A dependable and trustworthy babysitter is a valuable asset to any family. Kids Health recommends that you find a babysitter who is mature, has common sense, and loves children. It is often difficult to leave your children with someone else and finding a babysitter you can trust will help ease your mind when you are away. Asking potential babysitters some key questions can give you a sense of how well she will be able to care for your children and how she will interact with them while you are not there.
What Is Your Experience?
You may prefer to hire a babysitter that has past experience caring for children the same age as your children. Asking a potential babysitter about past experience will allow you to get a better sense about her qualifications, says Healthy Children. You can inquire about her past positions and what her responsibilities were. A babysitter should also be asked to discuss the types of activities she has done with other children she has cared for so you can get a sense of how compatible her ideas are with the interests of your children.
How Would You Handle An Emergency?
Knowing whether your babysitter understands what to do in an emergency will give you peace of mind when you leave your children in her care. Kids Health recommends asking a potential babysitter if she knows who to call in case of emergency. You can also ask her general first aid questions to determine if she is capable of handling minor emergencies at home. You should also encourage a potential babysitter to discuss any type of emergency or first aid training she has received.
What Would You Do If...?
Presenting a number of different scenarios when interviewing a potential babysitter will give you a better sense of how well she would work with your children. Healthy Children recommends presenting different situations, such as when your child refuses to do his homework, and ask her how she would handle the behavior. Learning her approach to discipline is an important part of finding a sitter your children will respond well to.
Do You Have References?
References can help you make the decision to hire a certain babysitter or not. If a potential babysitter interacted well with another family, that family may be able to give you additional insight into her babysitting abilities, reports Kids Health. Healthy Children also encourages you to check each reference carefully because another family may give you information that will lead to choosing the perfect babysitter for your family.
