You might think babysitting is something that could be taken lightly. You’ll probably find someone who’s willing to take care of your kid for an hour or so without any trouble. But it’s not that simple. You have to find the right person for the job and conduct an interview process that will make sure your kid is in good hands. We all know how important it is to trust someone with our child when we cannot be there with them. If you are looking for a babysitter, here are some tips on how to find the best one and what questions you need to ask when interviewing a babysitter:
What is your experience with children?
Experience is one of the main factors that will determine how good a babysitter someone is. If you’re looking for a short-term solution to a childcare problem, you can hire someone who has no experience. But if you want to find a long-term solution, you need to get a sitter who has a lot of experience with kids.
How do you find out about the experience when interviewing a babysitter? Simply, Ask them about their previous jobs with children. If they’ve been a babysitter for a long time, or have worked as a day-care teacher or nanny, they should have plenty of experience. If they don’t, don’t rule them out just yet. You can still hire them if you think they are the best fit for your family.
Do you have any certifications or special training?
Babysitters don’t need to have special training or certification, but it never hurts to have them. If they have something like this, it shows they care about the profession and want to be the best at it. It also shows you that they are responsible and reliable. Make sure to ask what the certification or training is about and if it is something your family needs.
Some common certifications babysitters have are:
- American Red Cross Babysitting certification (for CPR and basic First Aid)
- First Aid and CPR certification
- Child Development Associate (CDA) certification
Qualities of a super babysitter
Don’t finish interviewing a babysitter without asking about the expected salary
- This is a very important question to ask while interviewing a babysitter. You need to know what the babysitter is charging and if the price is within your budget. Always have a budget in mind before you start looking for a sitter.
- You also need to know the person’s hours of availability. If you need someone to watch your kid only on certain days and for a limited number of hours, you need someone who has these hours available. If you want to hire a full-time babysitter, you need someone who has the same hours as you.
- You also need to know if the person can work on short notice. What if your kid gets sick and you need someone at a moment’s notice? You don’t want to call someone only to find out they have other plans or aren’t available. You also need to know if the person has any exclusions when it comes to working on certain days.
What’s your approach to discipline?
knowing what discipline techniques the babysitters will use with your kids, is a big hint about how well they knows the job, and therefore your ability to hire them.
As you probably know, the best way to discipline a child is to talk things out with them. But sometimes you need to be firm and show them that you are the parent and they are the child. There is no one way to do this because every child is different, but there are some general guidelines to follow.
- Always use positive discipline when disciplining your child. This means you focus on what your kid did right, not what they did wrong. If they made a mistake, you focus on what they did right. This way, they know they aren’t bad kids but that they made a mistake and can do better next time.
- Stay consistent. Don’t change your rules and their consequences every other day. This confuses your kids and they won’t know what’s right or wrong. This also shows them you are unreliable.
So make sure to include this question while interviewing a babysitter.
Qualities to look for when hiring a babysitter
Is there anything you don’t feel comfortable doing?
This is a question you should ask any nanny or babysitter during the interview, whether you are looking for a full-time sitter, hiring a sitter for a limited number of hours or just for a few days, you need to ask them if there is anything they don’t feel comfortable doing.
If your potential sitter has a long list of things they don’t feel comfortable doing, move on to someone else. You don’t want to hire someone who might freak out or get mad if your kid is mischievous. Your kid is going to be mischievous, that’s just what they do. You need to find a sitter who will stay calm, no matter what.
Are there any activities you want to focus on while watching my kid(s)?
This is related to the previous question. If your kid is going through a phase where they are obsessed with a specific activity, you can ask your potential sitter if they can do that while watching your kid. You can also ask them if there is anything they don’t feel comfortable doing or focusing on when your kid is around.
Having a specific activity for your kids to do is great if they’re bored. It also helps them stay focused and busy, which is always a good thing. It makes them less likely to engage in dangerous activities or play with stuff they shouldn’t be playing with.
Is there anything else I should know before deciding whether to hire you or not?
This is the last question you need to ask before you finish interviewing a babysitter and make a decision on hiring your potential babysitter. Now, you need to keep in mind that a babysitter can’t guarantee they will never make a mistake. They could make a mistake and scare your kid or your kid could make a mistake and endanger themselves. There are also things you aren’t aware of that could make your babysitter’s job a lot harder.
- There are some kids who are very mischievous, and a good sitter can’t always control them. If you hire someone, you should be prepared for some mischievousness to happen, especially if your kid is young.
- You also need to be prepared for an emergency that requires your sitter to leave your house without being able to warn you about it. If you hire someone, you should have an emergency contact for them and also have a plan B in case your sitter can’t come.
So, in conclusion … Interviewing a babysitter needs research
Hiring a babysitter is a big decision. You need to make sure you do your research and ask the right questions. You also need to be prepared for the things that could go wrong. Having the right sitter is crucial to having a good and safe experience. And the only way to hire the right person is to conduct a thorough interview process.