It was May 2005. My husband and I had concert tickets and then found out his mom – our go-to-sitter – had tickets for a show that night as well. I called a good friend but she also had plans. For the first time in our son’s nine months, we needed a babysitter. And we panicked.
But finding a sitter doesn’t have to be a horrifying experience. In fact, you probably have a handful of possibilities just a phone call away. Here’s how to find the right person to care for you child.
Where to look
- Ask co-workers, friends, family, and neighbors for recommendations.
- Check bulletin boards at your place of worship.
- Contact schools that offer early childhood education classes.
- Search online services that connect parents with sitters, like CanadianSitter.ca.
- Place an ad in a community paper.
How to interview
- Find out how old the candidate is and whether you’re comfortable with that number.
- If not obvious by name, ask about gender. Some people prefer girls over boys and vice versa.
- Ask about the candidate’s experience with babysitting and pose “what would you do if...” scenarios.
- If you’re looking for someone who can communicate in a second language, ask the candidate if he or she has such language skills.
- Determine whether the candidate has taken special courses, like babysitting, first aid, and/or CPR.
- Ask for references and follow up: how long have they known the candidate, what were his or her responsibilities, how old are their children, would they recommend the sitter you’re considering?
- Do a test run on a day your home to see how the candidate interacts with your children. Does he or she participate and entertain, or plop the kids in front of the television and chat on the phone?
- Listen to how the candidate speaks to your children – happily, begrudgingly, with swearing, etc.
What to leave
- Set the ground rules: how long kids can watch television, if any; no smoking; no people over, etc. no playing in mom and dad’s room, no going for walks after dark, no touching the liquor cabinet, no junk food for the kids, no playing in the pool, etc.
- Go over your child’s schedule and bedtime routine.
- Leave a list of emergency numbers: mom and dad’s cell, the number and address of the place they’re going, hospital, fire department, police station, neighbours (and mention to neighbours as well)
- Leave a note with any relevant medical information.
- Give the sitter a tour of the house and show how the doors, alarm system and smoke detectors work.
- Show the sitter where the baby supplies are and any other items he or she might need.
- Pull out some favorite toys, books and snacks (or dinner) to get things started on a positive note.
What to do post-sitting
- Pay the sitter the agreed upon rate.
- Ask if there were any issues or if he or she has any questions that may help for the next time.
- Find out how the day or evening went – what did they do, read, etc.
- Ask your children the same question and also how they liked the sitter.
- Look around and see what shape the house is in – is it a mess, is it tidy?
- Offer to drive or walk the sitter home.
Our college-neighbor came highly recommended, had taken a babysitting course, and reassured us that her parents would be home if something happened that she couldn't handle. We enjoyed the concert -- even with all those first-time jitters.
Do you have any advice when it comes to babysitting? Log in and leave a comment below.
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