Whether you are trying to find a new babysitter or you are in a situation where your previous babysitter is no longer available, you understandably need to find a trustworthy, caring individual to sit with your children while you are out of the house. Your children’s safety and happiness are paramount, so you cannot afford to make a hasty or ill-informed decision. These steps can guide you in making a thoughtful selection.
Review References
Parents commonly ask for recommendations when searching for a babysitter. UrbanSitter makes it easy for a parent to get these references from friends and neighbors because you’re immediately connected to all of the recommended sitters hired by your Facebook friends and neighborhood parents when you use UrbanSitter.
As you review the list of candidates in hand, consider the source of the referral. Does the person have children in a similar age range and with similar personality types? A babysitter who is great with one group of children may not be as wonderful with another group. You also should consider what qualities the reference source may have searched for in a babysitter. Some references may be laxer in their standards than others.
Ask Meaningful Questions
Reach out to a few babysitters who are on your shortlist of options. Inquire about typical availability and rates. Ask how many children he or she normally watches and their age ranges. Consider if the babysitter has a convenient and reliable way to get to and from your home. Specialized training may also be important, which can include basic first aid and CPR training. Here are some questions to ask your potential babysitter during an interview.
Observe the Babysitter
If you are comfortable with a babysitter’s responses to your questions, ask the individual to drop by your home for a short meeting. This is your opportunity to watch how well the babysitter gets along with your children. Does the babysitter actively play with your children? Do your children seem to like him or her? Does the babysitter effectively and compassionately maintain standards for behavior?
Schedule Short Outings
Plan to be away from the house for only an hour or two for the first few sessions. Choose times when the babysitter may need to prepare meals or put the children to bed. Provide the sitter with clear instructions. Understand that the babysitter may be challenged by behaviors that you are also a struggle for you to deal with. For example, some children are defiant at bedtime. These short outings provide you with the opportunity to test the babysitter’s skills in action and to determine how well he or she follows instructions that you have provided. It also allows your children and the babysitter to become more familiar with each other.
You may find a babysitter near you who you and your children adore by walking through these steps a single time. However, be prepared to compare the differences between several babysitters before you narrow down the options fully and settle on one individual.
Planning the perfect summer family vacation can seem like a daunting—and expensive—endeavor. That’s why we’ve put together this list of five of our favorite fun and affordable destinations for family travel. Bon voyage!
1. Austin, Texas.
via Free Fun in Austin
Austin averages around 230 sunny days per year, making it the perfect place for families that want to enjoy the great outdoors! Visit one of the city’s best museums and take a trip to the state capital for an inspiring and educational getaway.
2. Portland, Oregon.
Portland is a foodie family’s dream come true! Try out dessert hotspots like Voodoo Doughnuts and Salt & Straw, plus get your hands on some of the Pacific Northwest’s very best seafood. Let the kiddos run around by taking in some of Portland’s scenic gardens and outdoor spaces!
3. Washington, DC.
While your hotel bill might not be the cheapest in DC, you can more than make up for that cost by visiting some of the dozens of free museums and exhibits across the city. And no matter what your little one is interested in—from space to American history to dinosaurs—you’ll find something they’ll love.
4. Santa Cruz, California.
Between the beautiful beaches, the Boardwalk (which offers free admission!), and the Mystery Spot, your family will find plenty of fun and inexpensive things to do in Santa Cruz. Plus, it’s just a scenic hour and a half drive from the Bay Area!
5. Your own backyard!
Planning a family staycation is actually the perfect way to get to know your own city, plus it’s extra-budget-friendly because you cut out travel and accommodation costs. Pretend like you’re out-of-towners and visit all the local tourist spots, try a new restaurant or two, and get to know your city better than ever!
Homework is an integral part of the journey to be educated for students everywhere. But it can cause tremendous arguments when three misunderstandings and misconceptions are prevalent between parents and their children. To clear them up, here are suggestions for making homework more productive and peaceful in your home!
Myth #1: I can’t make my child focus on homework time without making it an endless endeavor.
