Sitter Social

If you are a parent, you probably know how hard it can be to find a quality babysitter, especially when its on short notice. A Northwest Arkansas woman has come up with a possible solution. Its called a sitter social. We stopped by the first one in little rock this week and heres what we found. Youve heard of speed dating to find the perfect mate. Now, theres speed dating for mommies. "Im looking for someone dependable and someone that I can trust." Tonight, Julie Janos is here at the Wonderplace hoping to meet the perfect babysitter. Julie Janos Mom "Its hard. I dont really know any kids. Id prefer someone over high school. like college kids." Rhonda Duckett Sitter Socials "I had all of these friends that were babysitters. I had all of these connections on college campuses and I had all of these moms that were calling me. We brought them together to make the perfect match." Former nanny Rhonda Duckett launched whats known as Sitter Socials in Northwest Arkansas. After several successful meetings, she has now brought the service to moms here in Little Rock. The concept is much like speed dating. "When they come to a sitter social, theyll meet at least 10 sitters." "They sit and rotate and spend five to ten minutes with each sitter. We supply them with a resume, their references and their schedule." "You just meet them and see how you feel about them." Each sitter undergoes a background check and provides references and a schedule of when theyre available. At the end of the night, its a win – win. Moms go home with a list of potential sitters and the sitters go home with a few possible jobs. Lauren Carrigan Babysitter "Im pretty busy during the week, but it would be nice to get a little spending money on the weekends." "We just dont go out that much unless our mother-in-law is available. So, I am really happy to have some options." Rhonda hopes to expand the program to other areas in Arkansas. To find out more about sitter socials - log on to www.mysittersocial.com or www.lifemadesimple.net