Tips for Finding a Sitter in India

Your little bundle of joy means everything to you. You want to give him everything in the world. Unfortunately, in order to be able to do so financially, you must work. You already worry about the well-being of your baby, and the thought of leaving him with a complete stranger can terrify you. With all the stories of babysitter wrongdoings, how can you be sure you find the right sitter for you?

Search classified websites. There are a host of classified websites available in India. For starters, you can look at India Board. See Supporting links. These are great resources to use on your journey to find a good sitter. You can search under the household help category to find listings for nannies. You can also use the sites to post your own ad explaining your desire to find a babysitter and the qualifications required. You can post ads on these sites free of charge.

Search by word of mouth. The best possible way to find a babysitter is by asking friends who already use sitters. They might be able to recommend someone to you, or they can ask their babysitter if they know of any other sitters. You can also ask friends who have teenagers because they might know of other teenagers who babysit and can recommend someone to you. If you still come up empty-handed, you can use online parenting forums to help you out. India Parenting has a parenting forum with a category specifically targeting babysitters, nannies, and crèches. You can use this board to ask other parents for their suggestions. See Supporting links.

Place an ad in a newspaper. There are tons of different newspapers available in India for you to place your ad in. Just choose the one that is local to your area. If you don't already subscribe to a newspaper and are unsure which one covers your region, check out OnlineNewspapers.com. They have a large list of newspapers in India. See Resources for link. Although you will have to pay to place a classified ad in a newspaper, the rates usually aren't very expensive and can help out a lot when trying to find a babysitter.

Search your local area for flyers. Most schools and supermarkets have bulletin boards available for people to post flyers on. This is a good place to look when searching for a babysitter. If you don't see any flyers for babysitters, make one yourself advertising your need for a babysitter in your area. When designing your flyer, it is useful to add strips at the bottom of the page that can be torn off and include your name and phone number. This way, if a babysitter sees your flyer but doesn't have a pen and paper handy, they can tear the strip off and call you at their convenience.

Check references. When you have finally found some babysitters to choose from, you will need to interview them all-at least by phone at first. You should get a list of at least three references from each. These references should not be related to the sitter and should be able to speak highly of their character. This is important because you want to leave your baby in good hands. Once you narrow down the list, you should interview potential sitters in your home to see how well they interact with your children. It is also a bonus if the babysitter is certified in first aid and CPR in case an emergency situation should arise.