Babysitting Tips &
Finding a Babysitter
These babysitting tips should help in finding a babysitter and in feeling confident when you need to leave your children with a caregiver.
These are big decisions; not to be made lightly.
You want them in the best possible care in your absence.
I still remember a babysitting experience gone bad,
and I'm almost a half century old.
My sisters and I were roughly 5, 7, and 9; me in the middle. A neighbor girl, a high-schooler, watched us one summer evening. We were spot-shined, brushed and ready for bed in our matching jammies anxiously awaiting the TV sitcom, "The Brady Bunch." :)
If that was before your time, it was a wholesome family show; not like the perverted recent movie with the same name.
She wanted to watch Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds."
We, of course, were rooting for "The Brady Bunch."
She won. :(
If you've never had the privilege :) of watching "The Birds", let me explain.
The resounding theme of the movie seemed to be swarms of birds gone bad and attacking humans.
The image of a dead blond woman slumped in a corner with millions of birds pecking out her eyeballs still remains lodged in my brain -- it left an indelible mark!
I became hysterical -- crying and carrying on, and she couldn't calm me down.
In exasperation, she took me to her house, and her mother was able to calm me.
Highest priority & #1 of the Babysitting Tips:
You want to be sure your children receive the best possible care in your absence and... do not watch the movie "The Birds." :)
Hopefully, they will have some fun, but as a parent finding a babysitter; fun was never our highest criteria.
Safety played the biggest part in our decision making process.
BABYSITTING TIPS TO CONSIDER:
1. When I have a new babysitter, I like the sitter's parents to be at home -- at least for the first few times.
This way the sitter can call on them if needed. They can serve as a back-up if something gets out of control.
It can be nice to have two siblings baby-sit at first to get used to the kids and the house, and the kids get used to the sitter. Especially if the sitter is on the young side or just starting her babysitting career.
I highly recommend this babysitting tip.
2. If you have time, have the sitter come a few days in advance and watch the kids while you are there. It will give you some time to do a few projects, and you can observe how he/she interacts with your kids.
Remember to pay her for her time -- but within reason.
An aside to babysitting tips, but worth addressing:
You shouldn't have to spend a small fortune to hire a babysitter. I'm talking about the occasional babysitter, not full-time daycare here.
I just checked the babysitter rate calculator in my neighborhood
(we own a house in the states)-- if you have read other articles on this website; you know we are missionaries living in the Philippines.
If you are new to this website; well, there you have it :)
It gave $13.75/hr. for 5 kids -- I think that's just nuts!
I'm sorry, but that is just too much money -- that's more than minimum wage.
At that rate, parents will never be able to go out and have a little break.
Of course, you want the best care for your children, but let's be reasonable. Finding a babysitter shouldn't put you in the poor house.
I am convinced there are excellent babysitters out there that will care and love your children for $6/hr, maybe minimum wage and a tip for a full day.
Check with some local churches and then get referrals and meet and screen them before you use them.
Tap into a homeschool community -- they are completely "into" giving their kids a learning experience that isn't based on pay.
Believe me, I was a homeschool mom for 10 years, and they have trained their kids to be good babysitters, and the older kids have cared for their younger siblings.
It's part of the homeschool code.
Just kidding about the code part :), but it's true about homeschoolers being into "apprentice" type experiences for their kids.
If you can find a great -- and I mean super-great homeschooler who babysits -- you have found a treasure.
And he or she will do it for a reasonable price! :) Be sure to interview them and check references. Have them in your home first and observe, before you trust them with your kids.
Look at it this way:
As well as providing a service to you, the babysitter is learning great life lessons in working with children and running a household.
That is worth something to him or her, so he/she is receiving pay in the form of life experience -- and that counts for something.
It really does.
I really hope you find a great babysitter for your precious and adorable children!
Alright, I'll get off my soapbox and back to the babysitting tips :)
Babysitting tips #3: Age. Sometimes the best babysitters are between 12 - 14 years old; maybe 15.
They tend to have a greater interest in children, and their schedules aren't so full.
Once they get into high school, they become less available because of outside jobs, busy schedules and lack of interest.
Except for homeschoolers, who are usually available during their high school years.
4. Experience. It really is great if your babysitter has younger siblings he/she has helped care for -- this will teach them vital on-the-job skills.
When considering a babysitter, ask yourself:
Can he or she feed my children?
Give a bottle?
Hold a baby properly?
Manage more than one child?
Handle a crisis?
Handle it if my child cries?
How confident does he/she seem in his/her babysitting skills?
If you have observed, how confident are you in his/her babysitting skills? Don't ignore a gut feeling.
Does he/she have any formal babysitting training -- for instance, the Red Cross babysitting course?
5. What is the babysitter's response to you?
A potential babysitter needed to pass this test with flying colors before I would consider them as a sitter for my kids.
If the babysitter lives in your neighborhood, you can observe them in everyday life and get a pretty good idea about them, their friends, their language, and the way they behave, etc.
I wanted a babysitter that I knew obeyed their parents, because they would be more apt to follow the instructions I left for my kids, and I could trust what they said as truth.
Of course, there are no guarantees, but it serves as a good gauge.Does the babysitter look you in the eye when you talk?
Do they address you with respect and listen to you?
Mr. or Mrs. isn't always required if you have established a different standard, but we preferred it.
Do they seem responsive to your standards?
When you return, do they give a report as if they were really engaged?
6. What is the sitter's response to your children?
Do they like your kids?
Do they show genuine interest?
Do they have some control over the kids in terms of not letting them get too wild?
Do they seem to display patience? And understanding with the kids?
Do they seem to know how to play with the kids? And not just stick them in front of the TV.7. What's their appearance or demeanor?
I hate to have to talk about this, but their appearance and demeanor gives a glimpse into their soul and what may be happening in their life.
Do they wear heavy make-up or is a guy wearing make-up?
All black clothing?
Cross-dresser?
Immodest dress?
Have earphones attached to their head while they are talking to you?
You will be the judge of these factors and ultimately the final say on what is acceptable to you.
Babysitting tips #8. Is the house a complete disaster when you get home?
Are the kids in bed or still up?
Of course, this depends on the time of day he or she is babysitting.
I struggled if I came home to a complete mess -- I felt as though some general pick up was easy for the babysitter to do.
I didn't worry so much if the kids were up since we never stayed out much past nine, but again, you will be the judge of the fudge-factor on guidelines.
Here's to hoping these babysitting tips give you confidence in choosing the best possible sitter for your precious kids.
To the journey,
Julie
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