How To Find A Babysitter in Boston

Several times a week, someone on one of my personal social media platforms posts a desperate plea asking people how to find babysitters.  Now, I’m certainly no expert as it seems we often exhaust our list of tried and true sitters, but I do know a thing or two about how to add to that list.  It honestly seems like my husband and I are constantly searching for sitters.  We have our eyes and ears open all the time, and we are never shy to ask for a number.  Here are some of our favorite (free) resources, hopefully this can help those of you who are desperate for a date night!

University Job Boards

Did you know that there are over 50 colleges and universities in the Boston area?  That means there are over a quarter of a million students in the area, many of whom not only want to make a little extra money, but have a good amount of time available.  The Boston University Job Board is a favorite among a lot of my friends, though many local schools have similar boards.  Put your needs out there and see how many responses come back to you!

Friends

Many people get very protective of their babysitters.  I get it-a good sitter is hard to come by and you want them available when you need them!  The way I see it, is “I scratch your back, you scratch mine.”  I’m happy to share my sitters, and happy to hear who my friends use.  It’s a great way to grow the list.  Besides, sharing is caring.

Babysitting Share

Desperately need a sitter but coming up short?  Ask a friend to watch your kids in exchange for watching hers another night.  She can come to your house, or you can even bring your kids there so the kids can play while you get a little time away.

Craigslist

I know.  Craigslist doesn’t always have the best reputation.  It’s worth a shot though, right?  Trust your gut, ask tons of questions, meet a potential sitter first and get references.  If you have the patience to dig through the endless posts, there are some real gems in there.

Just Ask

True story-we found our most amazing sitter (seriously, she took time off from her summer job when I had Olivia to spend time with Aaron without us even asking) while she was working at a restaurant we frequented.  She was a hostess with the mostess who adored Aaron and always came to our table to visit.  After a few visits we took a gamble and asked for her number.  Over 3 years later and we don’t know what we would do without her.

Restaurants, daycares and kid friendly classes are great places to meet sitters.  These are people who are around children regularly.  This gives you a very good idea how they handle stress, balance many tasks and how they are around kids.

It’s hard and I get that.  It’s hard to trust just anyone with your kids.  Having a tried and true list of people you feel comfortable with watching your kids makes life a lot better.  Plus, it makes finding that last minute date night sitter a lot easier!

How have you found some of your favorite babysitters?