Shopping Without Kids Tops Parents' Holiday Wish List

Most parents say kids are distracting shoppers

Trying to find the perfect gift for your hard-to-shop-for mother-in-law while pushing a stroller carrying a whining toddler, shouldering a diaper bag packed for combat and taking a five-year-old to the potty for the third time -- sound familiar? It's no wonder that more than 86 percent of parents said their children distract them from their holiday shopping some or most of the time, according to a recent poll by Sittercity.com, the Web's leading childcare resource.

That's why Sittercity.com is offering new site registrants a "holiday sale" of $5 off the $39.99 registration fee to gain access to the site and profiles of more than 100,000 babysitters. The sale begins November 14 and ends December 31, just in time to line up a sitter for the biggest shopping day of the year, November 25 -- the day after Thanksgiving -- and for New Year's Eve. In addition to the sale, $1 will be donated to the United States Marine Corps Toys for Tots Foundation for each new registration, every referral turned registrant and all gift certificate and Sittercity Sings! children's music compact disc sales.

"We're encouraging parents to find a sitter and reclaim the joy, or at least ease, of holiday shopping without taking the kids," says Genevieve Thiers, founder and chief executive officer of Sittercity.com, which provides a central meeting place where parents can search online profiles of caregivers and sitters can peruse job postings. "Holiday shopping is usually no fun for children, and certainly not for parents. Hiring a sitter makes it easier for everyone, and lets families get chores out of the way so they can spend stress-free, quality time together."

Thiers added that the Sittercity.com sale also is meant to urge parents to start thinking about finding and booking sitters for upcoming holiday parties. "A lot of times, parents don't even think about lining up caregivers during this busy season and are left stranded," Thiers said.

In addition to providing parents with access to potential sitters, Sittercity.com offers a library of valuable tips and resources that help simplify caregiver selection, such as advice on narrowing the search, what to look for in a sitter, interview questions, checking references and information on safety training resources.

Holiday Sitter Tips

For making the most out of the holiday season with a sitter, Thiers has the following suggestions for screening and hiring caregivers:

• Take Five -- Be sure to screen at least five candidates over the phone. This will give parents a good sense of a sitter's personality type and compatibility.
• Test Their Talents -- Schedule a "Mother's Helper Period" where the parent can meet, and interview the top three sitters. Have each spend an hour or two with the children while the parent is still at home. It's a great opportunity for the children to be a part of the selection process. After all, they will be spending the most time with the candidate that is selected. It's also a great way to get some holiday organizing done at home.
• Refer to References -- Take the time to call each of the candidate's references. No one can give a better indication of the sitter's work than previous or current employers.
• Back Up the Babysitter -- Keep your second and third sitter choices as alternatives when your main sitter is not available. Having three potential sitters on the phone list will help ensure that parents are never stuck without a sitter -- especially during the busy holiday season.
• Share the Load -- Consider teaming up with another parent who might need to run some holiday errands and share a sitter.

Parents interested in viewing more information on Sittercity.com and its services or on childcare advice and resources can visit www.sittercity.com.

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