Six questions parents should ask a potential babysitter

Unsure about your babysitter selection? Get equipped with six pivotal questions parents need to ask to secure a reliable and trustworthy caregiver for their child.

Leaving someone else in charge of your children is scary for some parents; after all, how well do you really know them?

To make the task of choosing the right babysitter for you and your family a little easier, here are five questions you shouldn’t hesitate to ask.

While it’s there’s nothing stopping a potential candidate from lying, you should be able to get a good read on their body language – and most importantly, trust your gut!

Six questions to ask a potential babysitter

Uncover the character and expertise of your next babysitter by asking these six pivotal questions – your guide to trusted child care.

1. What is it you like about being a babysitter?

The money will no doubt be the first thing that springs to anyone’s mind when asked why they want to babysit. But it’s a good idea to probe a little deeper: Are they studying? Do they even like kids? etc. 

2. What kind of activities do you like playing with kids?

Their answer will give you a good indication of how your children will be spending their time with the sitter. From there, you can gauge whether they will be a good fit for you and your children.

3. Can you describe a challenge you faced while looking after a child and how you dealt with it?

This will you determine if the person is up for the job. If they can’t think of an example, they probably haven’t spent a lot of time around kids. If the example they give resembles a common trait that all kids do, this could mean they might not have the level of patience required when looking after children.

4. What would you do in an emergency?

Similar to the previous question, but this one is important for ensuring they would call you in the event of an emergency and not try to hide what happened for fear of being reprimanded.

5. What are your beliefs when it comes to disciplining children?

This will vary from parent to parent, but it will allow everyone a chance to get on the same page and ensure your sitter is following your family’s strategies.

6. Safety questions

These include: can you swim, have had any recent driving offences and have you completed your first aid training?

Do you have any questions to add? What else should parents ask before hiring a babysitter?

This article was originally published by New Idea.