Hiring a babysitter, especially one you’re hoping to work with for a long period of time, can be a daunting task. You want to make sure your babysitter is a good fit for you and your children, which isn’t always easy. The good news is that there are plenty of great babysitters out there that can take care of your children. Here are a few of the traits you should look for to hire a good babysitter.
1. Has Experience in Caring for Children of the Right Age
Different babysitters are good at caring for children of different ages. Just because a babysitter is great with kids ages six to 10 doesn’t mean they’re good at taking care of children under the age of two. Caring for children is a complicated process, and it’s best to find a babysitter who has previous experience caring for children that are the right age range.
2. Is Often Available on Short Notice
This is the best option if you’re hoping to find a dedicated babysitter for your children over the years. There are many times when you might not realize you need a babysitter until you only have a couple of hours. It’s good to ask a long-term babysitter if they’re available on short notice, especially if you have a job that regularly calls you out at short notice.
3. Is Personable and Easy To Talk To
You need to have a good relationship with your child’s babysitter. It can be much more difficult to have that kind of relationship if you don’t feel like your child’s babysitter is easy to talk to. See how easy it is to talk to a potential babysitter through text, on the phone, and in person. Sometimes, your personalities just might not match.
4. Has Certification in Child Care and Child Safety
There are many babysitting certification programs, and they can be an important part of making sure a babysitter is qualified to help kids stay safe while they babysit. Ask babysitters if they have any certifications in child care and child safety, and make sure you ask for copies of the certifications if they say they do.
5. Is Attentive and Thoughtful
Attentiveness is one of the most important parts of managing children. Children are notorious for being good at causing mischief when you look away for one second. If a babysitter wants to make sure the children in their care are safe, they need to be attentive and thoughtful at all times. Pay attention during an interview and make sure the babysitter is really listening and paying attention to what’s going on.
6. Is Forthcoming About Their Information
You want to make sure the babysitter is giving you truthful information about themselves. Otherwise, it could call into question everything they’re telling you, including their history of employment and certifications. Before you hire a babysitter, it may be a good idea to use PeopleFinders to double-check their information.
When you perform a people search from PeopleFinders, you can find out all sorts of information about someone, including their full name, phone number, email address, physical address and more. If you find that some of this information doesn’t match with what the babysitter has previously told you, it might be a good indication that there’s something wrong, and you can ask the babysitter about this directly.
Conclusion
Leaving your kids in someone else’s care is daunting, but many parents have to do it every day. No matter how often you have to leave your kids, what special needs your children may have, and what needs you personally have for your babysitter, there are a wide variety of options available for babysitters. Follow these tips and you’ll be sure to find a great babysitter for your children.
Image Attribution: New Africa – stock.adobe.com
