When The Babysitter Cancels Last Minute: What To Do

Argh!

You’re all set to go. The phone rings and it’s the babysitter.

She calls to cancel at the last minute. What are you to do now?

You’re all dressed and excited. How can you NOT panic? You’ve been looking forward to the evening. Or maybe, you have an important meeting.

Definitely the sudden change of schedule is enough to drive you nuts. How can you NOT to panic. But you really shouldn’t.

Relax. Stay calm. You have options.

Parents often find themselves in this kind of dilemma. It happens and it’s always bound to happen.

The best thing to do is to anticipate this kind of dilemma.

5. Have A Backup Plan

Always have a backup plan. Have a “babysitter-in-waiting” to call on just in case.

But you’re probably thinking that it’s hard enough to find one. So what more finding another one? As a parent, you should already have a list of folks to call on. When it comes to babysitting, you just can’t settle for one. You need to have a backup.

The backup babysitter should also be informed before hand. Having a backup doesn’t mean you’re going to call on the last minute. You just don’t do that. You need to inform the backup babysitter before hand. If you don’t, you’ll end up with no one. And then you’ll panic.

Having a backup doesn’t mean you’re going to call on the last minute. You just don’t do that. You need to inform the backup babysitter before hand. If you don’t, you’ll end up with no one. And then you’ll panic.

So what else can you do in case the sitter cancels and you do not have a backup plan? Here are your options.

4. Stay Home

What else can you do? The babysitter calls and says she can’t make it. You have no one else to call on. So just stay home. Of course, you’ll get pissed. It’s human nature to get pissed with sudden changes.

As a parent, you’re aware that only thing constant in life is change. So just go with the flow. You just really have to stay home.

Your priority in life is to keep your kid safe. So keep that in mind. If you do, you won’t mind succumbing to sudden changes.

3. Call Friends, Neighbors, And Family Members

If you find it hard to keep a list of babysitters, don’t worry. You can turn to friends, neighbors, and family. If you have no family members that live nearby, turn to your neighbors. But don’t inform on the last minute.

Let them know in advance. Your neighbor can be your Plan C. You just need to inform them beforehand.

2. Bring Your Child With You

Yes, it does sound silly. However, if you really have to go out and it is that important and if your child can tag along, just bring him or her. The person you have an appointment with would understand. If bringing your child is not possible, I guess your option would be to cancel your appointment.

I had once a situation wherein I had no choice but bring my child with me to the office. My boss did not mind at all and my child had a blast staying in my office drawing on the large whiteboard.

My officemates just loved my 5 year old’s “graffiti” and had her also draw some stuff on their own whiteboards in their cubicles. It definitely worked out.

1. Use An Online Sitter Service

You can find reliable sitters online. However, you can only get last minute sitters once you have setup an account with an online childcare service and once you have gone through the process of screening one.

With services like Sittercity, they have sitters who are available on a last minute basis. In fact, they have trusted and reliable sitters who even responds in 24 hours or less to new families.

With services like Sittercity, they have trusted sitters who are available on a last-minute basis, 24×7. In fact, they have trusted and reliable sitters who even respond in 24 hours or less to new families.

In fact, once you are signed up with the service, you will have access to a community of parents whom you can contact in case you are interested in getting recommendations for a last-minute sitter.

The service is also very affordable and won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

And yes, Sittercity has a mobile app which makes finding, hiring, messaging, and paying sitters so convenient.

And yes, Sittercity has a mobile app that makes finding, hiring, messaging, and paying sitters so convenient. You can find all the information you need about about a sitter including detailed profile information, background checks, experience and certification, hourly rates, and more.

You can book a job with a sitter and communicate with them directly via the app. And if you are short on cash to pay your sitter, you can just pay them directly via your app too.

So if you think that there might be a possibility that you may have an “emergency situation” that requires a last-minute babysitter, do yourself a favor by becoming a member now.

Most importantly, you shouldn’t wait until the last minute to do it. If you want a reliable babysitter, start looking now.

Check out this article and see for yourself why people are loving Sittercity.

If ever you decide to join Sittercity, do make sure to use discounts and deals such as this from Sittercity.

You really can’t help but panic if the babysitter cancels at the last minute. But if you have a reliable babysitter, it wouldn’t happen to you. And if you have a spare, you wouldn’t be so stressed about it.

Have you ever found yourself needing a sitter at the last minute? What did you do?

Disclosure: Compensated Affiliate. Click here for details.

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Stephanie Parker

A nerd at heart (haha), I have been following and analyzing the world of online sitters for a couple of years now and have seen a lot of innovations and changes in this market. In between taking care of my loving (and demanding 😜) family and writing, I also do a lot of “traveling” on the Travel Channel and Discovery Channel. Read More