When I look back on the last 24 years of motherhood the one thing that still surprises me and troubles me is the babysitter problem.

When I was a teenager, I did a lot of babysitting - my own siblings and a handful of children in my neighborhood. I never stopped to wonder why other families hired me to watch their kids yet my own parents had never hired anyone to watch US, never - not once. What was that all about? Was it lack of money or was it the frustration that comes from trying to find a GOOD babysitter?

Are you and your neighbors playing babysitter poker?

Do you take your child to work and then ask for help from your coworkers?

Today is National Babysitting Safety Day. If there is one perfect Mother's Day gift it would have to be the gift of a great babysitter. The problem arises when you ask people what a great babysitter looks like. Every mom has a different answer.

Check out the Babysitting Tips and Advice blog. There are some interesting topics to think about. Careful - some of those interesting topics can make you crazy.

Babysitters are often in the awkward position of having to discipline the child – but not having the same level of authority as the parent. This is for two reasons. The babysitter isn’t the parent and doesn’t know the full history of what has and hasn’t worked with the child in the past. And bribery does work – at least in the short term – but what is it teaching the child?

Hopefully you will find a babysitter who has taken a Red Cross Babysitting Course.

Have you seen Sitter City? The questions on the Ask Genevieve column are interesting... is your sitter asking these questions?

I sit for a family with three great kids, I love them dearly, but sometimes they need so much attention they make me want to scream. Do you have any tips or advice on how I can keep them occupied so I have time to get a glass of water on occasion?

I love this check list from Baby Blog.

Planning time away from your new baby means that you will need to find a trusted babysitter to care for your baby like you would. That may seem impossible, but knowing what qualities you need in a babysitter will help you to find the best person to take care of your child. The National Women's Health Information Center (NWHIC) recommends taking the following steps to familiarize a new babysitter with you, your baby, and your home. Also, we have provided a babysitter checklist to remind you of the information the babysitter will need while caring for your child, such as numbers where you can be reached in an emergency.

Share your babysitter stories - good and bad - and Happy Mother's Day!

~~Denise
Flamingo House Happening and Fast Times @ Homeschool High