13 Tips to Find the Perfect Babysitter for Your Children
Feeling a certain fear, insecurity, and lack of guidance when choosing the person who’s going to take care of the little ones when parents aren’t at home is inevitable. For this reason, at You Are Mom, we’ll provide you with a definitive guide with the best tips for finding the perfect babysitter for your children.
In addition, we’ll provide you with all the necessary information to know why it’s important to find the best candidate for this job. Keep reading!
The 13 recommendations that you shouldn’t overlook when looking for the perfect babysitter for your children
It’s crucial to make parents aware of the importance of choosing a good babysitter for the little ones in their house. This, according to a study developed in 2017 by the University of San Carlos de Guatemala, will be an indispensable attachment figure in the child’s childhood. So much so that even the results of this trial showed that the bond between babysitters and children has a direct impact on the psychosocial development of our little ones.
For all these reasons, it’s key to follow some guidelines to find the right and most qualified person, according to the interests of the parents. To do this, write down the following keys.
1. Choose well where you look
To begin with, it’s best to choose to ask the people around you if they have someone to recommend. This is doubly valuable because, in addition to the contact, they’ll provide you with their impressions and their experiences with the person in question.
At the same time, it’s also a good option to consult with your children’s pediatrician or turn to trusted local forums. All of them have close contact with parents, children, and trusted caregivers.
2. Talk about the functions that the babysitter must perform
Before starting the search, it’s important to note and determine the functions that the babysitter will perform. Keep in mind that the final choice of the right person will depend on this.
Consider the hours you need them to work, the age of the child or children they have to care for, if there’s one or several, if you want them to also help them with their homework or if their main role will be to entertain and play with the kids.
3. Define your priorities well before starting the interviews
When looking for a babysitter, many parents often make the mistake of not having their priorities well defined. In this sense, the main functions must be fixed and not include other additional tasks while the candidate is being interviewed.
This will cause some confusion both in the search process and in the final choice you make. Therefore, it’s essential to be consistent with what you ask for and what you need.
4. Conduct face-to-face interviews
The best option to meet the babysitter who will take care of your children is through a personal interview. Before doing so, you must screen those candidates who best fit the profile you’re looking for.
As in a job interview, look at their way of speaking, their behavior (prioritizing education and values), punctuality, naturalness, and empathy with you.
5. Don’t hesitate to ask: One of the best tips to find the perfect babysitter
Don’t be afraid to ask all the questions you need, because the well-being of your child deserves it. Therefore, it’s very important to know about your family, your friends, and your emotional ties. How you take care of your personal ties is how you relate to the people around you.
In addition, you’ll have to make sure that the schedule matches the one you’re looking for and, once this has been defined, take into account the following aspects:
- Qualities and skills
- Specific courses or knowledge that’s of interest to you
- Previous experience
6. Ask your children for their opinion about the perfect babysitter
As your kids are the ones who are going to spend time with the chosen person, it’s also good that they’re present while the interview is taking place. This way, it’ll be possible to check how they react to the presence of the candidates and vice versa.
Their opinion also counts in this decision. Therefore, don’t hesitate to consult them before making the final choice, as this will also provide you with support and peace of mind.
7. Appoint them to take care of your children while you’re at home
Without a doubt, one of the best recommendations is to agree on a few days for the babysitter to go home while one of the parents is present. This way, while you take care of other tasks, they can take care of your little ones and both of you will get to know each other better.
With this small act, you’ll assess their work with higher quality, you’ll find areas for improvement, and you’ll be able to make the best decision.
8. Evaluate their emotional resources: Another of the best tips to find the perfect babysitter
Try to analyze the emotional resources of the candidate at the time of a tantrum or other critical moments of the child. In this sense, it’s important to find people with emotional stability, in order not to expose the child to danger.
If you see it necessary, you can also demand a psychological test from the babysitter to ensure this information. Far from being strange, it’s something that, currently, all centers that work with children request. You must ensure the safety of minors.
9. Try to get them to be first-aid certified
Undoubtedly, having first aid training is a point to take into account when evaluating a babysitter or nanny. In a critical situation, it’s vital to have a person who knows how to resolve each of the problems with speed, understanding, and serenity.
However, if the person who has caught your attention the most doesn’t have these skills, you can teach him the fundamental tools to solve the urgency in the best possible way or ask them to take a course
10. Review and clarify the conditions of the contract
In the same personal interview that’s carried out, it’s essential to take into account not only the functions to be performed, but also other relevant aspects of the contractual relationship: Salary, payment conditions, type of contract, working hours, days off, vacations, etc. others.
11. Ask for references: =ne of the best tips to find the perfect babysitter
Also, don’t hesitate to ask for all the references and opinions of the people you’ve interviewed.
If any of the candidates verify to you that they have experience with child care, don’t hesitate to contact that family and openly ask their point of view.
Also, don’t be afraid to ask about the functions they performed there, as well as their strengths and weaknesses. All this will provide you with the necessary and objective information to decide.
12. Reflect on the final decision
Don’t be in a hurry when choosing a person. In fact, as those responsible for the company ‘Te lo cuido’ (Bolivia) explain in an investigation by the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, it’s essential to establish a demanding selection process from the beginning.
In this sense, it’s important to carry out a thorough and objective analysis of all the information provided, without being carried away by first impressions. In addition, it’s also essential to see if there’s been an understanding and a connection with the other person when making the final decision.
13. Both parents must be involved in the process
As parents, it’s your duty to choose together and agree on the final decision when choosing the person who’s going to take care of your children. For this reason, it’s not appropriate for only one person to be in charge of the pre-selection of the candidates, of the interviews, and of taking the final choice.
It’s important that both are involved in the process when it comes to meeting the sitter and seeing how they engage with the child.
Put these tips into practice to find the perfect babysitter and stay calm when leaving your children
We hope that these tips have helped you to know how to start the search for the ideal person to stay with your child while you’re not at home. Once that person has earned your trust, try to give them the contact telephone number so that they can call you if any unforeseen event occurs, and vice versa.
Don’t forget to take into account certain essential aspects after the selection, such as the impact on your children. So, see if your child talks a lot about them and is happy, if they provide creative solutions to problems, if they’re responsible and on time, if they consult you about important decisions, among other issues.
All these data and experiences will provide you with three fundamental aspects when it comes to leaving: Peace of mind, security, and confidence. Without a doubt, what every parent needs when leaving their little one in the care of another person.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Chambi Machaca, PB y Aruquipa Cahuana, M. (2016). Te lo cuido, servicio de cuidado a niños y adultos mayores dependientes a domicilio . Recuperado de https://repositorio.umsa.bo/handle/123456789/23850
- Herrera Ramírez, A. M., & Martínez López, D. M. (2017). La niñera como figura de apego y su papel en el desarrollo psicosocial del niño en Casa del Niño No. 3. Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemla.