Hiring a Babysitter: What Type Do You Need?
When you’re looking to hire a babysitter, whether it’s only occasionally or on a daily basis, you first need to consider what responsibility level and type of commitment you require. For some couples, a babysitter is merely a way to get out of the house for a few hours to have a “date night” once a month while other people need full time nanny to help them balance a heavy workload or a job that requires a lot of traveling. Knowing which type of babysitter you need in advance is vitally important to having a successful search, so here are some things to consider which will help you nail it all down.
Occasional Help
Most commonly, you may need a babysitter from time to time but most of the parenting will be done by you. Having a babysitter’s number on hand for things like doing intensive shopping, going out on a date night, or handling some sort of unexpected piece of business can be very important. Let’s face it, there are going to be times when you simply can’t take your baby along for a particular errand, not to mention the times when you just need to get away from it all and have some time to yourself. A standard babysitter will take care of these issues and allow you the flexibility that’s required in life.
Full Time Nanny
If you constantly travel for work or just have a very busy life, you may want to consider hiring a full time nanny to help you out. Though you’re obviously still the parent, the nanny will take care of most of the day to day activities required when raising a child so that you can focus on other aspects of life. A nanny will typically be in charge of a lot more than a regular babysitter and will be involved in the development of your child. Besides determining when a kid is ready for bed, they’ll be making maturity decisions like when your child is old enough to use sparklers safely and even appear at their school on your behalf. Most regular babysitters won’t commit to this type of labor-intensive lifestyle, so make sure you know what you’re looking for when you begin your search for a full time nanny.
Somewhere In-Between
Many people are looking for something in-between having an occasional babysitter and a full time nanny such as a few hours of supervision after school each day. Since school lets out in the early afternoon and most parents work until at least 5:00pm, it can be challenging to have your kids unsupervised for a few hours or more at home. By hiring a babysitter on a regular basis to supervise your kids, you can have the peace of mind that they’re safe without the additional worries of someone else raising your children.
Regardless of what type of babysitter you need to handle your childcare woes, knowing what you need ahead of time can help you pick the right person for the job. It is never ideal to change babysitters after you have a good working relationship and your children have grown accustomed to the idea, so getting your babysitter choice correct is very important to keeping a happy household.