Raising a baby is a tough task. Finding someone else to help you with it is even tougher! Trusting a random stranger with the care of your babies is one of the most crucial decisions you will have to make in your parenting experience.
There are so many factors that you need to consider before making the decision that will potentially have a long-lasting impact on your child’s future. The babysitter you choose for your baby has to fully meet your requirements as well as be qualified enough to provide your child with the care and love he\she deserves. Here a few steps you can take in order to make sure that you choose the most appropriate babysitter that best suits yours and your baby’s needs.
“Raising children uses every bit of your being your heart, your time, your patience, your foresight, your intuition to protect them, and you have to use all of this while trying to figure out how to discipline them.”
Nicole Ari Parker
1. Write Down Your Requirements
While deciding on a babysitter, there are a lot of factors that you need to consider. From their age, availability, special requirements to your own budget; the list is never ending. As humans, we have the potential to forget and overlook many factors while choosing someone for a job and then regretting it later.
Therefore, it is advised that before beginning your search, you write down all of your requirements and shortlist them so that you can look for potential candidates while keeping these in mind. Additionally, you can write down a few interview questions that you might want to ask the candidates that can help you get to know them better and to judge who is the right choice.
2. Ask Around
Before beginning your search through official companies or on the internet, you can always ask around from friends and family for suggestions of anyone they have or have had as a babysitter. First person experiences are always more reliable than a company that is looking to earn a commission or candidates who are marketing themselves.
Your neighbors are a good place to start as they would have information about the most affordable and reliable babysitters in your local area. However, in order to regard an account by a friend, family member or neighbor as trustworthy, you need to make sure that they are not giving you false or unclear information just for the sake of conversation.
3. Do Not Lag on The Screening Process
Needless to say, this is one of the most important decisions you will make for your child and it is important for you to be careful every step of the way. Once you have shortlisted candidates, you should never lag on the screening process. This means that you need to make sure to actually call up any and all of the references provided in the resumes.
Another precautionary step you can take is to have a probation period for whoever you hire. This will not cost you any money but will let you know exactly what the capabilities of the potential babysitter are and can greatly help you make an informed choice.
