THE MORE YOU KNOW…
Ideally, your babysitter should be someone over the age of sixteen that you know and trust. While many parents think it is fine to book a sitter that is younger than sixteen, it is really most advisable that you make sixteen your starting point. You don’t want to entrust your child to someone that is really still a child herself. Also, you may want to narrow your search to sitters with a driver’s license (not everyone gets their license right at the age of sixteen). That way, you will not have to worry about your sitter needing to find transportation to and from your place. As a single parent, you aren’t going to be able to drive your sitter home yourself (without having to haul the kids along, which you won’t want to do, especially if you get home after their bedtime). It is helpful to hire someone that you have some sort of a personal relationship with because you will feel more relaxed and confident in someone that you know is reliable, mature, and honest. Consider any family members that are in the area, like an older niece or nephew, or a neighborhood teenager that you know well. Maybe one of your friends has an older child that could be your babysitter. If you can’t come up with anyone on your own, ask your friends, family, and co-workers for suggestions. If someone that you trust can vouch for the abilities of a babysitter, that is better than just calling someone who you have no information about whatsoever.
ASK QUESTIONS
Even if you know your prospective babysitter very well, you should still ask as many questions as you feel you have to in order to feel comfortable leaving your children with this person. You shouldn’t feel like you are being too intrusive by asking lots of questions. After all, you are raising a child on your own; you have every right to be concerned and even overprotective about the wellbeing of your child or children. Ask the potential babysitter what type of experience he or she has had, and feel free to ask for specifics. Ask if he or she has infant and child CPR certification. If not, you might ask if he or she would be willing to get certified, at your expense. CPR certification is a great qualification that you should look for in a babysitter because it will help to put your mind at ease. If you have to pay to get the sitter of your choice certified, it will be worth it, and your sitter will be very grateful that you provided him or her with such a valuable skill. Keep in mind that sometimes hospitals will offer free certification – check around if you are going to get your sitter certified. You should also find out how old the children that your potential sitter has watched in the past were. If you are looking for someone to care for an infant, you don’t want to choose a sitter who has only had experience with school-aged children. Caring for a little baby is so much different than caring for a toddler or a school-aged child, and chances are, you don’t want your kid to be the sitter’s guinea pig, even if they have the best of intentions.
HAVE A TRIAL RUN
When it comes to your kids, you are always better safe than sorry. While you may feel that having a trial run with your new sitter is somewhat over the top, it really isn’t. First off, it will be good for you kid and good for your kids as well. They will have the opportunity to meet the new sitter without having to say goodbye to you. Therefore, they will inevitably feel more comfortable when they see the sitter again. You will be able to see the interaction between the sitter and your children. You will be able to observe the tone of voice that the sitter uses, and you will be able to see how the sitter handles your children. Clearly, you will have to pay the sitter the regular rate for the trial run, but you will be much more confident in your decision if you have had the opportunity to watch the sitter in action.
TRUST YOUR GUT INSTINCT
Regardless of the recommendations and qualifications that a sitter may have, you should always trust your gut instincts. If you have a bad feeling about someone, don’t hire that person. If you hurt someone’s feelings, so be it. Your top priorities should be the safety and happiness of your children, and nobody has the right to fault you for that. As a single parent, you have certainly learned to depend and rely on your instincts when it comes to raising your children, and that should extend to choosing your sitter. If you have your doubts, keep looking.
