Having a mature and dependable babysitter is a valuable asset to any family. As a parent, it is your job to find the best caregiver for your toddler. So how do you begin finding a babysitter? Start by asking these questions.

Ask The Babysitter About Her:

Experience

The first question you should ask a potential babysitter is how long she has been caring for children. This is an imperative indicator of the babysitter’s knowledge and her comfort level with children. Ask about her past experience, what her responsibilities were and the types of activities she has done with other children she has cared for so you can get a better sense of her qualifications and how attuned her ideas are with the interests of your toddler. If you have a toddler who needs special care, find out exactly how much experience the sitter has with a child like yours.

Background and Personality

It is equally important that you know your babysitter’s background. Ask her to describe her temperament, her weaknesses and strengths, her family, where she grew up, how many siblings she has, if she is married or has children of her own, her lifestyle, which school she attended and the kind of upbringing she experienced. Also, ask the babysitter why she chose to pursue this career, the best thing about babysitting and the least thing she likes about her job. With the help of these questions, you can somehow gauge how dedicated and fond of children a potential babysitter is based on her answers.

Skills

You need to ensure your babysitter is capable of dealing with any emergencies that may come up. Find out if she knows CPR, if she has undergone first-aid training and is she has taken any babysitting courses. Ask her questions about basic child care – what will you do if my toddler cries? If he refuses to do his homework? If he throws a tantrum? What would you feed my toddler? What activities do you have planned for my toddler?

Child Care Philosophies

Since your babysitter will be in charge when you are not in your home, you have to make sure that she will behave in an appropriate manner with your toddler. Ask about her child care style. Talk about your own child care philosophies (e.g. your way of disciplining your little one). Both you and the potential babysitter should have the same philosophies or at least, she should be willing to adjust and follow your own child care style. Otherwise, you will only confuse your toddler and invite unpleasant situations.

References

References can help you make the decision to hire a certain babysitter or not. Ask for references and make sure you verify them one by one. Contact the babysitter’s previous employers. Find out how long she has worked for them, the type of care provided and if they had any problems with her care or her dependability. You can learn just as much, if not more, from other families as you can from the babysitter herself.

Fees and Schedule

Last, but definitely not the least, question the babysitter about her rate and schedule. Find out what her rates are, when she expects to be paid, her mode of transportation and about days off and leaves. Ask what day and hours she is available and if she can extend her hours during an emergency (e.g. when you need to overtime, visit a sick relative, etc.).

These are just some basic questions frequently asked from babysitters. Do not hesitate to raise more questions and most importantly, listen to the answers carefully to make sure you are choosing the right person for the job.