Craig's List Babysitters

Something off-topic from what I usually write about on this blog.

Nowadays, it’s hard to find a good babysitter. Word of mouth, if you’re lucky, a friend of the family – these resources are few and far between.

Usually if you call your church, they will have someone you can talk to. Some parishes even have a print-out they can fax to you. Unfortunately, very often the women on these lists are booked solid.

Through the recommendation of a friend from work, I utilized Craig’s List to find daycare. I was spoiled the first time around. I found a great babysitter who was loving and wonderful to my kids. Due to logistical problems related to school, I had to find someone else. Since I had a good experience with Craig’s List the first time around, I placed an ad again. Long story short, this time around, it was a complete nightmare.

I was really shook up. It dawned on me that it’s hard to see a person’s true character in an interview. It’s an interview – they’re on their best behavior and they want the job and they want the money. This is serious, because obviously, your child’s welfare is at stake.

That said, aside from the one bad apple, I have found other back-up sitters on Craig’s List who are truly devoted moms or non-moms who love kids and give your child the care you would give them if you were at home.

Lately there have been a few incidents on Craig’s where people were offended by certain ads. It was interesting reading the various posts and I came to realize that there really should be a forum of some sort for the moms and babysitters to communicate with each other. It makes it less likely for us to be misunderstood.

I broached the subject on Craig’s and got many positive responses from both moms and sitters who were interested in writing something for this blog to help both moms and sitters make the whole daycare experience better for everyone.

More to come.