How to Choose a Good Babysitter

After you have your baby, chances are you aren't thinking about finding a babysitter. Your days and nights are spent with endless changings, feedings, and other routine care. After a few months, you are going to want to go out without your little one. A date with your spouse might be nice, or maybe you would enjoy some "me time." How can you find a babysitter that you can trust? After all, leaving your precious little one with someone is not going to be easy. Here are some tips to use when looking for a good babysitter.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Paper
• Pen
• Phone book

How to Choose a Good Babysitter

1. Consider the age of the sitter. Are you comfortable with an older child or teen babysitting? These sitters can be more affordable, but you may want an adult if you have a baby at home. Check with your local police department to learn if there is a minimum age requirement in your area for babysitters.

2. Talk to other parents. Find out if they have someone they use and could recommend. If you have friends with older children, find out if the older children are interested in babysitting.

3. Find out if your church has any sitters they recommend. Your pediatrician may also have a reference or two for you.

4. Look for a sitter or nanny agency. Many large cities have these services, and you can find them in the phone book. The babysitters that are connected to these agencies are usually quality sitters, since there is some measure of accountability between them and the organization as a whole.

5. Ask for and then check references. Find a sitter who has done some babysitting in the past. Call those references and ask how they liked the sitter.

6. Schedule a face to face interview. See if you are comfortable with the sitter. Keep in mind that your kids may not warm up to the sitter immediately, so do not use this as a basis for whether or not to hire a sitter. However, do take note if your kids seem to respond instantly to a particular sitter.

Tips & Warnings

• Go with your gut instinct. If you feel uncomfortable with a certain sitter, you are not going to enjoy your time away.
• Once you choose a sitter, give them a tour of your house and explain your routine. Your kids will be more comfortable if the routine with the sitter is close to the routine you normally have at home.
• Never hire a sitter without meeting him or her first.

Resources

• How to Find a Good Babysitter