How to get the best babysitter for your child

What to pay a good sitter
How much you pay your babysitter will vary from about $5 to $20 an hour, depending on where you live, how much experience she has (including specialized training such as early childhood education or CPR certification), how many children she'll be watching and what her duties will be. ''One autistic child can be the same amount of work as three children without special needs,'' says Martha Scully, a mother of two in Nanaimo, B.C., and founder of Canadian Sitter an online babysitting service.

Ask around and find out what your neighbours, friends and your babysitter’s references pay. ''At the very least, be prepared to pay minimum wage,'' advises parenting author Ann Douglas. ''That way they'll think, I could be trying to serve a customer every 20 seconds at a drive-through window, or I could be playing with cute babies and toddlers.'' If you find a sitter who volunteers to do chores and is great with the kids, you’ve struck gold. Reward her accordingly.

Read the whole article online at http://www.canadianliving.com/family/parenting/