MommyMixer: The New Way to Find a Sitter

Dec. 31, 2007 — -- The room was abuzz with women looking for the perfect match. On the prowl, they hoped to find the right fit for their lives and lifestyles, recently, at an Austin, Texas, mixer. Nervously, they circled, attempted to mingle, and wondered about the right questions to ask.

But these women weren't looking for relationships. They were searching for nannies at the MommyMixer, geared to link parents with sitters. The baby-sitting network was the brainchild of an Austin mother looking for an easier way for mothers and sitters to find one another.

"Every mom that walks in says, 'I don't know why anyone's not thought of this before this,'" said MommyMixer's founder Mary Sullivan Cooper, who came up with the idea after baby-sitting her way through college at the University of Texas. "There is something so old-fashioned and valuable about being face to face. And I have moms that come that just need five minutes, and they know immediately with each candidate."

Since Cooper established the MommyMixer in 2003, it has expanded beyond Austin to include 18 cities nationwide and it continues to grow.

The mixers are ideal for a mother looking to find a trustworthy caretaker for her children.

"Finding good child care for us, the last 4½ years, has been very difficult. Mostly because it's hard to find people that are reliable," said Carolyn Davis, who was looking for a baby sitter at a recent MommyMixer in Austin.

The mixers may look like a party, but they essentially are like a speed-dating service for parents and available baby sitters. The events allow parents and a pool of mostly college-student baby sitters to converge for a night.

"It surpasses my expectations," Davis said, after finding two matches during the event.

The option provides an alternative to hit-or-miss online bulletin boards, and may be less expensive than nanny agencies.

According to the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies, average annual fees paid for full-time care for an infant at a center is between $4,020 and $14,225.

For a $100 fee, MommyMixer allows parents to meet a roomful of eligible sitters, and to take home a booklet containing their resumes.

Sandra Murray called the mixer fee a bargain. She not only met her main sitter at a MommyMixer, but she also found a number of other talented young women to help her out, on nights and weekends, with her three children.

"One of the MommyMixer baby sitters we used was a film major, and she filmed our daughter's birthday party, which was great. We've [also] had one that was a lifeguard, certified, that helped with swimming lessons," Murray said.

ABC News' parenting contributor Ann Pleshette Murphy said both sitters and parents can benefit from the program, but added that important questions should be asked.

"I think the most important questions you need to ask are really about why this person wants to do this, because it's really tough to be a child-care provider," Murphy said.

"Then, you want to get at some of those hot-button topics. And I think the best way to do that — whether it's discipline, or sleep, or whatever the things are that you're really concerned about — ask how they were brought up. You're going to learn a lot by asking, 'How were you disciplined when you were a child?' because chances are that that's how they're going to discipline."

Parents also should ask about how much television the potential sitter watched as a child, Murphy said, adding that it's a good gauge about how much television they might allow your child to watch.

Questioning potential sitters about what they would do in different scenarios also will help parents gauge if they are on the same page as the baby sitter.

"'What would you do if my child hit or bit another child?' or ask the sitter, 'What would you do if you don't feel well on a day you're caring for my child?' Murphy said.

Finally, when it comes to child care, Murphy said don't skimp on the salary.

"My plea is that we really reframe this, and think about the child-care provider as an early childhood educator. They're your child's first teacher; so, pay them."