I feel like babysitters in the past were mainly found word-of-mouth. Our babysitter lived next door. The kids I babysat myself in the 80s: 1. lived around the corner, or 2. were related to someone a relative knew, or 3. were younger cousins. When my son was little (early 2000s), I found his babysitters via church bulletin (she had put a …
I feel like babysitters in the past were mainly found word-of-mouth. Our babysitter lived next door. The kids I babysat myself in the 80s: 1. lived around the corner, or 2. were related to someone a relative knew, or 3. were younger cousins. When my son was little (early 2000s), I found his babysitters via church bulletin (she had put a little ad in it, saying she’d taken a babysitting course) and via my town’s ‘Rent a Kid’ program. (Not sure if the do that anymore though).
Maybe see if your area offers a babysitting course of some kind and if they do, reach out for referrals?
You’re looking more for a mother’s helper since you’ll be home (that’s what I had—I never actually left my son alone with a babysitter, though I was alone with kids when I babysat). Since you’re looking for middle school, you’re likely looking for someone who hasn’t had any babysitting experience and maybe hasn’t taken a babysitting class but instead maybe has younger siblings and so knows how to play with kids? Maybe you can find someone via a local Boys and Girls Club, or the Y, Girl Scouts, Church, local mom’s club. I wouldn’t advertise for one per se (maybe that’s just my own prudence talking).
I feel like babysitters in the past were mainly found word-of-mouth. Our babysitter lived next door. The kids I babysat myself in the 80s: 1. lived around the corner, or 2. were related to someone a relative knew, or 3. were younger cousins. When my son was little (early 2000s), I found his babysitters via church bulletin (she had put a little ad in it, saying she’d taken a babysitting course) and via my town’s ‘Rent a Kid’ program. (Not sure if the do that anymore though).
Maybe see if your area offers a babysitting course of some kind and if they do, reach out for referrals?
You’re looking more for a mother’s helper since you’ll be home (that’s what I had—I never actually left my son alone with a babysitter, though I was alone with kids when I babysat). Since you’re looking for middle school, you’re likely looking for someone who hasn’t had any babysitting experience and maybe hasn’t taken a babysitting class but instead maybe has younger siblings and so knows how to play with kids? Maybe you can find someone via a local Boys and Girls Club, or the Y, Girl Scouts, Church, local mom’s club. I wouldn’t advertise for one per se (maybe that’s just my own prudence talking).