Truth: The ability of parents to keep kids focused during homework time starts with creating a daily schedule. Look over homework assignments together and decide how long each assignment should take to complete. Write this lightly in pencil at the top of the assignment. You can then determine appropriate breaks—which help improve focus—after one-half of each assignment is completed at an average or above-average level. Each small break can be given in 2-5-minute segments until the homework is completed.
Myth #2: Homework is totally my child’s responsibility and I shouldn’t intervene.
Truth: Generally, the purpose of homework is to help kids master skills on their own at each grade level. In order for it to be effective, though, it needs to be done correctly so learning gaps don’t result. If it isn’t, you may need to give assistance, going over lessons with your kid to make sure he understands what he’s meant to actually learn.
Myth #3: My son’s teacher says he is not consistently turning in his homework, but there’s no way for me to constructively help him to do this.
Truth: Turning in homework is an organizational and executive management skill with which numerous students struggle each year. One easy remedy is to have your kid file all of his completed homework in an accordion-style file folder that has marked spaces for each class. Back this up by placing a sticky note on his agenda book with a reminder to turn in his homework for each class. At the end of each school day, check to see if the homework folder has been emptied.
Pretty much every family takes a road trip by car with their kids during the holidays. And whether those kids are toddlers or teens, the actual trip itself can be a wonderful bonding and learning experience for the entire family. With a little forethought and preparation, you can sidestep the dreaded travel fiascos and keep everyone content through through those stretches of highway!
1. Make it a Fun History Lesson. Build some excitement around your trip by getting together as a family a couple of weeks beforehand to plan your road trip path with an old-school paper map. Talk to kids about the different cities and states you’ll be driving through. Then jump online together and do a little research on a few that look interesting. Learn about their history and pick some prime sightseeing destinations. This opens your trip into a journey of exploration—all the more inspiring if you give kids a disposable camera they can later use to make a trip scrapbook.
2. Expect the Unexpected. Keeping a first-aid kit and tools for a flat tire in your car is a no-brainer, but also be sure to bring along items like a flashlight, garbage bags, paper towels, big pack of wet wipes, and cell phone car charger. If you have young children that are new to potty training, it’s a smart idea to also pack a portable plastic potty in case your little one can’t wait for the next rest stop. Kids also tend to rest better with a few items from home, like a stuffed animal and blanket. You can also pick up an inexpensive travel pillow to make car-sleeping more comfortable.
3. Pack Healthy Snacks & Drinks. Truck stops, gas stations and fast food joints are okay in a pinch, but if you bring a cooler filled with your own healthy foods, you will save time and money on the road. Think granola bars, sandwiches, fruit and nuts, yogurt tubes, pretzels, cheese and crackers, baby carrots, packs of sliced apples, cereal bars, and any of the (non-sticky) foods your family usually likes to nosh on.
4. Create a Road Trip Adventure. Instead of just looking at the trip in terms of its end destination, make the whole trip an adventure. This will give the kids something to look forward to and break up the travel time. Take a family selfie in each city or state in front of a sign with its name or something it’s famous for. Also look for rest stops with playgrounds where kids that can burn off some pent-up energy.
5. Make Each Child a Travel Activity Kit. To help pass the time, buy inexpensive totes and pack them with things like new crayons, coloring books, story books, white boards, magnetic travel and card games, and other small games or toys, like Matchbox Cars and small dolls. Anything that’s inexpensive and new to your kids is sure to please—both of you.
6. Check Out At Your Local Library. Before you embark, head to your local library and check out DVDs, books on CD, and chapter book collections for your older reader. They’re free! You’ll have new movies to watch that your kids haven’t seen yet, and when quiet time becomes mandatory for saving your sanity, put in a book on CD for the entire family to enjoy.
7. Don’t Forget the Electronics. If ever there was a perfect time to bust out the electronics, the car trip is it. Load up iPads and Kindles with new apps, books, and movies, making sure you put different apps on each child’s device so they can swap with for more options. And whatever you do, don’t forget the headphones! A few of my family-favorite apps: Waze (the superhero of navigation apps for parents), RoadsideAmerica (find the weird and wonderful across the U.S.), Tales2Go.com (the Netflix of audio books), MadLibs (old school road trip fun meets the digital age), and VisitedStates (kids can mark the states they’ve been to and upload photos they’ve taken).
