Your Babysitter Is an Employee

It's frightening to bring a stranger into your home. Will they appreciate the worth you place on your child? Family members, friends or teenagers of acquaintances seem safe because they are familiar. But babysitters are employees, and there are a few things you need to consider:

• Will you be able to establish new boundaries? This is especially important if you are considering a sibling, close friend, or your own parent as a babysitter. Will they be willing to follow your direction, or will it be a constant battle?
• How will you handle it if there are problems? Will you be comfortable confronting a family member, friend, or teenager of a friend if they are always eating your food, failing to enforce your rules or inviting unwelcome guests?
• What are you going to do if it doesn't work out? If you hire the teenager of a coworker and need to let them go, is it going to ruin that relationship at work? Would you be able to dismiss a relative if you needed to?

You can have peace of mind about the quality of your babysitter, and still have the benefit of a employer/employee relationship. Online networks such as Babysitters4hire.com enable you to search for experienced candidates in your area, review their profiles and hire a sitter based on qualifications.