It’s highly recommended that you get a sitter at least sixteen years of age. Below that, you’re trusting your child to someone who is really a child herself. Now, that’s not to say that there aren’t responsible and mature fourteen or fifteen year olds, and if you know one, that’s great. But the “sixteen-plus” rule is a good rule of thumb if you don’t already know the person.

Another good rule of thumb: choose someone who already has a driver’s license and a car. Don’t assume just because your sitter is sixteen that she has a license! As a parent, you don’t want to have to provide the sitter transportation to and from your home. And if you get home after the kids’ bedtime, taking the sitter home is an even less appealing prospect. In addition, you never know when a sitter who can drive may prove to be important to your child’s safety – or even life saving.

Of course, the best thing to do is to hire someone you already have a personal relationship with, such as an older niece or nephew, or perhaps a godchild, if you have one. This gives you more confidence in the sitter, and you can leave your child with them and have a distraction-free evening. If you can’t think of anyone on your own, ask close friends or relatives for suggestions. This is the best method of finding a sitter, far, far better and safer than putting out an ad for a stranger.