5 Salient Tips on Finding the Right Baby Sitter

You cannot be too careful when you start looking out for a baby sitter to take care of your little infant. You should get one that is qualified and knows what to do in an emergency. This means that the baby sitter should be a person who has a cool personality, does not get ruffled quickly and uses her head instead of panicking. The worst thing you can do is to try and find one online. It would not be advisable to introduce an unsavory character into your home with no reference and no background check.

Here are 5 tips that will help you select the best baby sitter for your child

1. The best way to find a reputed baby sitter is to ask your friends and relations. Contact the local community or church and let them know your requirements. It is important to get references and not rely on word of mouth alone. When you are interviewing a few candidates find out the age of the child that they had to baby sit and consider if hiring this person would be the right thing to do. Call the reference numbers that you have received and check the age of the child and find out the exact type of requirement that they had for their child. Ask pertinent questions when running background checks as you are going to entrust your little one in the hands of a stranger.
2.  If you have a toddler, make sure to select a grown up teenager or young adult rather than a youngster attending school. They should be certified in CPR or know how to administer first aid.  Observe the candidate when you are interviewing them to find out if they understand all your instructions. Ask a few pointed questions as to how they would react if a certain situation should occur.  You should feel confident that you have the right person to take care of your child.
3. Lay down the rules clearly and let them know that you are stating your expectations. Include the hours for watching TV, doing their homework and their nap time. You can tell them your views on using the computer or phone and bringing friends over.
4. Interview your babysitter when your child is at home and watch the reactions between them and your child. Notice if your child shows an instant liking or is shy. Watch the babysitter’s reaction when she is playing with your child. You can give her some tips on how to care for your child and what to do in any given situation.
5. Let the babysitter have a tour of your house. Let them know where you keep emergency items such as first-aid tool kit, fire extinguisher and flashlight. They should know what to do if a security alarm goes off or where the phone numbers are kept if they need to contact you immediately. The keys to the rooms also should be kept handy in case the child accidentally locks themselves in the room.  It is important to leave a couple of other numbers as well in case they cannot reach you in an emergency. Write down your address and route map to your house from the closest intersection to enable them to give directions if required when seeking help.

If you have an older child, you will be able to tell if the baby sitter was good with your child. Children do not lie when they are young and this could be first-hand information to help you decide if you could use her services again and again. You will relax and enjoy yourself when you are away at home once you find the right baby sitter for your child.