update on hiring babysitter

i have officially interviewed and hired a babysitter!…in fact she is babysitting right now and i am blogging from a cozy Starbucks! have you tried their Reduced Fat Very Berry Coffee Cake? i am about to get another piece. i wonder how much fat is really in it because it is so so delicious!

on Tuesday i asked you guys for tips on hiring a babysitter and received some great advice. i also got a personal email from Candi Wingate, the President of Care4Hire. she sent me a link to 10 Questions You Should Ask At A Babysitter Interview! Thanks, Candi!

i found my sitter through Sittercity. my requirements were pretty basic- experience with 2 under 2 (changing diapers, making bottles, creative play)…..and a native spanish speaker. i had 2 responses to my ad and i am so so excited about Veronica. she is a DREAM babysitter. she is originally from Mexico and was an Au Pair for a family in Washington DC for 1 year. (they had a 6 month old, 2 yr old, and 3 year old) when i checked her references they couldn’t say enough nice things about her. she is sweet, caring, loves the kids already (and they LOVE her). her voice is just beautiful and Harper and Rexford took to her right away. (no tears at all!)

Harper is learning spanish so Veronica will be speaking with them ONLY in Spanish. i am hoping it will really benefit her to be around another native spanish speaker all day. i am also hoping to have V babysit once/week. it will give me a chance to get some stuff done + alone time is always good for a SAHM!

Hiring Babysitters

once again i need some good advice from all of you experienced moms and dads….

i have interviews with 2 babysitters this week. i found them both on Sittercity.com. my requirements for a sitter were pretty specific and none of the sitters my friends recommended fit what i need.

my children are learning spanish so i want a sitter to come one day/week and speak to them all day long ONLY in spanish. the sitter needs to speak spanish as their first language and obviously have experience with babies and toddlers.

so, that said….what kinds of interview questions did you ask? did you do background checks when hiring a new sitter? did you ask for references, how many did you call? did you stay home and watch the sitter with your children for an hour before you left them alone? i am so new to this and would LOVE to hear your experiences with hiring babysitters!

thanks ) shari

p.s. feel free to email me also with tips and interview questions! spearmintbaby@gmail.com