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Journal bethanie's Journal: Hey y'all, Braincheck me 27

Journal by bethanie
So I had this nice homeschooled girl that I actually liked and trusted enough to leave my kids with a couple of times. But now she's fixing to go to college. Damn that whole higher education thing, anyway!

Anyway, this means that I need to find a new babysitter. I'm putting the word out among my friends, but I also thought that I'd put flyers up in a few places around town.

Before I go to the effort, I need some help proofreading. Can y'all help remind me of anything that I'm overlooking? I don't feel the need to get too detailed at this point, but I want to cover the basics. Thanks in advance for your help. (Ed Note: Information in italics has been modified so as not to reveal personal details.)

Wanted: Kid Wrangler

I'm relatively new to the area ([my town], to be specific) and am looking for someone (I'm thinking high school/college student, but am open to other interested parties) to babysit my two [generally well-behaved, but I make NO guarantees] daughters (ages 5 and 2) occasionally (days, evenings, weekends, whenever).

  • Rates negotiable (I want to make it worth your time & effort!)
  • Driver's license & own transportation required
  • References requested
  • Tobacco users need not apply

Contact Bethanie: Home Phone Number

Oh, and what do y'all pay your babysitters these days? I've been thinking that $10/hour is a good rate -- if I'm going to go to the effort of interviewing & checking references on somone (or several someones), I want to keep them interested enough to keep coming back.

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Hey y'all, Braincheck me More

Hey y'all, Braincheck me

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  • Though you might clarify here:

    days, evenings, weekends, whenever


    Do you mean you might need them any time, day or night, or you are flexible about when they watch your kids, basically allowing them to pick the times?

  • References *REQUIRED*

    Other than that, ask for proof of insurance on vehicle, then...

    looks cool.
    • Personally I would require a blood sample and have them show me both bare legs so I know they aren't under house arrest, but that is just me :-)


      On a totally unrelated note, I wonder where they make people on parole wear the ankle bracelet thingy if they don't have legs?

      • I wonder where they make people on parole wear the ankle bracelet thingy if they don't have legs?

        That one's going in the quote bin. Yesiree. Bethanie- I think you should include this question as part of your interviewing process, too.

    • I would change all references of gender to the children to something gender-neutral. Just instinct.

      • Agreed... And I have boys.


        Also, some indication of the average length of the job would be nice. Some may be able to handle 4 hour stints, but not 8 hours or overnights.

        And I'm not sure if you'd be willing, but I know that some women would be happy with payment in trade instead of cash.

        I didn't mean it that way, silly. I mean, you watch my children Thursday, and I'll watch yours Friday. You have a dirty mind.

        And we love you for it. ;)

        • I have friends I'm willing to trade with, and for longer stints they're the ones I call on. But after you have them watch your kids once, it's kinda hard to ask them to watch them AGAIN before you've watched theirs.

          Easier to pay for the services, IMO. But thanks for the idea -- I've got it covered. :-)

          ....Bethanie....
    • Naturally, references will be required, but I don't want some kid being intimidated by that. If they haven't done babysitting stuff before, they might not feel like they have any references. So I can ask to talk to friends of their family, teachers, people they know from church -- general character references, if need be.

      That bullet point is in there just to prepare them for the idea that I'm going to be asking for some.

      And yes, before they drive my kids somewhere, I'll see proof of insurance -- but be
  • Bad tone, it sounds too "friendly" to attract someone who is going to be responsible. Maybe "casual" would be a better word. I would think $10 an hour is more than adequate for baby sitting too. Considering at "date" would cost you $50 for a dinner, movie, and travel time. Then figure in the price for a dinner and movie and you'll only get time with your husband on your anniversery because of the cost.
    • Thanks -- but I like the "friendly" tone. See, I live out in the country, and that's how people are around here. I don't want to scare off kids before I even get to interview them. I can get plenty tough when the face-to-face questions come up.

      And I don't just need a baby sitter for dates with my husband (ha! that's laughable!). It would be useful for daytime doctors' appointments and while I get my hair cut and things like that. Stuff where it's REALLY hard to deal with the kids AND get my business taken
      • And I don't just need a baby sitter for dates with my husband

        Man, you're a cool wife. Mine doesn't let me date the babysitter.
      • Don't get me wrong, I live in the country too. But when I look at things on the bulletin board at the grocery store, when I see stuff in an overly friendly/casual tone, I just skip by them. And kid-wrangler would hit my BS filter and I'd skip by it. At the minimum mentioning baby sitter in the title would atleast define what I am looking at.

        But hey, don't let me brain check you, you only asked for it.
        • Did I forget to thank you for your opinion? I meant to -- but must have failed to do so. So a belated thanks.

          BUT -- it IS an opinion. I *like* being light and funny and casual. You're probably more serious than I am. So that's just a difference in style.

          Are you really the kind of person who'd sign on to babysit someone else's kids, anyway? I mean, you *really* gotta have a sense of humor for this kind of work. :-) 'Cause what I have found, generally, is that if you can't laugh about shit that happens,
          • I am actually the kind of fellow you wouldn't want watching your kids. For the expressed purpose that I would not be professional about it. I'd be the one who you would come home to them jumping on the couch and full of sugar. And that's because I am too casual and relaxed. I know my limits though and would never consider a babysitting job. I'll just have to spoil my own kids or neices and nephews.

            However, when I go looking for babysitters for my own, I'll be sure to pick someone who is professional an

  • Wow (Score:2)

    by ryanr ( 30917 ) *
    And I thought I was parenthetical.

    Yeah, usually $10/hr. Unless it's my own oldest child, which it often is lately.
  • I associate "...need not apply" with pre-Civil Rights Act exclusion of ethnicities. I don't smoke, but would still be put off by what comes across as nastiness. Why not "No tobacco users, please"?
  • I infer that you're looking for them to come to your place to do the babysitting, but that's not really clear. You might want to be more specific about that.
  • Babysitting was my FT job for a couple years in the summer (and on nights and weekends) when I was in high school. FT, as in, I was probably around the kids more than either of their parents were...

    Anyway, my thoughts are from someone who would have responded to one of these ads when I was younger... and from my experience as a hiring manager today.

    1) Eliminate "I think" and "I want." This is the hiring manager side of me talking. "I want" is implied and therefore redundant. "I think" is a dangerous thing t

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