'I just really need somebody': Parents turn to 'randoms' for babysitting

"No freaking way would I hire someone like this!"

There’s no denying that parents deserve a break every now and then. And that it takes a village to raise kids.

However, finding a reliable babysitter can be an exhausting task—especially for those without said village to lean on.

This lack of options often leaves parents with limited choices. 

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"Asking Facebook for a sitter"

One mum, Jillian, recently took to TikTok to call out a solution that some parents turn to in desperation.

“How wild is it that there are people who literally post on Facebook groups asking if anybody has a babysitter for tonight?” Jillian said in her video.

“Like, ‘I need a babysitter, I’m willing to pay $20 an hour for my three kids. It’ll be really easy because the baby’s gonna be asleep. I just really need somebody…’ You’re willing to go to Facebook to ask for a babysitter?”

As a mum of three, Jillian acknowledged her stance might make her seem like a ‘helicopter parent’, but she simply couldn’t imagine doing the same.

“I understand not everybody has people around, but like, I could never hire a babysitter without meeting them and making sure they’re not crazy,” she continued. 

“I don’t know. Am I weird for that? Am I a crazy parent? Because no freaking way would I hire somebody off Facebook!” 

Image: TikTok/Jillian

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 "Should I have just not gone to work?"

Her comment section was flooded with mixed opinions. 

“If it’s not my mother or my older kids watching my daughter, I’m cancelling,” one person said. 

“I’m not letting someone I’ve known for 15 minutes watch my kids,” another agreed. 

“They’ve gotta come HIGHLY recommended. The thought of a stranger from a mum’s group terrifies me,” a third added. 

Others, however, thought Jillian was being overly cautious.

“Single dad of four and no family. What were my other options? Should I have just not gone to work?” one commenter wrote.  

“In the '70s and '80s my parents hired people from an agency. What kind of background checks do you think they did back then?” another questioned. 

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For Jillian, the answer is simple: careful vetting is a non-negotiable.

“No way am I hiring a random without meeting them first,” she said. 

“I have a sitter I LOVE! I did an in person interview, references, background checks and was home with them the first few times they watched my girls.”

Originally published as 'I just really need somebody': Parents turn to 'randoms' for babysitting