8. Pack Classic Travel Games. Electronic games are fun, but don’t forget about the old school travel games to help fight boredom on the road: I Spy, 20 Questions, The Alphabet Game (work together as a family to find things along the road that start with each letter of the alphabet), Who Am I? (take turns trying to guess the famous person in history or pop culture), and the good old License Plate Game.
9. Pick Mile Marker Treats. If you’re okay with a little bribery, plot a few places on the map for the kids to get special surprise treats. Among other things, this will encourage them to learn to read a map. The treat can be something small, like sweets or a little something they can play with in the car. The only requirement to earning them is that kids be kind, get along with each other, and be patient for the trip. You might be handing out fewer of these than you’d feared!
10. Consider an Overnight Stay. If the trip is long enough, consider an overnight stay halfway through at an affordable hotel with a pool. If you book the stay right before you leave or on the way, you’ll find the best deals.
As busy parents, we know that planning date night can sometimes feel like a daunting task. That’s why we put together this handy list of 5 quick and easy tips to make the most of date night!
1. Keep it casual… Who says date night has to be fancy? Planning a low-key evening out can be just as fun as going to a black tie event, plus it’ll help keep the mood light and breezy!
2. …Or get all dolled up! Even the most routine of date nights can be spiced up by donning your very best attire. Getting glammed up for a fancy night out is just as much fun, too!
3. Do something new. If you’ve ever wanted to take a cooking class or have thought about learning to scuba dive, make date night your excuse to jump headfirst into something new. Learning a new skill with your partner can help bring you closer together and builds up intimacy and trust! Instead of falling back on dinner and a movie or just heading out to your normal neighborhood restaurant, try to do something that breaks the mold for both of you.
4. Explore your city. That new restaurant down the block? Book a table! Have a local performing theater? Get two tickets to an upcoming show! Wherever you live, take advantage of the opportunity to explore your city—and maybe find a new favorite spot or two—together.
5. Give nature a shot. Have a picnic for two under the stars at your local park or plan the perfect day-hike for two, either way, getting outside with your partner puts a fun twist on date night!
Make date night a regular occurrence and try reserving at least one day each month for some quality time with your spouse. Challenge yourself to turn off your cell phone—or at least not check it every five minutes. If you’re worried about missing updates from your sitter during date night, set your phone to “Do Not Disturb” mode and only let calls and texts from your sitter come through.
At the end of the day, date night is supposed to be a happy occasion for you to spend time with your spouse. No matter what you end up doing, be sure to enjoy it and have fun spending time with one of the people you love the most!
Have baby, need a workout? We hear ya! It’s hard for anyone to squeeze regular exercise into a busy life, but moms of infants fight an especially tough uphill battle to make it happen. New moms are fighting fatigue and struggling to fit their own needs around their baby’s complete dependence.
Fortunately, their cries were heard, as witnessed by the plethora of Mommy & Me workout classes that have sprouted up around the country to enable Moms to workout without worrying about childcare. There’s truly something for everyone – from yoga, pilates, barre, stroller workouts, dance, cardio and strength training, and intense boot camps to kick your butt.
Here are our favorite postpartum workouts that allow you to work up a sweat with a built-in support network of other moms and your baby at your side.
image via Ed Yourdon, flickr
NATIONWIDE
These popular programs have a strong presence from coast to coast. Check their websites to find a location near you. We can almost guarantee that you’ll find more than one option that is close by and just right for your needs and your schedule.
Fit4Mom Here’s where to go for an awesome outdoor workout with your baby. The founders of the original Stroller Strides have expanded to now offer Fit4Baby (a prenatal fitness class), Body Back (a workout for any stage of motherhood) and Stroller Barre. They also host an impressive mom community with playgroups and moms nights out.
Baby Boot Camp There are more than 50 Baby Boot Camp programs throughout the Bay Area alone, and hundreds more across the country. The most popular stroller fitness class they offer, STROLLFIT, is a 60-minute class for moms of all fitness levels with one or two stroller-aged children. The ab routine at the end of each class makes it a total body workout.
Moms In Training A program of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Moms In Training is a flexible, nine-week workout program that meets Saturday mornings. Get together with other moms and their babies to not only get in shape, but also raise funds for cancer treatments.
