Wegowild - Hire The Right Babysitter

How To Hire The Right Babysitter

Common Questions, Quick Answers

How do I choose a babysitter?

Ask friends, neighbors, and coworkers to suggest a reliable sitter.
Ask your child's doctor, your local recreation center, or an American Red Cross chapter for suggestions.
You may want to interview the person before you hire him. Find out if he has experience with children, if he knows infant and child CPR, and if he has other qualifications that are important to you (able to provide transportation, cook, etc.)
Invite the sitter to your home so you and your children can get to know him. Watch how he talks and plays with your children. How do your children respond to him?

What should my babysitter know?

Give the sitter a brief tour of your house.
Explain your family's full emergency plan for fire, weather, and first aid emergencies.
Show the sitter where he can find first aid and other emergency supplies (fire extinguishers, candles, first aid, etc.).
Let the sitter know of any special problems that your child has, such as allergies or wetting the bed.
Tell the sitter any special rules you have for the children (TV time, bed times, snacks, having friends over, etc.)
What should your sitter do if your child breaks a rule? (Time out, to bed early, etc.)
Where and when can you be reached? By what name?
Should the sitter answer your phone? How? Should he take messages?
Make your expectations clear. If you do not want the sitter to have friends over, tell him. Can the sitter leave the house with the children? Drive the children? Use the phone to call friends?

What are some general rules to follow?
Make sure the sitter knows a few general safety rules:

Do not give your child any medicine without your permission.
Do not leave your child, alone, even for a minute.
Be alert when your child is near water or taking a bath. Children can drown in only a few inches of water if they are not watched carefully.
Do not feed your child under 4 years old large pieces of solid food. Cut food like grapes and hotdogs into small pieces. Do not give your child nuts, popcorn, hard candy, raw carrots, or other hard, smooth foods.
Do not let your child play with plastic bags, latex balloons, coins, or other small objects. These are all choking hazards.
Keep your child away from electrical outlets, stairs, and stoves.

What information should I leave?

Where you will be at all times and phone numbers where you can be reached.
Leave an emergency phone list by the phone, including numbers for: poison control, police, fire, ambulance, doctor, and hospital.
Leave a phone list of neighbors, friends, and family members who can be contacted in case of emergency.
Write down your home phone number, address, and general directions to your house.
If your child needs to be given medication, write down specific instructions for the sitter.
Leave a medical release for emergency care.

How did things go?

When you return home, ask the sitter how things went. Were there any problems? Any questions? How did the children behave?
After the sitter leaves, ask your children the same questions. Did they enjoy the sitter?

Quick Answers

Ask friends, neighbors, and coworkers to suggest a reliable sitter.
Give the sitter important information about your children, house, rules, emergency plans, safety instructions, etc.
Go over general safety rules with your sitter.
Write down and leave important phone numbers and information with your sitter.
When you return home, ask the children and the sitter how things went. Were there any problems? Any questions? How did the children behave?