The New Year's Eve plan you need to make now

Most families are still packing away Halloween costumes and polishing off stashes of candy. Those who are more organized might be planning Thanksgiving menus and sketching out holiday gift lists -- but making New Year’s Eve plans?

That just seems crazy.

But Gena Schneider, local franchise owner of SeekingSitters, says it’s not. If you want to go out to ring in the New Year on Dec. 31, you need to book a babysitter now.

“It’s hands-down the most requested night for a sitter,” Schneider says. “They’re in high demand and they tend to go to the highest bidder.”

If you don’t have a regular babysitter, Schneider has recommendations on where to find one, and how to make sure a sitter is right for your family.

Finding and Screening a Babysitter

There are a few ways to go about finding a babysitter, whether you are looking for a more regular sitter or for a one-time occasion. Schneider says you can ask for referrals from friends, co-workers or parents on a local parenting forum; you can post a request on college job sites or on websites such as Care.com, Sitter City or Craigslist; or you can use a local childcare matching service like SeekingSitters.

However you go about it, Schneider says, the most important part of the process: interviewing the candidates. She recommends doing the interview in person, “because you can tell a lot from seeing a person.”

“Did they arrive on time? How did they conduct themselves?” Schneider says.

When interviewing a potential sitter, ask the candidate why they want to be a babysitter; ask them to describe the experiences they’ve had in the past; and have them discuss different scenarios they might have with your children (games they might play, routines for the evening, etc.).

She also recommends conducting a background check on any babysitter you’re considering, using a reputable screening company.

The Older, the Better

Schneider says age matters. She recommends getting a babysitter who is at least 18 years old, since they will likely have had more experience with children.

“For New Year’s Eve, especially since it’s going to be a late night, I would want somebody who’s a little bit older -- at least 18 years of age, or even older than that,” Schneider says.

However, New Year’s Eve is one night when it might be more difficult to book an older sitter -- yet another reason it’s best to start looking now.

“Because they’re of the age to go out and have fun themselves, they may choose to do that instead, so finding an older sitter on New Year’s Eve can be even more challenging.”

The sooner you start looking, the better your chances are for scheduling your ideal candidate, Schneider says.

The Price to Pay

Most parents know childcare is not cheap. These days, the going rate for a sitter ranges from $10 to $18 an hour, depending on the number of kids and the experience of the sitter.

For New Year’s Eve, Schneider says $20 an hour is a more realistic rate for the evening.

Introducing the Babysitter to the Kids

Is your sitter new to the family? Schneider says it’s always nice to do a meet-and-greet so the kids can get to know the sitter, especially if their first time together is going to be a night when parents are going to be out for a long period of time.

And Schneider recommends parents leave written, detailed instructions for the babysitter with information on meal times, bed times, allergies and routines to make everyone feel more comfortable.

Still not sure how to Start?

Using a Referral Service like SeekingSitters can take the stress out of your planning. SeekingSitters does all the work to prescreen and certify Professional Babysitters that will work around your family’s schedule. Contact Gena Schneider at SeekingSitters Inland Empire at 909.260.4098.

We wouldn’t send a sitter into your home that we wouldn’t be comfortable having in our own!