Babysitters...are there less these days?

[taylordvd]

So, am I crazy or does it seem like there are less teenagers that babysit these days? We just moved and I have been trying to get a babysitter for my kids for various things. I bet I have called 5 or 6 girls and only 2 have even returned my phone call. I get that they don't know me. But none of them have been available. None! I have asked for recommendations through churches that we have visited. I am leery to post an ad on craigslist. You never know what creeps are on there! They can buy stuff from me, but watch my kids I am not so sure. So, are there really less kids who babysit these days? And why is that?

[XUfan]

I don't know how it is everywhere...but I have a 15 year old stepdaughter who has never babysat. None of her friends do either...unless it's for their younger siblings. As a matter of fact, we've been a family since she was 4, and we never had a teenage babysitter for her. If we went out, it had to be on a rare weekend that her mother had her.

When I was 12, I started babysitting. I usually watched someone's kids almost every night of the week until I was 18. For two summers, I watched a family from 8am until 5pm Mon-Fri...and then watched other people's kids in the evenings! I can't imagine any of the teens I know now, doing that!

Oh...my daughter, who is 32, only babysat until she was 14. After that, she got a job at Dairy Queen, so she was done watching kids!

You'd think with the economy the way it is...and as hard as it is to find jobs...babysitting would be the logical answer for kids today!

[lbrown1618]

Maybe thats it, less need, less babysitter...

more and more ppl are getting divorced, so the nights out are when the kids are with their other parent.

more weirdos out there causing ppl to use family and friends instead of random teens

economy sucks so ppl just aren't going out.

Less demand, less supply?

[momof2inohio]

I don't know any teens who babysit. If we go out we have my inlaws or my mom watch the kids. I babysat all the time as a teen starting when I was 13 until age 17.

My DD can't wait until she is old enough to babysit! She is already asking when she can babysit her new baby cousin!

[jhfoto]

I can tell you that my daughters babysat. They paid for the class with red cross to be CPR certified for babies, carried their own first aid kits, the whole works. The problem came when after watching somebody's kid for several hours, they would come home and give them $10. Kids can make that now in 1.5 hours with the minimum wage where it is. I even have a sister in law that owes my oldest one for watching her kid over the summer 7 years ago that has still not paid. Kids will get burned one too many times and not want to do it any more.

[Colinsgrandma]

Where I live the Red Cross gives baby sitter classes. The kids are taught infant cpr regular cpr, what to do if a child chokes, basic first aid and safety in general. They also talk about what is required to be a good sitter. If you call your local chapter they may have a list of people that have attended.

[shelleyf]

I think it's because a lot of kids are too lazy. Throw in the fact that alot of them are handed everything they want from Mommy and Daddy and having the internet. Years ago the internet wasn't around to keep them busy, but some parents have always given their kids their every desire. Might regret them when the kid turns out to be a monster when they get older and have to "work".

[kschick96]

I think it's because a lot of kids are too lazy. Throw in the fact that alot of them are handed everything they want from Mommy and Daddy and having the internet. Years ago the internet wasn't around to keep them busy, but some parents have always given their kids their every desire. Might regret them when the kid turns out to be a monster when they get older and have to "work".

Ditto! I was going to say this! I had a great opportunity for two girls this summer ( sisters-ages 13 and 15-no babysitting experience at all) to be my mother's helpers 2-3 days a week for 1-2 hours a day and then 1 evening every other weekend after LO was already down for the night, so DH and I could go to the movies. Both girls came a couple of times and didn't like it becuase I wanted them to play with LO while I got stuff done. I would ask them to take him for a walk around the block and all I got was-"it was too hot to do that."

I was so dissapointed-I finally gave up because they did not seem to want to be there-even though it was only for an hour-and all they had to do was play. I did have one of the girls come one evening so we could go to the movies-but LO was already asleep-so it was a very easy gig.

In my job as an HR Director, before staying home-I was shocked at the amount of "kids" who had gone through high school and college with no work experience.

I wish I had an answer for you-I am in the same boat. My last teen babysitter (not one of the sisters-this was a new girl) spent the evening looking at porn on my computer-so I have real reservations about using teens at all anymore.

[fungirl2727]

I don't ever get babysitters for my kids anymore. I use to get babysitters and 90 percent of them drove me nuts and wanted to much money. My hubby works swing shifts so we just go out doing wk kids are in school. My daughter friend mom will watch her after school until 4 or 5 if I give her 5 bucks. My son goes to daycare mwF 7 to 6! My mom or dad comes down once every month or so and will babysit all night at hotel for me. I haven't had a babysitter for my kids forever. If I really want to go out to dinner with hubby on weekend. My daughter will go to her bff house and my 3 yr goes to drop of daycare place for 7 a hr upto 4hrs. I really don't like babysitters at my house anymore.

[fungirl2727]

Drop off daycare is so awesome! The ladies at the drop off center are very nice and have tons for them to do. Plus my 3yr old gets to play with kids his age and he isn't detroying my house doing it.