Babysitters

My SIL babysits for $10 an hour.  There's a couple of families for whom she is the firm favourite babysitter, because the kids just adore her.  The children she looks after are friends of the family, so she already had a relationship with them before babysitting them, which really helps.  Ideally, I think you want someone who knows you and your kids, someone willing to respect the way you choose to discipline/entertain/feed you children, someone you can really trust, and preferrably someone with their own transport (but then do you have to pay them more for that?).  Personally, I'd only use a female babysitter, unless it was a family member looking after her.  But even then, Ella has a lot of uncles and a few aunts, and there's still only one of the bunch who can look after her - I wouldn't consider the others! 

i hired a babysitter when we were at the SILS wedding in gisborne. We went through student job search and hd two replies. i met both candidates - and the boy i actually met him and talked to his mum. he was only 17 which i found a bit weird, but with the event we were going to - people would be coming and going to the house so i wasn't too concerned. i asked for references which he provided and rang them. i wrote a list of things for him to do and not do. the kids actually loved him and it all went really well. i paid him $15 an hour BUT we stayed 20 mins from town so part of that was petrol costs. i would usually if it was a teenager pay min. wage - but for an adult a wee bit more.,

My sister in law and her hubby normally baby sit for a good dinner and unlimited access to our internet and dvd player!

We'll normally flick them some petrol money also as they have to come from West Auckland.

We're pretty lucky. Not sure what we would do otherwise!