Is babysitting a lost art? Is it possible to find a good babysitter? Why are babysitters always busy? These questions often arise not from the lack of a good babysitter; au contraire, these questions are most often asked be people who don’t know how to treat a good babysitter. If you have ever asked any of these questions, here are five things your babysitter wants you to know:

1) Answer the money question up-front
The most important thing to remember about hiring a babysitter is the “hiring” part. Even if you know the babysitter well, it is important to remember that they are there to do a job. Money is always an awkward subject, but if you’re up-front about it, it will no longer be an issue.

2) Be brief
Do not stay for an hour to make sure that your sitter feels comfortable; I can safely say from experience that there is nothing you could do to make them feel more uncomfortable. Give your sitter all of your information and tell them who to call in emergency situations, but be sure to leave within twenty minutes of your babysitter’s arrival.

3) Be clear about what you expect
Believe it or nor, your babysitter will appreciate knowing exactly what you want them to do. Expecting your babysitter to clean up is a given; however, it is nice to give them the option of how much they clean by saying something like: I’ll give you seven dollars an hour, and if you clean, I’ll pay you eight.

4) Tell the child that the babysitter is the boss
Before you leave, or even before the babysitter arrives at your house, be sure that your child understands that when you leave, the babysitter is in charge while you are gone.

5) Go out, and have fun…
There is nothing worse than an over-protective parent who calls every couple of minutes; or worse, a parent who stays the whole time to make sure that the child and the sitter get along well.

If you are having a hard time finding a good babysitter, try these tips, and see if good babysitters aren’t suddenly (mysteriously) much more available when you need them.