Tips for Choosing a Babysitter for Your Child

Whether you are a working parent or a stay-at-home mom, you will often need help to look after your young ones. An experienced babysitter can significantly ease your workload and give you some much-needed time off for yourself. But choosing a babysitter you can trust is always a challenge. No parent is comfortable leaving their child with a stranger. Today, child abuse and rape cases are not unheard of either.

Obviously, choosing an experienced, trustworthy, and reliable babysitter is a nagging problem for every parent. But with our proven tips, you could be on track to selecting the right candidate.

Essential Tips for Choosing a Babysitter for Your Child

Nowadays, there are numerous ways to find a babysitter. You can ask your family, friends, and colleagues for a recommendation, check with a babysitter agency or directory for registered professionals, search on Leadar for someone experienced, or post a message on an online parent community to find local contacts.

But what should you do once you receive a few applications? Here are our top tips for selecting the best babysitter for your child.

1. Review the applications.

Resumes could provide insights into a candidate’s experience, work history, and training. Applications could also reveal warning signs if you look carefully. For example, has the candidate frequently moved from state to state? Are there unexplained gaps in their work history? There might be genuine reasons for such events. But it is important to note them before proceeding to the next step.

2. Interview candidates.

Whether you are searching for a long-term babysitter or someone for a one-off occasion, arranging an interview is crucial before leaving your child in the care of a stranger. Remember, it is easier to mislead employers on paper. But doing so in person is far more difficult. This is why a face-to-face meeting is essential.

Allocate enough time for you to interview the candidates without feeling rushed. Ask them about their work experience and previous employers, although you may already have learned these details from their resumes. Ensure they have the right level of maturity to look after your child. They should also be responsible, organized, and proactive.

Use your best instinct to gauge their character—would you feel comfortable leaving your child in their hands? Do their answers seem overly perfect? Are there any discrepancies between what they say and what you have read in their resumes? Are they edgy or calm? Shifting in their seat and fidgeting could be signs of genuine nerves or someone with a secret.

3. Convey your expectations.

When calling candidates for the interview, you should prepare a comprehensive list of expectations. For example, it may include driving your child to the park, preparing food, or playing with them outdoors. You might need a live-in babysitter or someone to come over during specific hours over the weekend.

It is important to brief a candidate about their role and ensure they are comfortable carrying out the responsibilities. You also should check that they have enough experience in the tasks you assign, no matter how simple they seem. If the babysitter is expected to handle tech tools, for instance, the candidate you select should be familiar with technology or at least be willing to learn. 

In addition, there could be specific requirements—your child may take medication or have special needs. Similarly, an infant and a toddler will involve different responsibilities and activities. Knowing emergency procedures and techniques like CPR could also be important to you. So selecting a babysitter with sufficient knowledge and experience to fully support your family’s needs is essential. 

Be upfront about your expectations at the initial interview to assess their ability and willingness to meet them. It will also help in determining their hourly rates. The national average for babysitting is $20.57, but this could change based on the responsibilities assigned, their qualifications, and experience.

4. Conduct a background check.

After shortlisting one or more suitable candidates, conduct a background check to verify what you have learned during the interview. Babysitters often provide the contact details of their previous employers for reference. But do not entirely depend on these. Dig deeper to verify they are genuine employers.

Of course, if the candidate was recommended by a friend or family member, it is easier to get references. But keep in mind that the tasks assigned will differ from one employer to another. So, check how the babysitter has fared in the activities you expect them to perform. For instance, if you have an infant, speak to a few prior employers where the babysitter has looked after infants.

Apart from speaking to employers, you can browse the candidate’s social media profiles and carry out a more comprehensive background check through a screening website. Verify their contact details and look for warning signs, such as fines, evictions, and criminal records. In addition, you can even run their names through sex offender registries.

5. Arrange a trial session.

If a candidate passes the interview and background check with flying colors, you can proceed to arrange a trial babysitting session. It will help you get a feel of how they respond to your kids and, more importantly, how kids react to them.

Ensure you are home during the test session. But keep a distance, allowing the babysitter to carry out their responsibilities without interference. Brief them about emergency precautions, important contact numbers, rules, guidelines, and basic dos and don’ts. For example, make them aware of screen time limits set for your kids and bedtime routines.

Watch how they interact with your kids and perform assigned chores. Do they seem genuinely happy to spend time with your child? Does your child appear comfortable and relaxed with them? Again, allow your parental instincts to guide you in your decisions.

To Recap

Employing a babysitter comes with obvious risks. So, no amount of precautions will go to waste. Carefully reviewing applications, conducting in-person interviews, and carrying out comprehensive background checks are essential to select the right candidate. Briefing them about your expectations and arranging a trial babysitting session is just as important. Remember, your child’s safety is at stake. So, spend adequate time without rushing this process.