How to Find the Right Babysitter for Your Direct Sales Lifestyle

One of the most challenging things that my husband and I face with our insane schedules is finding a sitter. We are lucky enough to have family in the area but we prefer to save the big sitting tasks like overnighters for them. In order not to use up all of our freebies we knew we had to find some other options. Weeknight evenings and some weekends were a must due to the fact that's when we can meet with our clients who work a 9-5 schedule.

I saw an online ad for Care.Com and one of my girlfriends had used it as well to find some babysitting options. The cost is $30.00 for one month and I figured that in that time frame I could email and check out enough people that it would be worth the cost. I checked out babysitters with good reviews that also answered their emails in a timely manner. I wanted a sitter that had their own transportation and was over 16. The search capabilities on the site were fantastic. I found over 50 babysitters within 10 miles of my home that all had background checks, CPR skills, and were willing to baby-sit early to late evenings and weekends.

We're trying out our first sitter tomorrow and having her sit with us home for the first couple of times to get our kids used to her and make sure it's a good fit. The median price range seems to be about $10/hr. but for our 2 boys to have a sitter that can drive, is older and more experienced, the money seems fair.

Many of the sitters are college students and some are even looking to be nannies. I'm going to email quite a few so I have a bevy of resources and don't need to keep my membership current if I don't have a further need.

The website is nationwide and goes beyond kids to pet/house sitting and other services. If you have a career that demands you be on call, Care.Com is perfect to find on call babysitters and offers an on call queue so that if you have an immediate need you can find a sitter right away. Don't forget to leave a review for your sitter so they can build up their clientele and you can be sure to offer valuable feedback to another Mom or Dad looking for the right fit.