When you need to take care of some errands or go on a much needed adults-only outing, you want to be able to leave your child in good hands. No one can take care of your child's needs as well as you, so your next best option is to find a reliable babysitter. Before you start the sitter hunt, know what traits and qualifications are musts when it comes to keeping your child safe.
Age
Finding a babysitter who is mature enough to be left alone with your child starts with choosing someone who's the right age. According to the American Red Cross, you shouldn't choose anyone under age 11 to look after your little one. However, according to BabyCenter.com, some experts caution against choosing a babysitter under age 14. Look beyond age, though. Some pre-teens may be ready to be left alone with a young child for a short period and some people may never be ready to be left alone with a child.
Experience
Consider your potential babysitter's level of experience with children. If she says she has cared for multiple children in the past, ask for references. Next, call her references and ask how long they've known her, what the babysitting job entailed and how old the children were. If you are hiring her to babysit an infant, be sure that she has had experience working with infants, that she knows how to perform first aid and infant CPR or that she is willing to sign up for the appropriate courses. In the end, use your intuition. If she's qualified and you're still not comfortable, don't hire her.
Interview
In the interview process, ask your potential sitter some hypothetical and open-ended questions to see how she responds. Some questions may be, "What do you enjoy most about babysitting children?" and "What is the first step you would take if the fire alarm went off?" Get to know her babysitting style by asking about how she plans to interact with your child; insist that you don't want a babysitter who talks on the phone and leaves your child in front of the television. Finally, be sure that she doesn't have any habits that you don't approve of, such as drinking and smoking. If you are interested in having her work for you, you may consider inviting her to come over and care for your child while you're home. This will give you a chance to test her skills and gauge their interactions.
Where to Look
Ask for babysitter recommendations from friends and acquaintances. Neighbors, people from church and coworkers may have some ideas. If you still aren't having any luck, you may be able to find a reliable babysitter by heading to the local American Red Cross or YMCA to look at a list of people who have completed infant CPR babysitting safety courses, according to The Nemours Foundation.
Precautions
Once you've found a promising babysitter, you're responsible for giving her some tools that will help her keep your child safe. Tell her where you will be and give her a list of emergency phone numbers, including; your cell phone number and contact information for your pediatrician, a neighbor, a nearby relative and poison control. Also show her where the smoke detector, fire extinguisher, emergency exits and first aid kit are located in your home. Finally, tell her about any health conditions your child has, medications your child needs to take, and list some house rules such as bedtimes and off-limits foods.