SAN FRANCISCO/BAY AREA
San Francisco is likely the yoga capital of the country and has no shortage of prenatal, postnatal and Mommy & Me yoga classes from one end of the city to the other. Golden Gate Mothers Group offers a fantastic list of yoga options for Moms. Bookmark it! The city also has some of the most active chapters of the national workouts we mentioned above. For Mommy & Me exercise options outside of the city, read on.
Pomegranate –San Anselmo A wonderful center with prenatal and postnatal yoga and pilates, as well as new mom groups and workshops. You can do the classes with your baby and they also sometimes offer childcare so you can enjoy a bit of solo time.
Lautmann’s Gym – Mill Valley Check out their new class for moms and their babies where you wear your baby in a carrier and the workout is designed (and approved by an RN) to use your baby’s weight as resistance.
Mommy & Me Pilates – Pilates Pro Works – Oakland Popular pilates and barre studio offers a Mommy & Me Pilates class designed for new moms and their babies age 6 weeks to crawlers.
Yogalayam – Berkeley Awesome Mommy & Me Yoga classes at this Prana Yoga studio.
Yogini & Bambini Yoga at Nandhi Yoga – San Mateo Designed for moms who want practice yoga with their little ones by their sides. Open to all levels with babies who are pre-crawling to 24 months.
[maxbutton id=”1″]
NEW YORK CITY AREA
Mommy and Me Fitness – throughout Manhattan A wildly popular personal trainer leads moms in sessions that vary from jogging, doing squats and lunges, jumping rope, using resistance bands and working with the environment around you to get a great workout with great company or on your own if you prefer a private session.
Strollercize – Central Park Use your stroller as a fitness apparatus to strengthen, slim and balance, and when your hands are not on the stroller, use the program’s RollerSize to tone thighs, target tummies and improve posture.
BoSoul – Manhattan New Yorkers use this cool, innovative service to find other moms with similar interests, form or join a class group and hire a top-notch instructor who is available when they are.
Baby Om Yoga – Manhatttan and Brooklyn A 75-minute class providing a full yoga experience for both caregiver and baby.
LOS ANGELES AREA
Zooga Yoga – Culver City Zooga offers a full range of classes suitable for yogis of all ages, from babies to toddlers to teens & families; and for adults and mommies in all stages of pregnancy.
CHICAGO AREA
Hip Circle Studio – Evanston This studio exceeds the typical offerings with popular classes such as a dynamic cardio class, dance, yoga and even belly dancing for moms and their babies or young children.
Bubbles Academy – Chicago A bootcamp style workout that uses a combination of running, weight training, ballet and barre to kick you into (or back into!) shape. Studio offers free sibling care so you can enjoy some one-on-one time with your child.
Active Moms Club – Chicago Mommy & Me Postnatal Recovery class is targeted to new Moms who are 6 weeks to 6 months postpartum and ready to lose their baby belly. The workout aims to tighten your abs, pelvic floor muscles and lower and upper back—all with your little one by your side. Toddler care for older siblings is available at a minimal cost.
WASHINGTON DC AREA
Lil Omm Yoga – Tenleytown Community yoga center focused on yoga for all levels, specializing in prenatal, Mommy and Me yoga and yoga fitness classes and yoga for children. Their popular Mommy and Me YogaFit workout blends cardio, yoga, strength, and resistance training using free weights, bands, and blocks for a more intense workout.
Past Tense Yoga – Mt. Pleasant Studio offers pre and postnatal yoga classes, kids yoga, Music Together classes and PJ parties. They also offer a fun Movers and Me class, though it’s more of a workout for your crawling to age 2 child than it is for you
Thanks to these fun, innovative and effective workouts, you can exercise around your baby’s feeding and nap schedule and enjoy the company of other moms who feel your pain in more ways than one.
Wouldn’t it be great if you had a babysitting checklist to give your sitter when you hand the sitter your kids? A really great checklist gives you something to go over with the sitter when they arrive. Then just leave it with your sitter as a handy reference to everything they need to know about taking care of your kids and your home while you’re away.
