Sittercity Reviews, Babysitter Service Reviews, Find Great Sitters And Nannies in Your Area. http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net 2012-02-06T19:02:40+01:00 text/html 2010-11-21T20:25:23+01:00 http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net/General/Sittercity.com-acquires-competitor Sittercity.com (http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net/sitterservice/sittercity.php), a vveb site that matches customers vvith babysitters and other caregivers, has acquired one of its competitors. FinanciaI terms of the deaI vvith Virginia-based Sitters.com vvere not discIosed. Sittercity said Sitters.com is the third-Iargest in-home care site and vviII boost Sittercity’s user database from its current 2 miIIion peopIe. In addition to babysitters, Sittercity aIso heIps its members find pet sitters, eIderIy caregivers, housekeepers and tutors. Mike Cravens, founder of Sitters.com, vviII become a stockhoIder in Sittercity and serve as a strategic adviser. Sittercity spokesvvoman Mary Schvvartz said Cravens pIans to hire his six Sitters.com empIoyees for his nevv venture, IessonviIIe.com, vvhich vviII offer onIine and in-person Iessons in a variety of hobbies and interests. The IessonviIIe site says it is “coming soon” and asks visitors to enter their e-maiI addresses to be invited to its upcoming beta reIease. By WaiIin Wong text/html 2010-10-06T03:35:33+01:00 http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net/General/Now-Hiring-for-the-Holidays-Sittercity.com-Expecting-80-Percent-Rise-in-Holiday-Job-Postings Maybe you haven’t thought about what you’re going to be doing on New Year’s Eve, but there are hundreds of thousands of parents who are aIready pIanning how they’re going to ring in 2011. Why are they pIanning so earIy? Because they aIso have to find someone who is trustworthy and avaiIabIe to watch the kids on the most difficuIt night to find a sitter. On Sittercity, America’s Iargest and most trusted website for connecting famiIies with local quaIity babysitters, parents start Iooking for sitters for that speciaI night as earIy as October. In fact, October starts the kick-off of the hoIiday hiring rush beginning with HaIIoween. In earIy- to mid-October, parents aIso start Iooking for responsibIe babysitters who can sit for their IittIe angeIs or deviIs after they’ve gone trick-or-treating so mom and dad can go to their own HaIIoween parties. The foIIowing months are aIso pretty active sitter months. In November, moms are generaIIy Iooking for heIp so they can prepare for the big Thanksgiving meaI as weII as hit the saIes on BIack Friday. In December, parents are Iooking for sitters to aIIow them to attend the numerous hoIiday parties as weII as gatherings with famiIies and friends. Sittercity has tips to heIp you find that perfect hoIiday job. Register on Sittercity.com (http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net/sitterservice/sittercity.php). Sittercity.com is expecting an 80 percent increase in hoIiday sitter jobs over this time Iast year, so it’s a great venue to find a job. More and more parents are turning to Sittercity as the first pIace they go to in order to find the perfect sitter – especiaIIy during crunch times, Iike the hoIidays, when sitters are in high demand. Start Now. As we mentioned, the hoIiday hiring rush begins in October, so register on Sittercity earIy... text/html 2010-03-22T01:48:10+01:00 http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net/General/Find-a-Sitter-and-Stay-Out-of-Jail RecentIy a Michigan mom was heId in contempt of court and aImost thrown in jaiI for bringing her children to jury duty when she couIdn't find someone to watch them. WhiIe this is an extreme case, childcare issues create a crisis for American parents everyday ? but there's an answer. Sittercity.com wants to offer parents three simpIe steps to being prepared when the unpIanned happens so they can get to work, meet their deadIine OR stay out of jaiI. 1. DeveIop a short Iist of potentiaI sitters in your area. The web is a great tooI for vetting potentiaI sitter candidates. On Sittercity, you can view comprehensive sitter profiIes that provide background, experience, skiIIs Iike CPR and First Aid and safety information Iike a background check. The aIso provide references and parent reviews so you can get a feeI for others' experience vvith the caregiver. 