One of the many challenges of life with kids is finding time to do stuff for yourself or finding time to spend with your spouse without the kids around. Very important! But the caveat is, more often than not, finding a good babysitter that isn’t your mom or a close friend (because, let’s face it, they’re not always close by!). Putting your kids in someone else’s hands can be extremely stressful and nerve-wrecking, especially when that someone is a teenager who you don’t know that well and who probably knows next to nothing about child care. But with some patience, you can find people you trust. And when that happens, you’re set for weekly date nights or gatherings with friends!

Here are some of the things I’ve learned over the past couple of years when hiring babysitters.

1. Ask for referrals.
This is the number one way to find a good babysitter. Look to your neighbors, nearby friends and family, acquaintances at the grocery store — you get the idea. By getting a list of potential sitters together, you’ll have a good starting point to finding someone you really like and trust.

2. Don’t be afraid to informally interview.
Once you have some names, don’t be afraid to call them up for a test run (I’ll get into that more next). When you first call them, have a few questions together, including:
- How old are you?
- How long have you been babysitting for?
- Do you have any first aid training?
- How many kids are you comfortable with sitting at once? What ages are you comfortable with?

Try to be casual with the interview and not too overbearing. You want to establish a good rapport with them — you can even joke around about being overprotective to break the ice.

3. Do a test run.
Once you have someone in mind and have talked to them on the phone, ask them over for a test run. This is where you just have to go out for an hour or so to run some errands but can’t take the kids with you. This gives you a chance to meet the person, evaluate your comfort level with them, and leave them with your kids for a very short time. Afterward, you can ask your kids for feedback (if they’re at an age where they can talk!) and have a better sense of if you want to move forward with them.

4. Make your home comfortable — and pay fairly.
After finding a good fit for you and your kids, be sure to provide them a comfortable environment. Leave snacks out and tell them they can help themselves to food in your fridge. Make extra portions of meals for them. And pay them a decent wage – $8 to $10 for one child, and an extra $2 per child after that. Also make sure they have a ride home at the end of the night. And teach your kids to respect their babysitter and to be on their best behaviour for them. Remember: The more comfortable you can make your home for the sitter, the more likely they are to work for you again.

5. Build a network.
Your regular sitter likely won’t be around forever. If they’re in high school, they’ll move onto other part-time jobs or leave town for university. So it’s best to build up a network of sitters so you have two or three you can count on. If your regular sitter isn’t available one night, ask if he/she has any friends (or maybe even a sibling) they can recommend. Keep lines of communication open with other friends and neighbours so you always have names on hand. Nothing’s worse than having a big event to attend and not being able to find a babysitter!

Good luck!

I was happy to meet up with my brother in Toronto earlier today for an escape from the suburbs. I met him near his house in the east end and, lucky for me, it was very close to a lovely gift shop called Adornments on Queen (338 Queen Street East). Isn’t it a beautiful space?

Great ideas for frugal moms

The owner was a lovely woman named Barbara and when I asked her to recommend some items for frugal moms, she went straight to a table with kids’ stuff. The first item she showed me was a vintage top toy, the kind where you pull the top and the inside spins when you let go. It’s a bit of a splurge item at around $40, but I love it’s simplicity and nostalgic charm. And I think my three-year-old would be fascinated by it for hours.

The second thing Barbara pointed out to us was a baby blanket that is a hybrid of blankie and stuffed animal (pictured on the left). I fell in love with the elephant one — isn’t it adorable?

Home furnishings

I LOVE home decor magazines, so I was definitely drooling over many of Adornment on Queen’s housewares. They had everything from covered dining room chairs and throw pillows to floral-themed hanging lights and interesting picture frames. Sadly, new furniture isn’t in the budget right now, but I will definitely be back here when I have some income to dispose of. I’ll also be back if I need a gift, as they have a lot of small items like candles and desk ornaments.

I also want to note that with all the construction at Queen and Parliament, it’s important to support local businesses who may be losing some foot traffic. The construction did mean fewer parking spots on the street and a bit of a mess, but other than that it’s not too much of an inconvenience.

After our time at Adornments on Queen, my brother had the exciting chance to go bargain-hunting at Shopper’s Drug Mart with me. My find? A 10-pack of Ivory aloe soap for $3.99! Then we had lattes at an espresso bar in the area I forget the name of. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon!