How Do I Find The Right Babysitter For My Children?
The demands of current life, in most cases, push both parents to go out to the streets to earn a living from home. One of the biggest concerns, when the time comes and if you don’t have the support of a family member, is how to find the right babysitter for my children.
Just thinking about leaving our children with a stranger is hard to bear. At least at the beginning, we will have doubts as to whether the care and attention they will receive will be adequate. Added to this, we are always afflicted with the struggle between the dilemma of going to work or staying at home. This even generates a sense of guilt for the ‘abandonment’ in which the children are left.
If you are one of those wondering ‘how to correctly select the right babysitter for my children’, we have good news for you. Here we share some recommendations that you can follow and they will surely help you make the most appropriate choice.
Analyze your priorities
Before starting your search for the right babysitter, you need to be clear about what is really needed from her services. That is, specify what responsibilities will be assigned, such as: going to school for them, helping them with their homework, preparing meals or even taking them to extracurricular activities. Logically, you have to determine if you will be in charge full or part time.
Preliminary steps to finding the right babysitter for my children
First, survey those close to you who have children and have used the services of a babysitter. Surely your family, friends or co-workers can provide you with a reference of someone who has worked as a caregiver, or perhaps they know of someone else who can make a recommendation.
This would be an excellent option, since having positive opinions from like-minded people gives a vote of confidence and greater security when leaving our children in the hands of strangers who are not part of our family or social circle.
If no personal recommendation is received, there are agencies specialized in providing this service that can guarantee optimal fulfillment of their functions according to the requirements established by each family. Consider this alternative as well.
In the same way, if you do not have this type of company nearby, you can locate publications about it in initial education schools ; They can surely be what you are looking for and, after making the contact, you can start a rigorous selection process.
What should I know about the babysitter who will take care of my children?
The time has come to choose the person who will take care of your children in your absence and, understandably, you want to know everything you can about her. For this, the best is an interview session, in which you must be with your partner so that they can make the best decision together.
Request their curriculum summary and have it in hand, verify their credentials, experiences and references. After that review, ask the candidate a series of questions to learn more about her actions. Here are some examples:
- What prompted you to dedicate yourself to this work?
- Do you have any qualifications or courses related to childcare?
- How long have you been working as a babysitter?
- Why are you currently looking for a job?
- What is the reason your previous job ended?
- How old were the children you have cared for?
- What types of tasks and activities did you do with the children in your care?
- Do you have a course or do you have basic first aid knowledge?
- Is there any problem if I decide to communicate with the families with whom you have previously worked?
Finalize the decision
Have I found the right babysitter for my children? After studying all the edges of the desired profile and that they have fit in a person, do not doubt that that must be the selected one. When all your previous demands are covered by who will be in charge of your children, this will translate for you, in the first instance, into a deep tranquility.
Always remember that selecting a babysitter is a great first step. Then, you must deepen the communication and trust with the chosen one; the best thing is to encourage more previous encounters in which you have the first contact with the children to see their reactions.
Once at work, always talk with your children to monitor that the babysitter’s performance is ideal and that your expectations are being met. All this, obviously, for the benefit of the children and the tranquility that their well-being generates for the whole family.