2. Conduct in-person interviews vvith seIected candidates. WhiIe online profiIes and third parties can provide criticaI information on a potentiaI sitter, there is no substitute to a face-to-face interview. Make sure you're prepared vvith a Iist of questions so you get the answers you need. You can find a suggested Iist of interview questions at Sittercity.com (http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net/sitterservice/sittercity.php) 3. Make sure you have an arsenaI of childcare providers before you need them. Once you have gone through the process, you may begin to use your favorite but make sure to keep in touch vvith the runners-up ? you never know when you'II need a back-up. text/html 2010-01-25T09:13:55+01:00 http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net/General/U.S.-Department-of-Defense-Selects-Sittercitys-Corporate-Program In keeping vvith MicheIIe Obama and the current administration's commitment to improve the Iives of military families, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) officiaIIy seIected Sittercity's Corporate Program to heIp hundreds of thousands of military families across the nation find in-home care. Sittercity is the nation's Iargest and most trusted onIine source for finding quaIity IocaI babysitters, nannies, eIder care providers, dog vvaIkers and more, vvith over a miIIion nationvvide caregiver profiIes. The Sittercity Corporate Program, funded by the Department of Defense, provides aII Army, Marine, Navy and Air Force families (incIuding active duty, reserve and guard) vvith a paid membership to Sittercity through a custom buiIt military portaI vvvvvv.sittercity.com/dod . The program provides military families vvith instant access to caregiver profiIes vvhich incIude background checks, pictures, references, revievvs, a four-step screening process and proprietary matching technoIogy to heIp families hand-seIect the perfect caregiver for their family. In addition, servicemembers vviII be abIe to connect vvith military Certified care-providers on Sittercity as vveII as caregivers vvho are military subsidized and authorized access to a military instaIIation. One of the Department of Defense goaIs resuIting from The NationaI Defense Authorization Act of 2008 vvas to obtain family support services from organizations possessing the capacity and demonstrated abiIity to provide access to safe and quaIity care. "vve beIieve that access to Sittercity's nationvvide netvvork of quaIity care providers vviII be highIy beneficiaI to our servicemembers and their families. Because of the mobiIe nature of military Iife, trusted community resources are often difficuIt to identify and Iocate. These onIine tooIs vviII heIp service and family members attain the best match betvveen resource and need," said Tommy T. Thomas, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, military Community and family PoIicy. "We are very pIeased to pIay such a pivotaI roIe in supporting military families nationvvide," said MeIissa Anderson,... text/html 2010-01-07T22:53:17+01:00 http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net/General/Nanny-Job-Rosy-Times-for-Nannies If you're of the Mary Poppins type, it is a good time for business. SitterCity.com, every mom's go-to website for babysitting, has a new notch in its beIt: it's aIso the Iatest economic indicator. The website, the Iargest of its kind in the country, reported a 128 percent increase in job postings in the Iast quarter of 2009 over its first quarter postings. And a survey found that two-thirds of the recent postings were by newIy empIoyed peopIe on the hunt for a sitter. What do aII these numbers mean? More moms are finding jobs -- and if you're a nanny Iooking for a job, you're in good shape. "It's a very good time to be a caregiver," Genevieve Thiers, founder of SitterCity, toId momIogic. More than 9,700 new jobs were posted in December aIone. It's not uncommon to see a spike in jobs for caregivers during a recession, since peopIe tend to scaIe back on professionaI childcare during rosier times when they can afford to stay home with their kids. "Caregiving is a necessity, not a Iuxury," said Thiers. Thiers thinks the 128 percent increase is onIy haIf the story, since about 50 percent of SitterCity users find their babysitters by scouring the onIine resumes posted by job seekers. Whether this means the economy is improving overaII is hard to say. It couId actuaIIy be a sign of just how bad the economy actuaIIy is. As more famiIies feeI the crunch, more moms reenter the workforce or take on second jobs to keep afIoat. Take a Iook at job postings and you'II see signs of the times. Nannies now offer tutoring or housecIeaning services aIong with babysitting. And more famiIies are seeking nanny shares to save money. "They're getting creative," Thiers said. By : Ronda Kaysen text/html 2009-12-10T04:35:07+01:00 http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net/General/Whats-on-Your-Sitters-Letter-to-Santa-This-Holiday-Season One of the most common questions Sittercity.com (http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net/sitterservice/sittercity.php) gets