Monday, June 28, 2010
Choosing a New Babysitter Doesn’t Need to Be Stressful
Maybe you’ve had the same reliable babysitter that you trust and rely on for years. Then suddenly life changes when she says she can’t do it for you anymore. It’s enough to put a mom into a panic. Relatives and friends have filled in once in a while, but you know they won’t want to do it often. So once again you have to go through the process of finding a new babysitter. What are some things to keep in mind as you make your selection?
The first question is where do you look? You can begin by asking around for suggestions from your friends, local parenting communities, at work, or your place of worship. You can even ask your child’s pediatrician and nurse for suggestions.
When you’ve found someone, invite the prospective sitter over to your home to discuss the job. This will give you a chance to see how she interacts with your children. And she’ll get an idea of whether this job is right for her. It would be proper to pay for the time that she’s there during this interview.
Questions to ask the prospective babysitter…
Do you have references? It’s so important to talk with other families that have employed the prospective babysitter.
What experience do you have? How long has she been sitting? What age does she enjoy sitting the most? Does she like to be with children?
Do you have knowledge of first aid and CPR? If you’re going to trust the babysitter around potentially dangerous situations, swimming pools for example, you need to be confident that they can perform the needed rescue when necessary. And if you feel the babysitter is great in every other way but doesn’t have certification, you’d be wise to pay for her to get her certification course.
Do you have a driver’s license and are you a safe driver? You need to know this if she’ll be taking your children on outings.
What are your views of discipline? Will the sitter follow your family’s disciplinary standards, or does she view spanking as an answer to everything? What will she do if your child won’t quit crying or stubbornly refuses to obey instructions?
What kind of activities will you engage my children in? You don’t want a babysitter that puts your child in front of the television all day while she texts her friends.
Do you know how to care for the needs of a child that is the age of mine? Are willing to change messy diapers and give baths? What would you fix for dinner? Are you willing to stay in my house after dark? Will you help my kids with their homework?
What hourly wage do you want and when? It’s good to get these details down in writing.
Will you be reliable? You need to have a babysitter that will be there when she says and not cancel on short notice or just not show up.
Important questions to ask yourself…
What is your intuition telling you? Is this person mature, capable, responsible, trustworthy, and a good fit for your children? If you’re having doubts, listen to those.
How do your children react? Are they drawn to this potential babysitter or are they uncomfortable?
Writing all of your questions in advance of this interview will be helpful. Don’t feel embarrassed about asking questions. This is all about keeping your children safe when you’re not there. And if the sitter gets offended by your questions, that’s a warning sign that this isn’t who you want to entrust with your children’s safety.
Now that you’ve found your babysitter, there are still many things you need to discuss with her before you leave her in charge. I’ll share some more tips about that next time.
One more thing – Simplify doesn’t offer babysitting services but we do take other things off your plate (like housework, errands, yard work etc.). That way you can spend more quality time with your kids while someone else picks up the dry cleaning!
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1 comment:
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