UrbanSitter has created just that list to keep both you and your sitter covered and prepared. It includes everything you’d want a sitter to know, but not always remember to tell the sitter in your rush to get out the door:
House Rules (meals, snacks, food allergies, screen time rules, dos and don’ts, bedtime and naps, checking in preferences)
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No, we’re not talking about the holiday season, but rather the back-to-school season! For many working moms who struggled to cover child care over the summer, sending the kids back to school can be a welcome sigh of relief. But even if you have kid care covered during school hours, you may still have to scramble to cover child care for after school hours or if your little ones are too small to be in school yet.
Here are five tips from working moms themselves on how to manage child care—and how to control the back-to-school chaos.
Determine your needs. No two working mom’s child-care needs are alike. Some may need full-time coverage, while others just need someone to watch their child a few hours sprinkled throughout the week. So go over your schedule as well as your partner’s to decide exactly how much kid care coverage you actually need. By being very specific in determining your needs, you can potentially save yourself a lot of money—and frustration—in the long run.
Find child care that works for you. Not all child care is created equal. Depending on your child’s age, you may discover that certain types of child care work better for you and your family than others. For example, if you have a baby, you may opt to have an in-home nanny stay with you while you work to avoid exposing your little one to icky germs. As your child gets older, socialization may be what you’re seeking, so you may want to enroll your child in a local day care. And if your kid is school-aged, a part-time sitter may do the trick to cover those extra hours until you’re done working for the day.
Score a flexible schedule. If you thought working from home meant that you’d never, ever need child-care coverage again, well, think again. Having a flexible schedule does mean that you can creatively cover child care more easily than your in-office colleagues, though. You may find a telecommuting position that allows you to work around your children’s schedules (i.e., early in the morning or late at night) or right smack in the middle of the day—when kids are in school. Other work-at-home-moms (WAHMs) may find that doing a kid swap on certain days helps to take care of child-care coverage issues without costing a pretty penny.
Once you’ve got child-care coverage established, it’s time to start planning how you’ll prep for getting kids ready for back to school.
Do a run through. If it’s possible, see if you can attend a tour of your child’s school. Point out the different rooms (such as Art or Language Arts) that your child will be going to. If your kid will be going on the bus, you can drive him along the bus route so he can get used to the ride. That way, the new school year won’t seem as scary.
Prepare ahead of time. Nothing adds to the stress of a back-to-school morning like leaving everything for the morning! So try to get as much done as you can in the days prior and even the night before. Have outfits ironed and ready to wear, and pack lunches and store in the refrigerator. By having most of the prep work done prior, you’ll minimize the stressfulness of the morning and have both you and your kid calm and ready for a fun school year!
Five Questions to Ask A Babysitter in an Interview
We asked parenting expert, Paula Miranda, to share her top tips for interviewing a babysitter. Watch this How to Interview a Babysitter video or read on.
1. What kind of experience do you have? It’s important to ask about babysitting experience–and more broadly about any experience they’ve had with children (tutoring, camp counselor, mentor, etc.). Ask specifically about the sitter’s CPR and First Aid certifications, any coursework that relates such as early childhood development, and how many years experience she has caring for young infants, toddlers, elementary aged kids, etc.
2. What kind of activities do you have planned? Have the babysitter give you an idea of the types of activities they might plan for your child: Games (hide and seek, soccer, board games), arts and crafts projects, bubbles, charades, etc. This will help you determine if the sitter will have good chemistry with your kids. If you have a budding soccer player, you’ll want a sitter who is willing to take him to the park.
3. Are you open to helping out around the house? This is a big one. If you expect anything else to be done while you’re gone — dishes, laundry, or even errands, you should ask upfront if the sitter is willing to do it.
4. Are you comfortable disciplining my child? Lay out your house rules and the methods you usually use (time out, etc.), so the sitter is not in the dark, and make sure she/he is comfortable with saying “no” and being firm.
5. What do you expect from us, the parents? This is something parents often forget about. Set your sitter up for success by asking how much guidance they want from you. For instance, the sitter might appreciate a written schedule outlining feedings, bath time, and bedtime procedures. A written list is always helpful, and don’t forget to include emergency contacts.UrbanSitter makes finding and interviewing a babysitter easy. After signing up, you’ll immediately see a selection of babysitters recommended by parents in your local network (child’s school, YMCA, or mother’s group). After narrowing your candidates, there are several types of interviews you can schedule at the click of a button:
Phone interview – For some parents, a phone interview is all you need. You can gauge a lot from a 10-20 minute call.
