How to Plan a Successful Vacation When Bringing a Babysitter Along

How to Plan a Successful Vacation When Bringing a Babysitter Along

By   3:00:00 PM   No comments:

You are planning a family vacation, but you and your spouse would like one romantic evening in your destination city. Wouldn’t having your babysitter nearby come in handy then? Additionally, by taking the babysitter on vacation with your family, you can potentially make the vacation more relaxing for the family.

When planning to take your babysitter on vacation with you, it is essential that you establish shared expectations pre-departure. Ensure that you and your babysitter have an understanding on the following subjects:

• What the travel accommodations will be (Will the babysitter have her own guest room or is the family renting a shared suite in which the babysitter has her own bedroom?)  
• What the babysitter’s responsibilities will be (Will she have responsibility for the children at all times or will there be time to pursue her own interests?)  
• Which expenses will be paid by the family and which expenses are hers to bear (It is common for the family to pay for the babysitter’s transportation, lodging, and admission tickets to attractions that the family will visit. The family usually pays for the babysitter’s food, either in whole or up to a specified dollar limit per meal or snack. The babysitter is usually responsible for purchasing her own souvenirs and her admission tickets to attractions that she will visit apart from the family.)  
• What compensation will be due to her for her services during the vacation (The average is $150 per day, based on the babysitter working eight hours each day.)  
• What the wake times and bedtimes are expected to be, and whether family vacations are active adventures or leisurely breaks from the usual hectic pace of life  
• What the appropriate attire will be for the various activities during the vacation (If visiting a beach is on the itinerary, is it acceptable for the babysitter to wear a string bikini?)
• What constitutes appropriate attire at breakfast and when lounging in the evening (This is relevant only if there will be shared living space during the journey.)  
• To what degree it will be deemed acceptable for the babysitter to use her personal cellular telephone while on the vacation  
• As always, communication is key to maintaining a solid relationship. Clear, up-front communication before and during vacation lays the foundation for a wonderful journey for everyone.

 *Footnote: when traveling with children, with or without a babysitter, ensure that you are packing toys for the children. Just because the babysitter is going on vacation with your family, that doesn’t mean that the children shouldn’t have toys to keep them occupied at times.

The Care4hire.com database is designed to assist families in finding a quality babysitter, housekeeper, tutor, companion/eldercare, pet sitter and Miscellaneous care such as a personal assistant, gardener, party planner, etc. for their specific needs and requirements and offer caregivers an enjoyable employment experience.

A free preview of available caregivers is available to families through our local neighborhood mapping technology. Whether you need a caregiver for a few hours to a few days, you will find it at Care4hire.com. Once you are a registered member, you will be given immediate access to babysitters through email and phone. In addition, helpful tools are available, including sample interview questions, a sample reference form and a sample contract. Care4hire.com also gives you advice, tips and information that will help you and your caregiver connect on a social and personal level.

Care4hire.com has been affiliated with the caregiver industry since 1987 so all of us here are no strangers to matching families and caregivers. Besides Care4hire.com, we are also affiliated with Nannies4hire.com, Babysitters4hire.com and a full service Nanny Placement Agency.

Read More

Top 10 List for Hiring a Babysitter

Top 10 List for Hiring a Babysitter

By   2:55:00 PM   No comments:

Hiring a babysitter can be a confusing task. There are so many things to consider as you face the task of selecting someone to care for your children in your absence, and you want to find the perfect fit between the babysitter and your family. Here are some of the most important things for you to consider when selecting a new babysitter for your children.

1. The babysitter should be able to relate easily and bond well with your children while maintaining a clear distinction from them. Babysitters must be able to play with and enjoy your children (which can often be construed by the child as peer-level interaction) while also maintaining discipline. It is easy for a babysitter (and a parent) to feel more comfortable in one role or the other: to be most comfortable being friends with the children, or to be most comfortable supervising the children and redirecting their errant behaviors.

2. The babysitter must be able to relate with your family and administer discipline to your children in a manner that is appropriate and consistent with your family’s boundaries. If you have a prospective babysitter that uses social isolation (sending a child to his/her room, for example) as a method of behavior modification, and you are not comfortable with that method of behavior modification, then the prospective babysitter may not be a good fit for your family.

3. The babysitter should ideally have years of experience, solid references from prior employer-families, a clean background (pursuant to background checks), and completed training on babysitter basics (CPR, first aid, the Heimlich maneuver, basic nutrition and food preparation, and general personal and home hygiene). You can obtain background checks through Care4hire.com. The babysitter should not represent a risk to your children in any way; thus, in addition to the foregoing, the babysitter should be current on his/her vaccinations.

4. If you need your babysitter to drive, then your babysitter should have a valid driver’s license, a clean (or as close to clean as possible) driving record and a reliable car.

5. The babysitter should be able to develop and carry out fun, creative, and educational experiences for your child.

6. The babysitter should be willing and able to comply with your rules about what constitutes appropriate television viewing, when s/he may use his/her cellular telephone while babysitting, when s/he may use your telephone for his/her own purposes while babysitting, when s/he may have friends over while babysitting, etc.

7. The babysitter should be capable of handling small “crises” on his/her own. You and your babysitter should come to an agreement about what issues may warrant a call to you and what issues the babysitter is authorized to handle on his/her own. Your babysitter should be able to act comfortably within the boundaries you have provided.

8. The babysitter’s expectations regarding terms and conditions of employment should be close to the terms and conditions of employment that you are offering. If you wish to hire a babysitter in a smoking home, a non-smoking prospective babysitter may not be a good fit for your family. Pay rates for babysitters should be discussed up front to ensure that the prospective babysitters are willing to work for the income you offer.

9. The babysitter should not have fears or concerns about the non-negotiable aspects of the job with your family. If you have a cat, and your prospective babysitter is severely allergic to cats, the prospective babysitter may not be a good fit for your family. (Side note: some allergic reactions can be treated with over-the-counter or prescription medications or other accommodations that may be used by the allergic babysitter.) If the prospective babysitter is unable to work specific hours or days and you need your babysitter to attend to your children on those days or in those hours, then the prospective babysitter may not be a good fit for your family.

10. The babysitter should be a positive, loving influence in your household.

Read More