Finding babysitters and getting a life in your 30s

[Bev2007]

How do I find a trustworthy babysitter?
I have a 9 year old daughter and would like to find a mature, mobile babysitter that I could have on a regular basis so I can get some semblance of a life (my husband is away alot so thats not an option).
I dont know any local teenagers, am a bit wary of ads in post offices and just dont know about agencies (has anyone tried this?).
Is this difficult or am I being neurotic? This is quite possible, Ive never had a babysitter before. I just dont go out unless my other half is around.
Help!

[seefa]

Hi Bev,

If you live in Liverpool I can help as I run a home sitting service staffed with nursery nurses and it includes evening sitters...Staff are qualified, or are mature and have had kids themselves are police checked and meet you and your children first...You pay a yearly registration fee and then pay the sitter yourself......We are a charity so not for profit....0151 498 4408.

If you put 'sitters' into your web browser you will get a national child sitting service. No, you are not losing it.....just cautious, but you need a life now, not have to wait till the children are grown.. Good luck

[Bev2007]

Thanks very much; Im going to go to an agency.
Alas not in Liverpool!

[mrknowall]

What about the family if not y not ask the neighbours any teenagers there also ask other mums when you take your daughter to school.
I hope you get it sorted then you can get a bit of life back

[sense4all]

Set up your own baby sitting circle with other trusted Mums/carers from school. Worked best with us with about ten members.You print your own tokens and give each member eight tokens, everyone agrees that they will be the sitter ( not partner, aupair etc.) and then have a coffe morning once a month to swop dates for forth coming events. People are free to leave if they 'buy' themselves out with eight tokens (just like they got in the begining) No new mwmbers can be taken on board unless everyone agrees in principle to their joining at previous meeting. One token represents an hours free babysitting.

Problems that you might encounter.
The after midnight revellers.... charge two tokens per hour instead of one after midnight!
Someone with loads of kids versus someone with one child agree terms when setting up framework of arrangement.
Having people arrange sleepovers : then getting you to babysit .... not on - discuss when suggesting the rules to stick to.

Meetings ( we used to have a lunch ) at the begining of the year, pull the names raffle style for who s house the meeting will be at ( easier if the person in charge of the tokens makes a note of this.) Laminate the tokens ,having numbered them under the laminate. Place a punchhole on them so they can be pinned on boards with minimal damage to them or everyone doing something different to them( v. irritating)
If everyone is from the same school this can lead to problems on big fundraising nights, to avoid encourage other members to recruit from other activites maybe yoga class, or a local sister whos kids go elsewhere.

Then have a worry free evening.

[winny]

We always used the employees or the nursery where the children went. The children knew them and they were all checked. I realize your daughter is too old for that but you could try contacting the nurseries and see if they can recommend ideas. Have friends got children at nurseries or playschools with good staff. Most of the girls at mine do extra nights. Please dont get teens they mean well but had i had a teen in charge (instead of a trusted nursery nurse) when my daughter suffered a suspected febrile convulsion i feel the outcome would have been different. My daughter was fine thanks to the womans quick action but it would have been an awful situation to put a teen in.