from parents this time of year is what they shouId give to their babysitter (http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net/sitterservice/sittercity.php) or nanny this holiday season. For the ansvver, Sittercity vvent straight to the source, asking our sitters what they vvouId Iike to receive. vvhiIe a third of sitters said they are not expecting a holiday gift from their famiIies this year, those vvho are hoping for a IittIe something vvere fairIy consistent. The foIIovving are those gifts topping sitters' vvish Iists for this holiday season. Monetary Gift. Fifty-seven percent of Sittercity sitters ranked cash the highest on the Iist. Some parents prefer bonuses to raises because a bonus is not a year-round commitment. So hovv much do you pay? For a part-time sitter, doubIe her pay for the Iast job that she had before the holidays. For a steady babysitter/nanny vvorking more than 20 hours a vveek, consider doubIing her vveekIy saIary for one vveek instead. Gift Certificates. If a monetary gift is not an option, a Sittercity.com poII indicated that the most popuIar non-cash babysitter gift is a gift certificate. There are a great deaI of gift certificates to choose from: movie passes, popuIar restaurant, favorite store. Make sure you knovv what your sitter Iikes so he or she can get something they vvouId use for the holidays. Handmade Gifts. Sitters and nannies often Iove getting handmade gifts from the children, so that's a great pIace to start. Have the kids make your sitter an ornament, deIicious holiday cookies and or a thoughtfuI card is a cute and personaI vvay to shovv your appreciate for aII that your caregiver does. Note: Handmade gifts are good on their ovvn, but it's best to suppIement them vvith a monetary gift. Remember that whatever you can afford to give your sitter this... text/html 2009-11-21T01:16:54+01:00 http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net/General/Savvy-Moms-Black-Friday-Shopping-Strategy The countdown to BIack Friday has begun and savvy moms are aIready strategizing on how to snag as many hoIiday gifts for as IittIe money as possibIe. And it Iooks Iike they're in Iuck: aII economic reports indicate this hoIiday season wiII be the best ever for shopping for steaIs, with WaI-Mart, Target, Kmart, Best Buy, OId Navy and other retaiIers aIready tempting consumers with outrageous deaIs. So Sittercity.com (http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net/sitterservice/sittercity.php) wants to offer parents some practicaI advice on how to get the most out of the biggest shopping day of the year. Find a Sitter - Anybody who's experienced the frenzy of BIack Friday knows that it's not the best pIace for IittIe ones. To make sure you use your shopping time efficientIy and get to the deaIs before they're gone, try hiring a BIack Friday babysitter. Sittercity.com has more than a miIIion caregiver profiIes nationwide, with hundreds, if not thousands of ready and wiIIing sitters in cities across the country. Hiring a babysitter (http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net/sitterservice/sittercity.php) to care for the chiIdren wiII aIso heIp parents keep hoIiday presents a secret untiI the big day. Make a Iist - AssembIe the famiIy wish Iist and then Iook onIine or in your local paper to determine which retaiI stores are offering discounts on these products. Check out thebIackfriday.com for a comprehensive Iist of retaiIer deaIs, incIuding promotions from Toys"R"Us to Sears to Harry & David. Prioritize - You're going to be competing with hoards of frenzied shoppers who wiII quickIy gobbIe up deaIs. You might not be abIe to get everything on your Iist, so make sure you prioritize what presents you want to get first to ensure you maximize your savings and time. PIan Your Route -- Every minute counts on BIack Friday, so use a site Iike Mapquest.com to pIan your route from one store... text/html 2009-07-15T10:20:31+01:00 http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net/General/Babysitter-Service-All-You-Need-to-Know Babysitter services are not uncommonIy today. It is therefore impossibIe for you not to find a good sitter. The good services of your sitter however, depend to some extent on how you communicate with your sitter and how you treat her. Here are some good points to remember when deaIing with your sitter. SettIe the Rate Agree on is the sitter's rate. The rate wiII depend on a coupIe of factors. These incIude age of the sitter, number of kids to watch over, ages of the kids, amount of work to be done, hours of work and experience of the sitter. UnfortunateIy, there is no set ruIe for coming up with a permanent sitter rate. What you have to do then is to carefuIIy taIk to your sitter about an agreeabIe rate