Showing posts with label Babysitters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Babysitters. Show all posts

Monday, July 23, 2012

Leaving Your Family Pet with a Pet Sitter

A new member of the family joined us 5 months ago.  Mickey is a Miniature Schnauzer mix and the sweetest puppy ever.  We have taken a few trips since having him and have been blessed to be able to take him with us.  However, we took a trip out-of-state and he could not come with us.  So we talked to family and friends and looked into kennels/pet boarding locations.  But, I was just too worried about leaving him in an unfamiliar place with strangers.  Besides, we would prefer to have him at home where he feels safe and comfortable.  So, we decided to find a pet sitter to come by a few times a day to let him run around the backyard and feed him.

The first people we thought of were our babysitter!  She lives just across the street and recently mentioned that she is saving up for a car.  Also, they have always had a family dog that she helps look after.  So, a familiar face for our puppy and she is close by, so coming over a few times a day wouldn't be too much to ask.  We were so excited when she agreed to watch him for us.

We had spoken to a kennel and they were going to charge us $10/day.  So, that's what we paid her.  Before we left, we let her know his routine.  We also wanted to leave her helpful information in case of emergencies.  So, I hit my keyboard and found the perfect downloadable template - Pet Care Instructions.  What I like most about it is that it includes all the areas I wanted to cover for my pet sitter but, I was also able to download the form and change it to fit my needs exactly.  I filled out the Pet Care Instructions form and was sure to leave a copy of his up-to-date vaccination records - just in case.

After being away from our pup for almost a week, when we returned I think he was disappointed that he wouldn't be seeing our pet sitter every day.  But, that made me even more confident with my decision to have a pet sitter watch him at home.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Finding the Right Babysitter

Finding a babysitter for your children can be difficult and time consuming.  However, it is also one of the most important things you will do for your family.  My husband and I haven't had a babysitter for our kids in a few years.  So, we are looking once again.

First things first, how much do you pay a babysitter?  I did some research and found a lot of great information to help us decide what we can afford.  If you need help figuring out the going rate for babysitters in your area, check out my post How Much to Pay the Babysitter.

Now, time to find the babysitter.  Luckily enough, a young girl across the street from us passed out flyers advertising that she was looking for babysitting jobs.  I plan on giving her a call very soon.  If you need help finding a babysitter, try these helpful links:
There are online sites that specialize in finding babysitters too.  They often offer background checks on the babysitters they provide, which is great!
Once you've decided on a possible babysitter, it's a great idea to give them a trial period.  I plan to invite the babysitter over a few times to watch my children while I am at home with them (great time to do some deep cleaning around the house).  It's a great way to help you decide if they are a good fit for your kids.  Since I'll be home, I will be paying less than I would if I were out.  After the trial period, I'll increase her pay for the times I am out of the house.

Do you have helpful tips on finding a babysitter?  I'd love to hear from you, so please leave a comment and share your story.  Thank you!  

How Much to Pay the Babysitter

Although the economy is still rough, my husband and I feel it's worth spending the money on a babysitter again to keep our sanity and to keep our marriage alive.  We haven't had a babysitter for a few years and now our family is one child heavier.  So, I felt the need to research the cost of babysitters again. 

While searching the web, I found a few helpful online articles.  They all agree that there are many factors to consider when deciding on how much to pay a babysitter:  
  1. Babysitters age, experience babysitting and training (CPR, first aid, classes etc.)
  2. Where you live:  big city versus rural area.  (Try the Rate Calculator below.)
  3. How many children the babysitter will be watching
  4. The day of the week and time of day you will need the babysitter
  5. How often you will be needing the babysitter:  every day or one night a week, etc.
Below are the articles I found to have the best information:
Here are a couple of helpful links for deciding how much you will pay your babysitter:
How much do you pay your babysitter?  Please leave a comment and help moms like me.  Thanks!