willing to share your experiences with this website.

We recently moved to New Jersey and we do not have any family in the area or friends. My husband and I did not go out much before but now we do not go out unless we fly my sister up from Jacksonville, FL. I am petrified to leave my children with someone outside the family but I know I need to get over it.

I appreciate your help:)

[misskitty100]

Hey, I have been to Mt. Laurel, NJ on a business trip. Very nice and green .... and hot and humid too! :D

I have a suggestion for you - are your kids in a preschool or other school type setting? If so, why not ask one of their teachers to sit for you?

[badunnin]

Hey, I have been to Mt. Laurel, NJ on a business trip. Very nice and green .... and hot and humid too! :D

I have a suggestion for you - are your kids in a preschool or other school type setting? If so, why not ask one of their teachers to sit for you?

Sorry, but hijacking here. Do preschool teachers do that? I teach HS, and I tutor, but charge what I consider to be an obscene amount of money for my services (but it's the going rate, so I suck it up!).

[misskitty100]

My son's preschool teacher is about 22 yrs old so I would assume she would babysit if I asked her and paid her enough. ;)

The reason I suggested this is because DH's boss and his wife are new to this area and had to go on an out of town trip with family (the people they would normally fly in to watch their kids) so they asked their DD's preschool teacher to stay at their house for 6 days and she did! Not sure what it cost them though.....:eek:

We also had one of DS's sunday school teachers offer to babysit for us too.

[GingerPow]

I saw a news story on the Today show about 6 months ago about www.sittercity.com. They match up babysitters with families based on zipcodes. I was wondering if any of you would be willing to share your experiences with this website.

We recently moved to New Jersey and we do not have any family in the area or friends. My husband and I did not go out much before but now we do not go out unless we fly my sister up from Jacksonville, FL. I am petrified to leave my children with someone outside the family but I know I need to get over it.

I appreciate your help:)
Personal Chef, Welcome to New Jersey! I'm just down the road a bit from you, near the beach in Cape May County. PM me if I can ever give a hand to you in your new state.

I was also going to suggest the local schools - do you have a Technical high school near you? They have childcare courses and may be able to recommend a student who babysits. Also the local Community College may have some information.

Talk to neighbors, or other parents at your children's school. Do you have a pediatrician yet? They might know of a babysitter.

Our local hospital has a babysitting course called "Safe Sitter" which my DD took a few years ago. Maybe your local hospital does too, and has a list of recommendations.

If you use someone from the Sittercity website, maybe their first babysitting time at your house could be short, see how it goes. (Ever see the commercial where the babysitter arrives and the parents go to the backyard for their date? Not a bad idea!);)

[lindrusso]

Our local hospital has a babysitting course called "Safe Sitter" which my DD took a few years ago. Maybe your local hospital does too, and has a list of recommendations.

Our local Red Cross in Indiana had these courses and also had lists of sitters in the area.

I worked in the school system and as I got to know the faculty, anyone with kids the right age eventually got the question, "So, do your girls babysit?". :D

If you belong to a church, that would also be a good place to start.

I don't envy you - it's so hard to leave your kids with someone new and in a new town. I have found someone here in PA who has two girls in high school - I think I can trust them to babysit - but my boys will be 10 and 13 this summer - I don't know that they really need a babysitter anymore - the girls would only be a few years older than my oldest. So, I have to get over THAT. ;) :)

[SaraInWisc]

I guess I'm the first replying that has used Sittercity. I used their service when we lived in the Cleveland area with no family in the area. I really liked it and found some good sitters. A little pricey but considering they are watching our kids very worth the piece of mind. Liked you could see their majors if they're in college, interests, etc. Hope that helps.

ps I grew up near you in Moorestown! Small world!

[Personal Chef]

Thank you all for your suggestions.

My older son is in preschool but his teachers do not babysit. Both teachers have very young kids. Mine are a little young for an adolescent to care for them (1 year and 4 years).

I'll check with our church nursery. Maybe the volunteers babysit. Rutgers and Rowan University are within 30 minutes of us. I'll check their websites to see if there is some type of referral service within their education departments and I'll check the Red Cross and YMCA.

Ginger, I saw that commercial. It cracked me up. At this point, I would take a date like that!

Baddunnin, many preschool teachers babysit on the side to earn extra income. Though it is typically not condoned by the preschool/daycares because they are afraid of being sued.

MissKitty it is hot and humid here but I grew up on Florida where it is that way about 300 days a year so I am used to it.

I really do appreciate the support and wonderful ideas. You've all given me hope that we will get out of this house!

[Beth Y]

If there are any colleges near you, either just go there and post a sign, or call their financial aid office and ask how to post a part time job. They are used to it. NC STate has an online place to post and I got TONS of calls from that.

Others have made good suggestions to. Just ask! If your kids preschool teacher doesn't do it, ask her if she knows anyone. When you go to the playground in your neighborhood and see a Mom a couple times, ask her who she uses and how she found them.

Do you have a Y in the area or gym that you use? Do they have someone to watch kids there? Ask them.

And I would strongly advise that any sitter reference you get, but don't know otherwise, that you ask for and check references. Preferably names of people they already sit for. Maybe not if you use your preschool teacher, but if you get someone that yuo don't know at all. I definately check references. Just cause a kid gets into college doesn't mean she is a good sitter!

[Personal Chef]

Sara, thank you. Did you pay the yearly fee or monthly?

That is a small world. I love Moorestown. It is so quaint and pretty!

[BucknellAlum]

I don't know if you are a SAHM mom or not. When I was home fulltime with little ones, I got involved in playgroups and other settings with moms. I also tried to get to know the other preschool moms, and eventually found that a lot of those moms and I would trade off babysitting. I felt better leaving little ones with a mom.

Also in my area is a babysitting coop, about 10-15 moms who trade off babysitting. It is a great tool, if you can organize one or find one.

[SaraInWisc]

I was out of the house...I think there was a sign up fee and then a small monthly charge. I agree about checking references. The sitters I interviewed and hired have not disappointed me.
Sad to say but haven't been to Moorestown in ages. Glad to hear it's still a nice place to live.

[Personal Chef]

Bucknell--Yes I am a stay at home mom. I have been a member of Mom's Club for 4 years. My current playgroup is not that great. No offense to first time moms as I was like them, but they do not want to leave their children and never go out without them. I've tried a few times to organize a girl's night out but no one would go. I have not found a coop yet.

Sara--Thanks again. I'll give the sitters in my area a hard look.

[mst]

PC- I used to work in Mt. Holly. Small world.

Anyway, someone in my playgroup, and my sister both have used SitterCity and been happy with it. It is expensive, so my friend joined, got a few names, and then ended her membership. It is about $40 to first sign up.
In this area, all of the college students use this, not signs and things like that.

Let us know how it works out. I swear, one of these days, I will leave my child with a real sitter!:o

[gertdog]

Sorry, but hijacking here. Do preschool teachers do that? I teach HS, and I tutor, but charge what I consider to be an obscene amount of money for my services (but it's the going rate, so I suck it up!).

Around here they do. DS goes to a daycare center that also has a preschool and kindergarten on the site, and the center gives us a list of the teachers who do babysitting on the side. Both of the preschool teachers are on the list. All of the teachers charge $12/hour for sitting.

Our regular sitter is one of DS's former daycare teachers- she's now a full-time college student and always happy to earn some spending money.

I've never heard of sittercity- will have to check it out in case we ever find ourselves in need of a sitter.

Rutgers may also work well; if you do find a department that keeps a list of willing sitters, ask if the list also includes info on whether they have cars. We found that many of the potential sitters at Rutgers don't have transportation.