Everybody needs a babysitting service. You might think you don’t, but you do. I thought I would never need one since I live near my mom but I was wrong.
Even if you live near family and friends, you just can’t expect them to be there always when you need them. That would be unfair for them. They have their own lives.
It’s okay to have them watch your kids once or maybe even twice but not all the time. You can’t compel them to do that all the time. That’s going to strain relations between you and them. Before you know it, they’ll be hiding from you. Believe me. I know.
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It takes a lot to choose a babysitting service that’s reliable. The fact that there are a lot nowadays, doesn’t make it any easier. You have to do some serious searching and researching.
I read on Webmd.com that you really have to check the babysitter’s references. It adds that you also have to consider her track record. Is she trusted by others as well? Is she responsible enough? These are questions that need to be answered. The one thing I can tell you is that it’s going to be pretty hard to answer them if you’re not signed up with a babysitting service.
These are the 5 useful tips in choosing a reliable online babysitting service. I learned them along the way and I want to share them with you.
Table Of Contents
5. Look Into The Cost And Benefits Of The Babysitting Service
Cost is always a huge factor when it comes to choosing a babysitting service. Unfortunately for some parents, cost is also the reason why they don’t consider babysitting services. They think it’s too expensive.
I was like one of those parents. I had always thought a babysitting service was too expensive me. That’s why I never really bothered to look into it. The truth is, it’s not and that is the reason why you really have to look into the cost.
Furthermore, you also need to look into the benefits. Don’t just focus on the numbers because that’s not going to get you anywhere. You have to exert some effort to see if the cost is well worth it. According to Lifehacker.com, it’s doable to find a reliable babysitting service that’s within your budget.
I agree and that is the reason why it’s important to look into both the cost and the benefits. When I started to do that, I realized that the cost was really worth it. One benefit I get from my babysitting service is that I am able to book a babysitter any time. That’s a big deal for me since I’m a single mom.
At some point, the benefits will out weigh the cost. Nonetheless, it’s up to you to figure out which benefits work well for you. My point is, don’t just focus on cost alone.
4. Consider Safety And Convenience
Almost all online babysitting services will claim to be safe. They will make safety as one of their top selling points. My advice is to really look into their safety measures.
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For example, you will find that most of the babysitting services take pride in their background checks. That alone shouldn’t make you settle for the first babysitting service that comes to mind. Since most babysitting services run background checks on their babysitters, you might settle for the first one that comes along.
Take it from me. Don’t do that. When I was looking for a babysitting service, I was very impressed with a couple since they had great safety measures in place.
At some point, I was at a crossroad. I was very impressed with two of the leading babysitting services since their babysitters were well screened through background checks.
I would have just chosen randomly between the two but I didn’t. I looked deeper and learned that one babysitting service actually requires their sitters to run background checks on themselves. Not just one background check for each babysitter, but several.
So don’t jump right in. Consider the measures of a babysitting service before choosing one.
So that means that I wouldn’t have to worry about running background checks when I’m in a hurry to book a babysitter.
Another good thing about that one babysitting service is that it connects me to my friends who are also using the same service. I’ve become part of this closely-knit community of moms who are always looking for a babysitter. Since we are connected through our Facebook accounts, we don’t have to call each other and spend so much time asking for references.
That works well for me. I can book a sitter and not worry about having a total stranger come to my house since my friends know her as well. Personally, I find that to be safe and convenient especially for a busy mom like me.
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So don’t jump right in. Consider the measures of a babysitting service before choosing one.
3. Read Reviews
There are a lot of babysitting reviews online. Take advantage of them. Read them and learn from them. It pays a lot to know what other people are saying about a particular babysitting service before actually choosing one.
2. Compare Babysitter Profiles
Online babysitting services have their own distinct style in displaying their babysitter profiles. I suggest that you study the babysitter profiles of the babysitting services you have in mind.
See which layout works well for you. Most importantly, see if the babysitter profile has all the information you need. When choosing a babysitting service, it’s important that you see how the babysitter profiles are displayed since you will be relying a lot on them.
1. Go For a Trial Run
The good thing about online babysitting services is that you can always try them out for free. I did. I just signed up for the top two choices I had in mind and tried them.
It will be a lot easier to choose if you get a feel of the online babysitting services. See if you can navigate through their website easily. The leading online babysitting services would also have their own app. I suggest you try them out as well.
It’s not really hard to choose a reliable online babysitting service. You just have to exert some effort because at the end of the day, it’s what works for you that counts.
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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
I think you should also include in your list of tips the longevity of the childcare service. I wouldn’t sign up with a service that’s new. I’d rather go for one that has been around for years.
When it comes to babysitter profiles, I trust Sittercity the most. Before the sitters can even post their profile, their identities as verified first. Whatever they post on their profile will be checked as well. That explains why Sittercity has never had any kind of fake profile on their website.