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Finding a Qualified Sitter
•Start looking for a sitter
early... don't wait until the last minute.
• Recruit from among relatives, friends and neighbors whom
you know.
• Give preference to someone already working with children,
or introduce a first-time sitter gradually into the experience,
beginning with short, simple situations.
Tips for Interviewing
a Sitter
Sometimes getting stuck with a substandard babysitter is more
the fault of the parents than the babysitter herself. To be
an informed consumer, parents have to ask a lot of questions--and
the right ones. Before you interview a babysitter, take these
tips into consideration:
Here are a list of questions by the American
Red Cross and BlueSuitMom.com
that will help get you started.
• Name:
• Phone:
• Citizenship status:
• Age: (they should ideally be at least 16-years-old. If
the sitter is under 18, do your parents support your babysitting
jobs?)
• Do you have children of your own? How old?
• What other childcare experience do you have?
• Do you still babysit for your prior clients?
• What are the ages of other children you have watched?
• What do you like about babysitting and being around children?
• Ask how he or she would handle certain, possibly difficult,
situations that may occur.
• What do you do in your spare time? Any hobbies, other
jobs?
• Tell me about your school life. Sports? Activities? Grades?
Do you like school?
• What kind of activities do you enjoy doing with children?
• Do you know CPR or other emergency procedures?
• What days and times are you available?
• Would you be comfortable getting acclimated to our family
by babysitting a few times while we are at home?
• How much do you charge?
• Do you have any references?
• Do you have any questions for me?
Orientate Your Sitter
• Tour the home and point
out such important items as fire extinguishers, phones, circuit
breakers, and first aid box. Show the emergency escape plan.
Explain how to exit locked doors or which areas of the house
are off limits to children.
• Review rules of the home including those for meals, pets,
TV and computer time, friends and play inside and outside the
home.
• Allow time for the babysitter to ask you questions. Provide
a list of key emergency phone numbers such as pediatrician,
poison control, police (the non emergency number), family members
that live nearby, any cell phone numbers or pagers for you or
spouse
.
• Explain possible behavior problems and how you would
want them handled.
• Introduce the babysitter to your child... allow them
to get to know each other... observe.
• Share the hiding place of a extra key in the event they
get locked out of the house with your child.
• Explain how the major appliances work.
• Make sure they know how to dial a pager number if applicable.
• Discuss rules which you expect to be followed
• Discuss any alarm systems and how they work. Don't forget
to give code words in the event of an accidental alarm.
• Give a tour of the kitchen pointing out favorite foods,
pet foods and any avoidables which might trigger allergies.
• Explain what medications should be given and where they
are kept.
• Leave a list of activities that your children like (and
where the items can be found) for the babysitter...this will
help to keep your kids away from the TV all night.
• Remind sitter about drowning precautions such as bath
tubs, toilets and sinks. If possible, tell the babysitter to
skip giving a bath. Bathing is an extra hassle and could be
a potential danger. Have the sitter help each child wipe their
faces off with a lukewarm wash cloth to clean off any grim or
food.
• Introduce sitter to neighbors or friends you can depend
on to keep an eye on things while you are away.
• Make sure sitter knows address and phone number of your
house in the event of a call to 911.
• Discuss clearly her responsibilities
• If there are any household chores which she will perform,
demonstrate how you feel they should be done.
• Discuss what privileges you wish to extend to her such
as foods she can eat, cars she can drive, phone calls she can
make or not make.
A Great Idea...Want your babysitter
to be CPR certified? Why not flip the bill?
Most Community Centers or Hospitals offer CPR classes, if you
have a favorite babysitter that you use frequently, offer to
pay for him/her to take a CPR class. Some places also offer
free "babysitting" classes, that give ideas and tips
on taking care of young children.
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Download a Customizable Emergency Contact Sheet
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Got a pool? According to the U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission, an estimated 260 children
under five years of age drown each year in residential swimming
pools and spas. It might not be a bad idea to ask the sitter
not to allow the kids to go swimming, but accidents still
happen. Here are some tips from the Consumer Product Safety
Commission:
• Never leave a child unsupervised near a pool.
• Instruct babysitters about potential hazards to young
children in and around swimming pools and the need for constant
supervision.
• Completely fence the pool. Install self-closing and self-latching
gates. Position latches out of reach of young children. Keep
all doors and windows leading to the pool area secure to prevent
small children from getting to the pool. Effective barriers
and locks are necessary preventive measures, but there is no
substitute for supervision.
Do not consider young children "drown proof" because
they have had swimming lessons; young children should always
be watched carefully while swimming.
• Do not use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision.
• Never use a pool with its pool cover partially in place,
since children may become entrapped under it. Remove the cover
completely.
• Place tables and chairs well away from the pool fence
to prevent children from climbing into the pool area.
• Keep toys away from the pool area because a young child
playing with the toys could accidentally fall in the water.
• Remove steps to above ground pools when not in use.
• Have a telephone at poolside to avoid having to leave
children unattended in or near the pool to answer a telephone
elsewhere. Keep emergency numbers at the poolside telephone.
• Learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).
• Keep rescue equipment by the pool.
* If you have a pool, it may be a
better idea to NOT let your children swim while being babysat
UNLESS maybe the sitter is CPR certified.
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