So, the time has come for you to hire a babysitter and you don’t know where to start.

The best possible way to hire a sitter is through word of mouth. Ask your friends and family members for referrals. If they are unable to help you, then you will have to screen applicants until you find that perfect person to care for your children. This may be a long process and is not something to rush into. Be patient, after all you will be leaving your child in this person’s care. Here are some tips to assist you in your decision making process.

INTERVIEWING A BABYSITTER

Personally meet with and thoroughly interview several applicants.
Make sure that your prospective sitters know exactly what you expect of them.
Get a copy of each of your applicants picture ID.
Observe how the prospective sitters interact with your children. Are they at ease with and genuinely happy around your kids?
Make sure that the prospective sitter has a clear and accurate understanding of what constitutes a “safe environment” for your child.
Find out if the babysitter has taken any child care courses.
Think of a number of different scenarios that the potential sitter may encounter to determine how they would handle them. For example, what would they do if your child was misbehaving? What would they do if they smelled smoke? What would they do if a stranger came to the door? How do they handle crying children?
It is also a good idea to hire potential candidates for a few hours to watch your kids while you’re at home so that you can observe exactly how they handle your children.

CHECKING REFERENCES

Thoroughly check ALL references!
Assure the references of complete confidentiality.
Ask them if they feel confident that the sitter is qualified to care for your kids.
If you are speaking to someone who has left their kids in this person’s care, ask if anything has ever come up and how they handled it. You can also ask them if the sitter gets easily frustrated.
If you are speaking to someone who no longer uses this sitter, find out why!

*As a result of KIERAN’S LAW parents can obtain a thorough criminal history background check on a prospective sitter that will be left responsible for their child’s care for more than 15 hours per week.

LEAVING YOUR CHILD WITH THE BABYSITTER

Have your babysitter arrive at least 30 minutes before you plan on leaving. This gives your children time to warm up to them as well as time for you to go over your “rules” with your sitter. It is essential, for example, for you to instruct your sitter on the do’s and don’ts of how to discipline your child, what time they should go to bed, what they can or cannot eat, that they are not to have friends over, etc.
Leave a list of emergency numbers near every phone in your home.
Make sure you leave a phone number and address where you can be reached in case of an emergency. Be sure to contact your sitter if you change your plans.
Walk your babysitter through your house so that they can become familiar with your home and where you keep things they may need. For instance, show them where your circuit breakers are in case a fuse blows. It is also a good idea to give them a flashlight in case of such an emergency. Also, make sure that you go over all emergency exits with your sitter in case of a fire.
Call the sitter to check on your children.
Whenever possible, it is wise to make unexpected pop in visits on your sitter to be sure that they are doing right by your children.
Instruct your babysitter to NEVER leave your child unattended.
Inform your children that the babysitter is in charge in your absence and that all family rules still apply.

WHEN YOU GET HOME

Be sure to ask your babysitter how everything went while you were out. For instance, how did your children behave? Were there any problems? Did anyone call or stop by? Is there anything that they can think of that you should know?
Depending on their age, you should also be prepared to question your children about their babysitter. For instance, did they have a good time? Would they like the babysitter to watch them again? Did anything happen that made them feel bad or scare them in any way?

As a parent, the safety and well being of your child’s welfare is YOUR responsibility—Even in your absence. It is imperative that you take everything your child says to you seriously! Look for any signs or changes in your child’s behavior. For example, if your child gets upset or displays any sign of fear of a particular babysitter or suddenly exhibits sexual or violent behavior in their play, this can be a sign that your child has been molested or treated badly by the sitter. Should this happen, immediately contact authorities and NEVER leave your child in this persons care again.