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Key Questions to Ask a Potential Babysitter
by Susan E. Davis
reviewed by Connie Harvey
Once you've lined up a few likely candidates for the extremely important job of babysitting your children, it's a good idea to set up an interview with each one. Here are some questions to get the ball rolling and help you bring up some key concerns: - How long have you been babysitting?
- Do you have any experience babysitting children my child's age?
- What do you like to do with them to keep them amused?
- How do you soothe a crying infant (or an angry toddler)?
- What's the best way to put a baby down to sleep? (Make sure that the sitter knows to place an infant on her back to sleep, never on her stomach or side.)
- Have you taken any babysitting or first-aid courses?
- Have you ever given children my child's age a bath? (Make sure that the sitter knows to never leave a child alone in or near a filled bathtub for even a minute.)
- If the sitter is old enough to drive and will be transporting your child: What kind of car do you have and what is your driving record like? (You may want to double-check this with the sitter's parents.) Make sure that the sitter knows how to install and use your child's car seat.
- If you have a pool: Can you swim? Do you know what to do in a drowning emergency? (Make sure that the sitter knows to never leave a child alone near a pool)
- If you have pets: Are you allergic to any animals? Are you comfortable around dogs (or cats, boa constrictors, birds, lizards, whatever)?
- If she's a young sitter: Do you live nearby, and will your parents be home to help if a problem arises?
- If she'll be serving your children a meal: Can you cook? (If the answer is no and you still like the sitter, microwave dinners or take-out pizza might be the way to go.)
- Will you drive yourself to our home, or do you need to be picked up or dropped off? (Again, not a deal breaker, but it's nice to know if you have to factor extra driving time into your evening.)
- What do you expect to be paid? (Do a little research ahead of time so you know what the going rate in your area is.) Do you prefer cash or a check?
- Can you provide me with a couple of references from former or current babysitting clients?
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Created May 07, 2001
Reviewed May 10, 2001
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