How difficult it is to be a parent! Even more difficult when it’s time to leave your little love in the arms of a babysitter. How is it going to happen? Is this very young babysitter going to be up to it? Surely there are many questions that worry you about choosing your babysitter. Because not everyone is able to care for children, and there are some signs that should quickly catch your ears.
What are the criteria for recruiting your babysitter?
If you are young parents, do not hesitate to have the assistance of a person who has more experience than you, to help you in this process. You can, for example, draw up a typical babysitter profile with the qualities you expect from her (experience with children, kindness, smile, good appearance, well behaved, resourceful …) and especially the flaws that you do not ‘will not accept (swear words, tobacco, alcohol, bad gender …).
Do not hesitate to ask him any questions that will help you better understand his personality, his habits, his qualities and his faults.
You can read this article for some ideas on how to distinguish a good babysitter from a bad one.
Choose it by feeling?
What if you trust your instincts when choosing a babysitter? Often this gives very good results. Remember: “When in doubt, no doubt!”
When the custody has started, you will quickly see if this babysitter will do the trick: if she is serious, if she knows how to be obeyed by your children, or if, on the contrary, she does not have enough confidence for such a job…
Putting her or him in a Situation
Try to test the babysitter’s reactions by putting her in front of some delicate situations of the style:
- What do you do if Paul swallows a marble?
- How do you react if Paul doesn’t want to go to bed?
- His answers should already give you a glimpse of his ability to react.
I was able to realize that my babysitter was on top the very first time she came to babysit my little angels. In fact, there was a power cut in our neighborhood … Bad luck for a 1st! But she didn’t let herself be put down, she started by warning me by telling me not to worry, “that she was managing”. She improvised a cold picnic in the electric lamp-lit living room, then told the children stories all evening. The children adopted her immediately. I was reassured, this kid is very resourceful.
Finally, we would definitely recommend the book by Tammy Gold called ” Secrets of the Nanny Whisperer: A Practical Guide for Finding and Achieving the Gold Standard of Care for Your Child”
The writer of this book is speaking from her extensive background in child developmental psychology, social work, and family therapy to provide the best childcare guide for parents.
Check out the book on Amazon