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Babysitting Library:
Parents

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Tools

Food and Fitness Cheat Sheet
Use this interactive form to make sure your babysitter knows all about your kids' food and fitness needs.

Rate Calculator
Do you want to know how much other parents are paying in your area? Use this handy-dandy calculator to help determine the market rate.

Sitter Cheat Sheet
Use this interactive form to make sure your babysitter has all of the important information she could need on the job.

Articles

5 Tips to Find (and Keep!) a Summer Sitter
Summer is a time when school-year babysitters packs their things and leaves town for three months. This seasonal “sitter shuffle” leaves parents competing to find a replacement -- it's tricky, but not impossible with these quick tips.

Child Care Definitons
Don't know the difference between an au pair and a doula? What about a babysitter and a nanny? Check here to figure out the differences between these and more.

Parent-Babysitter Interview Checklist
Make sure you ask your potential sitter the right interview questions or you could find yourself with a less-than-perfect match.

Four-Step Sitter Screening Process
What's the best way to screen a sitter? Simple -- just follow our tried and true four-step screening process.

Babysitter Safety Training Resources
Love your sitter and want to give her more training? The following checklist will help you identify and send your sitter through the best training programs in CPR, Heimlich maneuver, First Aid and more.

Hiring a Babysitter, Step-By-Step
We'll walk you through what we've found to be the best babysitter hiring process, step by step, to help you hire that perfect caregiver.

Checking Babysitters' References
Learn how to get comfortable calling references and make the most of your chat with a few simple tactics.

Talk to Sitters About What Bothers You
You may find it difficult to talk to your babysitter about an issue. If so, try these tips and suggestions to make it easier on you both.

Babysitter Life Tour
When sitters come into your life, they'll need to know your philosophies and strategies for how to handle the kids, pets, tantrums and more.

Babysitter House Tour
When sitters are going to be sitting in your house, show them everything they'll need to know/use with this helpful list.

Signs of a Good Sitter
With all of the babysitters out there, it can seem like an overwhelming task to try and narrow down the pool. Use these tips identify the best of the best.

Unacceptable Sitter Behavior
On certain occasions, the sitter you hired might start to change. Here are the things you should NOT put up with from your caregiver.

Get Organized, Become a Supermom
If you're interested in getting organized, finding serenity and simplifying certain areas of your life, you're in the right place.

Three-Step Sitter Monitoring
Learn about Sittercity's three-step monitoring process to help you determine whether your sitter is a good fit for your family or whether she displays some of the warning signs that could spell trouble.

Sitter Stealing and Nanny Nabbing
In mom-speak, sitter stealing is not when your babysitter steals from your home; rather, it's when a so-called friend swipes a great caregiver from under your nose. Here's how to keep your sitter safe and sound.

Secrets of Booking a Back-to-School Sitter
When booking a back-to-school sitter, you'll be competing with almost every other mother in your neighborhood. Use these five tips to stay ahead of the game.

Road Trip Survival Kit
Traveling with kids can be a challenge -- especially when the ride in the car is long than 10 minutes. Don't leave on your next road trip without these peace-keeping essentials.

Navigating Nanny Taxes
We know that it can be an intimidating topic, but we're going be very clear about what you need to do (and what you don't!) to make sure you're following every letter of the law.

Pros & Cons of Using Family Members as Sitters
Favoring family members as caregivers? It's more than free care. Consider these pros and cons before making a final decision.