Why It’s Good for You, Your Marriage, and Your Kids
Let’s be honest — finding a babysitter these days can feel harder than getting concert tickets or a dinner reservation on Valentine’s Day.
Gone are the days when every neighborhood had a teen down the street eager to earn weekend cash. But here’s the truth: bringing babysitters back into your family’s rhythm is one of the best things you can do — for your marriage, your kids, and your own well-being.
Why Babysitters Are a Gift (for Everyone)
1. Your Marriage Needs Date Nights
Scheduling time to connect with your partner outside of the daily chaos isn’t a luxury — it’s essential.
Whether it’s dinner out, a walk, or even running errands together without the constant “Mommy!” soundtrack, that time helps you reconnect as a couple and strengthens your relationship. Date nights help you remember who you are beyond parenting — and that benefits the whole family.
2. You Deserve Time for Yourself
It’s okay — actually, it’s healthy — to need breaks. Babysitters give you the space to recharge and prioritize your mental health.
You can use that sitter time to:
- Grab coffee with a friend
- Attend a yoga class
- Read a book or journal in peace
- Simply be alone in your own home (highly underrated!)
When you care for yourself, you return to your family more present, calm, and connected.
3. Your Kids Benefit Too
Babysitters aren’t just for the parents — they’re good for kids, too.
Children thrive when they interact with trusted adults and experience different routines. Babysitters help kids build social skills, adaptability, and confidence. Plus, it’s fun for them — a “special night” with games, treats, and maybe staying up a little late.
How to Find (and Vet) Great Babysitters
Since neighborhood sitters aren’t as common anymore, here are some modern ways to find and screen great babysitters you can trust.
1. Ask Other Parents
Word of mouth is gold. Ask friends or local parent groups if they have sitters they love — and whether they’re open to sharing contact info.
2. Ask at Daycare or School
Teachers, aides, and assistants often babysit on the side. They already know how to manage groups of kids and have been background-checked by their employers.
3. Use Care.com (or Similar Platforms)
This has been my go-to. Care.com offers background checks, reviews, and messaging features to connect safely.
Check if your employer offers a free or discounted membership — mine did!
Here’s the message I send when reaching out to potential sitters:
Sample Babysitter Message Template
Hi [Name],
We’re a family with three children — a 7-year-old girl, 5-year-old boy, and 13-month-old boy — plus a very sweet, laid-back older dog.
We’re looking for a reliable sitter for date nights and special events, about 2–3 times per month.
Before scheduling babysitting, we like to arrange a quick 20-minute in-person interview so both sides can meet and see if it feels like a good fit.If that sounds good to you, let me know and I’ll share a few date options.
Looking forward to connecting!
— Alex
Safety and Communication Tips
- Keep all communication on the app until after the first meeting.
- Don’t share your address until the day of the interview (once they’ve reconfirmed).
- Ask them to confirm the day before.
- If someone cancels or tries to reschedule last minute, move on politely — reliability is key.
👉 You can also check out Care.com’s babysitter interview questions for inspiration.
We even let our kids come up with a few of their own questions — it helps them feel included and confident in the process.
Build a Babysitter Routine
We now have someone come every other week for a few hours. Sometimes we go out, and sometimes we just do our own thing at home.
Our sitters have become part of our extended family — we even went to one’s birthday party recently! The kids look forward to “babysitter night” every time. It’s like a mini adventure for them.
So, let’s bring babysitters back.
It’s one of the simplest, most effective ways to create more connection, balance, and joy in family life.
✨ Your Turn:
Do you have favorite babysitter interview questions or go-to tips for finding great sitters? Share them in the comments — you might just help another parent find their next trusted sitter.
Comment on this post