What else do you need to know about a caregiver but whether she’s available Saturday night? Plenty. Your babysitter needs to gel with your family and has to meet your specific needs.
With the help of Lynn Perkins, President of Urbansitter, we came up with a quiz to help you suss out the sitter you’ll call on again and again. No more excuses for skipping date night!
1) Is your hourly budget for a sitter:
a) My significant other is only shelling out because his mother has the flu
b) Only twelve bucks an hour or so
c) Over $20 is totally fine if she’s worth it
d) Can’t see spending more than $20/hour, tops
2) What’s your main reason for hiring a sitter?
a) You just need a little time to get stuff done
b) The occasional date night, or a girl’s night out when your partner is traveling
c) Taking over when you’re at work
d) Any or all of the above; it depends on the week
3) What would be a nice perk?
a) Doing their homework without an argument!
b) Learning something I can’t teach them
c) Getting them on some kind of schedule
d) If they were so tired out, they fell into bed at 7:00!
4) A big consideration for you before booking a sitter is the fact that:
a) You’ve had sitters who know it all and do things their own way, and you just can’t deal. This time, it has to be someone who’s eager to please and easy to teach.
b) You and your partner’s schedules are pretty flexible–if a sitter is busy Saturday night, Friday is usually just as good.
c) You tend to be a bit…how do your friends put it?…uptight. You need things done just right, every time. You also are known to worry a little whenever you’re not with your kid.
d) You’ve been pleasantly surprised in the past when sitters who seemed like duds turned out to be fabulous. So you’re open-minded now, willing to give unconventional types a shot.
5) What’s the breakdown of your kids?
a) One grade-school child. Or two really well-behaved ones.
b) One baby/toddler, or two older kids.
c) One baby/toddler, or one baby/toddler plus one older kid. Or (gulp) three kids.
d) Boys, preschool age or older.