In-person interview – This can take place in your home or public location. At home, your kids would have a chance to meet the sitter, however, you may be able to focus better without your kids around.
Paid, working interview – Hiring a babysitter to watch your kids while you’re home can be a great way to get to know a sitter. You set the desired pay rate.
The typical school-age child has 10 weeks of summer vacation. That’s at least 70 full days with you or another caregiver–be it a daycare provider, camp counselor, nanny, babysitter, family, or a friend. Regardless of your family’s regular schedule, it’s likely you could use a bit of additional childcare this summer. Now is the time to think about lining up your summer childcare help, here are a few options to get you started:
Summer Camps
Summer camp doesn’t have to mean an entire summer away from home. A week or more of ½-day soccer, gymnastics, or swim/tennis camp could be just what both you and the kids need to make it a fabulous summer. If you haven’t already registered your kids for summer camps or maybe you thought camp didn’t fit the budget this year, be sure to check out our earlier post –Tips for Choosing Summer Camps for Your Kids. We’ve included links to help find affordable mini- and day-camp options for your kids, and provided tips for choosing camps that give you the most bangs for your buck.
Regularly Scheduled Babysitters
If you don’t have your kids in a camp or daycare, you’ll definitely need a break, and so will your kids. Shake things up by hiring a regularly scheduled sitter to babysit a couple mornings every week while you run errands, hit the gym, do a bit of housework or simply relax child-free. Many parents who have an infant and older kids, find it helpful to hire a sitter to stay with the baby while he naps and they spend some quality time with the older siblings, or the flip side – they have the sitter take the big kids somewhere fun, while you get things done at home when the baby’s asleep.
How do you find these sanity-saving sitters?Reach out now to find local college or high-school students or neighborhood mother’s helpers.
College students typically have some babysitting experience and are hungry to earn extra money. Students at nearby schools or locals who are home for summer break are especially good options. Expect to pay what you would pay a seasoned babysitter, and be sure to get a commitment well before summer break starts as their time is likely in high demand.
High school sitters, though less experienced, are often in the eyes of your child the most fun and energetic sitters. For those who have little experience with kids, plan to have them play with your children for a short time while you’re at home, or cover for you while you make a quick run to the grocery store until you are both comfortable with you leaving them alone. Negotiate hourly rates based on experience.
Mother’s Helpers are typically teens looking to get babysitting experience and earn a bit of money. Many start offering their help after completing a local babysitting or CPR course aimed at preparing them for potential childcare emergencies. Regardless, it’s best to leverage them as fun-loving, responsible kids to help out while you’re at home. Hourly rates are far less. Talk with the helpers or their parents to determine a rate that’s fair.
Your Go-To Source for Trusty Babysitters, Whenever the Need Strikes
UrbanSitter, of course! With the UrbanSitter mobile app, you can find and book a sitter on the go, and even have a confirmed sitter within minutes.
See which babysitters are recommended personally by parents in your local network (friends, parents at your child’s school, YMCA, mother’s clubs, etc.).
Need a Monday-Wednesday afternoon sitter or someone to drop the kids off at camp? Post a job and sitters will apply if they’re interested.
Schedule interviews online and even screen sitters beforehand by watching their video profiles!
Did you know the site even has a feature that allows you to shop by rate? Yep, you can search for a babysitter with the best rate, one that fits your budget.
You can rest assured there’s always a fantastic sitter ready to take your kids off your hands for a bit, whether it to entertain them at home, take them on a fun field trip, or even just take over carpool duty.
Regardless of your family’s summer agenda, don’t forget to include extra childcare in your plans!
Whether you are trying to find a new babysitter or you are in a situation where your previous babysitter is no longer available, you understandably need to find a trustworthy, caring individual to sit with your children while you are out of the house. Your children’s safety and happiness are paramount, so you cannot afford to make a hasty or ill-informed decision. These steps can guide you in making a thoughtful selection.