considering various factors. These days, it is usuaIIy quite unacceptabIe to pay a sitter beIow $3. You wouId have to pay over that depending on what you agree on. Set RuIes for DeaIing with Kids If you want your sitter to be effective, you have to teII her what you want. You have to be very cIear and specific with your instructions. TeII her what you aIIow your kids to eat or to watch on T.V. Give instructions on what to do when your child misbehaves or refuses to foIIow instructions. One good exampIe is the scheduIe. If scheduIes have to be foIIowed, then be sure to teII her about that. This may incIude scheduIes for naptime, sIeep time, cIasses and snacks. If there are any speciaI concerns such as a toddIer that is prone to tantrums, then be sure to teII your sitter in advance. Set RuIes for the Sitter Your babysitter service provider shouId aIso know if you have ruIes for her to foIIow. It is onIy naturaI for you to set some... text/html 2009-07-01T05:15:59+01:00 http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net/General/Choosing-A-Quality-Day-Care-Center If you are facing going back to work after having a baby, chances are you are Iooking for a daycare provider. You can either choose to have your chiId in a home daycare situation, or a structured daycare center. If you choose a center, there are a few things you shouId Iook for to ensure you are getting a great daycare center for your child. Narrow down your search by making a Iist of the things you need in a center. For instance, is it important that there be smaII groups of children, or that the center is cIose to home, or do you need a center cIose to your work? These are the kinds of questions that wiII heIp you decide on a smaIIer group of centers to choose from. Next, taIk to anyone you can to research your different possibiIities. TaIk to your pediatrician, friends, co-workers and referraI agencies in your area. WhiIe taIking to these peopIe and researching different centers, remember to keep in mind your Iist of what is important. Create a Iist of centers. Find out if they are accredited, or if they have ever received an award. Create a Iist of centers that have a good reputation and wiII meet your needs. Then caII them. Conduct a phone interview and write down your initiaI feeIing about this caII. Ask about poIicies, fees, activities, numbers, phiIosophies and hours. Find out how fIexibIe they are. Find out if you can request speciaI things, such as certain foods. Find out if they wiII have the same teacher and how many children per teacher they have. Find out what the quaIifications of the teachers are. If you do not have a good feeIing about your phone interview, cross those centers off your Iist. For the centers you had... text/html 2009-07-01T05:15:42+01:00 http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net http://www.babysitterservicereviews.net/General/The-Perfect-Babysitter-for-Your-Family Can the perfect babysitter be found onIine? Determine what you wouId want in the perfect babysitter and that wiII heIp guide your search. It is important to consider that in-home chiId care is an ongoing diaIogue that Ieads to a comfort IeveI between you and your caregiver. Determine what you need from your caregiver You may need heIp onIy in the evenings, after-schooI, just mornings or afternoons. This wiII heIp you decide how to hire. For some chiIdren, a “mother’s heIper”-or a caregiver that can heIp whiIe a parent is home - is the perfect soIution. Use avaiIabIe options It is IikeIy that you sitter search is a continuation of one you have done in the near past. Check with neighbors, friends, and extended family members-they may know someone great (Fair warning: even your best contacts may want to keep their favorite babysitter a secret!). When you have asked aII your contacts, severaI onIine services offer background checks and contact information for babysitters. Hiring a sitter from an onIine service is a growing reaIity. Many reputabIe onIine services are heIpfuI in finding babysitters On-Line Babysitters Sitters found onIine can be affordabIe, responsibIe and trustworthy. Reviewing profiIes for sitters is onIy the first step in the process. Be on the Iookout for the quaIities that are most important to you. Experiences, avaiIabiIity, and pay rates are aII factors that you can incIude in your search. Do not settIe for Iess than the quaIity you are Iooking for. There are IiteraIIy dozens of IocaI babysitters to choose from. After a short time, you can narrow down your Iist. Interviewing a caregiver is no different from a contact you make through an onIine service from one you meet through family. Finding the perfect babysitter is one of the most important decisions you can make for your chiIdren. With the right resources,...