USEFUL TIPS FOR CHOOSING A BABYSITTER
It is the most important decision for a working parent to find the right nanny or babysitter for their baby. Choosing an attentive and caring babysitter is a challenge. Getting a full-time babysitter or someone to give attention to your child is for few hours a day. But remember that nothing is more important than your child’s security and health and only the right and qualified babysitter must be hired. Here are some tips and guidelines which can help you to select the best babysitter for your child for a peace of mind whilst you are at work.
WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES?
Start with making a list of qualities and the services that you and spouse want in the babysitter. Do you want a young babysitter who is full of energy or you want an experienced babysitter who is full of experience? Do you want a babysitter who lives near you so that they can be called on the moment notice? How much you and your partner can afford to pay to that nanny? You should take your time to discuss these things with your partner as selecting a babysitter is not an easy task.
SEARCH FOR A BABYSITTER
When you have discussed with your partner about the qualities you are looking for in an ideal babysitter then you should ask your family and friends for recommendations. Try to post notices at different public places like parks, school boards or coffee shops. You can also advertise online as it is a very popular method and it will save your time. Another option is to call local babysitter placement organisation but remember that this method can be expensive for you as they require commission fees.
CHECKING THE REFERENCES
Background of previous jobs will make it easy for you to select a babysitter and you should not forget to check the references. References and background check includes several factors like age of children in previous jobs and responsibilities of the babysitter in previous families. A babysitter can be perfect for your family if the families have a similar background and culture as yours. You should also check that whether the personal information provided to you by babysitter is correct or not. Check the family background of the babysitter. Check about the education of that person. You can select that babysitter if all the information provided to you is correct. Remember, if it is too good to be true beware!
CHECK THE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Note down the interview question you want to ask and the answers. Keep in mind a perfect answer you want to listen from the babysitter. Standard interview question like experience, age and availability are normal but every family has its own background, therefore, you should ask the questions related to your family. Do you want your babysitter to involve your child in play full activities? Or do you want the babysitter to cook in your absences? What is the dietary preference?
It’s great if the babysitter gave very good answers to your questions but remember to interview other babysitters as well. Maybe you will be able to find the best one by interviewing a lot of candidates.
STRENGTH OF YOUR CHILD
Strengths or struggles of your child are very important to consider while selecting a babysitter. Company of a babysitter can help your child to learn a lot, therefore, select the one who is good in the field your child is struggling for. For example, if your child is weak in Chinese than hire a Chinese speaking babysitter. Try to select a candidate with a good academic background. As your child is in learning age, therefore, an educated babysitter will be able to help your child and learn a lot.
CHILD TEST
Yes, I am talking about testing your babysitter on the basis of her/his interaction with your child. The babysitter has to take care of your baby, therefore, it is important to know that whether the babysitter will be able to take care of your child or not. Ask yourself that do you like her interaction style or not? How does the babysitter teach your child? Are you fully comfortable with the discipline of the babysitter or not? Whether the children connect with the babysitter or not? Do not forget that your child is going to spend time with the babysitter; therefore, your child is the only one who can help you to take the right decision.
GUT FEELING AS A PARENT
The babysitter might be perfect. There is a possibility that the babysitter passes all your tests and interacts with your child in the best way but still there is something which does not seem right. Then, in this case, you should always trust your instincts. When you have selected the best babysitter do not forget to run a trial test. Notice the behavior of the babysitter for few days. Try to come back from your work early and see what’s the babysitter is actually doing in your absence.
It really does not hurt if you have two to three babysitters or back up babysitters in your contact list. If you have selected three perfect babysitters than ask the other two to babysit your child once a week. It does not matter how much you trust your babysitter because you can face a time when babysitter will let you down and for that situation, a backup babysitter should always be available. There is nothing more important than your child so make sure that everything you do is perfect. If you think that there is something wrong with the babysitter then don’t select him/her. Verify the information given by babysitter with the help of your resources and if you find something suspicious, contact the police.