Babysitting - San Jose,CA

what about asking the neigbors... i usually find a neighbor with a high school child.. i wouldn't use the internet... or a website.. i wouldn't trust it.. go to the park with your child this weekend.. and start talking to moms.. ask them who they use.. and would they recommend them.. and could you get their phone numbers.... that's what i would do... don't leave your child with just anyone... how about family members.. brother in law.. sister in law.... also you can call a high school guidance office.. ask them for recommendations..

I have heard of www.care.com and it is supposed to be good and the providers are back ground checked.

Or perhaps, would one of the people that is going to this event, be willing to stay home with your kids??? And you pay them something? that way, it is someone you know...

I've used both care.com and sittercity.com and found many good babysitters over the last 8 years. Of course there are no guarantees that just because someone posts a profile on a website that they are qualified. You still have to do your legwork; extensive interviewing, observe them with your kids, extensive reference check, even ask references for other possible references, background checks (which both websites provide for a fee). I haven't had much luck finding reliable sitters via word of mouth; my experience has been that the local teens are so busy with school and extracurricular activities that they have limited availability. But of course that would be preferable as teens tend to charge less, and it's nice if the teen is an acquaintance. Good luck finding someone good to watch your kids!

What about your friends children who are old enough to babysit? I would ask around, there are likely lots of teens with expereince and willingness to babysit.

I used sittercity.com and had a ton of responses, many of which seemed like great candidates. Just be sure to call references, that was most reassuring to me and I also had them come for a hour while I was home to see their interaction with my kids. Overall I think it is a reliable service.

I've used sittercity.com to find our sitters. You've gotta kiss a lot of frogs, so to speak, but I found our regular sitter there as well as a few good back-ups.

T.