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In the mid-eighties, Hollywood came out with a movie called "Adventures in Baby-sitting," in which a teen sitter takes her charges into inner-city Chicago. While there, they have a tire blow out and their windshield shot out. They get waylaid by a ring of car thieves, they sing the blues in an R&B club and attend a boozy frat party, they scale the outside top of a skyscraper and drive at breakneck speeds on crowded freeways—at night. Of course, the unsuspecting parents never find out.

If you've never seen this movie, don't even think about renting the video! If you're like most parents, you're feeling enough anxiety every time you leave your kids with a sitter—if you can even find one.

But don't panic and give up going out until your youngest starts college. Take a deep breath, ask the Lord to give you wisdom (James 1:5), good judgment (Ps. 119:66) and peaceful confidence (Isa. 32:17), then begin your search for a baby sitter your kids will love and you will trust. Here are practical ways to get started.

Networking is key to developing your short list of trustworthy sitters. The secret? Start talking. Your church is your number-one networking zone, a community-within-a-community, and should be more likely to produce a sitter who shares your values. Here are ideas for folks to talk to.

Other parents of young children: Who's sitting for you, and what do you like about that sitter?

Parents of teens: Tell me about your daughter (or son). Do you feel she's ready to baby-sit? (I've found parents will give a realistic appraisal of their child's maturity.)

The youth pastor (and spouse): Who are the teens at the core of our youth group? Which young people show leadership skills and compassion?

The public library's youth program coordinator: Who are some mature young people who volunteer at the library? (These kids tend to be community-minded and good students, though not always Christians.)

Dorm parents from a local Christian college: Which students regularly baby-sit?

A sitter you've liked: Whom would you recommend? (When our favorite baby-sitter was preparing to go to college, I asked her this, and we've used two of her friends on occasion.)

Then talk with the potential sitters. You don't have to promise them a gig on that first conversation. Talk with them at church or call them to ask:

1. How long have you been baby-sitting?
   
2. How do you feel about sitting for children the ages of [your kids]?
   
3. If your kids have special needs: Have you had experience working with children with these needs? (Gauge the confidence of their answers.)
   
4. Whom else have you baby-sat for? (Get phone numbers. It's appropriate for teens who want to work as sitters to provide references.)
   

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