Maybe it’s a dinner meeting or a night at the movies. Perhaps it’s just a “date” with your spouse or a visit with other adults. No matter what the reason, parents and children can both benefit from a little time away from each other — as long as everyone is secure and comfortable with whoever is watching the kids. And while trusted friends or family members are often your first choice for sitters, they aren’t always available. Inevitably you’ll need to rely on someone else.

Finding a Sitter Who Fits

The best time to find a sitter for your children is long before you actually need one. It takes time and a bit of effort to find a qualified sitter you like and trust, but your reward for having one — or even a few different ones — is the comfort and assurance that you’ve left your child in capable hands.

Just like finding a doctor or a job, the key to finding a good babysitter is net-working. Tell everyone you know that you are looking for a responsible sitter. Talk to friends, neighbors and other parents to get their recommendations. Inquire at local high schools, colleges and nursing schools. Read the bulletin boards at those places where families tend to go, such as churches, coffee shops, supermarkets or the local YMCA. If your child is in day care or preschool, see if any of the junior people on staff are interested in additional work.

There’s no perfect age for a babysitter, but if you’re looking for a neighborhood youth to provide occasional child care, you’ll probably want one who is between 13 and 15 years old. Sitters in this age group are often mature enough to be responsible and are still excited about the prospect of babysitting. They also don’t have the busy social life and distractions that older teenagers often do.

Once you’ve compiled a short list of potential sitters, make it a point to talk to each one (and their parents as well). You’ll learn a lot about their capabilities, maturity and attitude by bringing them into your home to meet you and your children. When you do sit down with a potential sitter face-to-face, treat the discussion as seriously as you would a job interview — and expect him or her to do the same.

Be sure to consider the following:

Experience: Not only do you want your sitter to be experienced, but you’d like her to also have experience with children near the same age as yours so she’ll know how to interact with, entertain and care for yours.

Level headedness: Emergencies require a level head, and you want a calm sitter when it comes to your child’s safety. Find out how well she thinks on her feet by asking some “what if” questions such as: “What would you do if the smoke detector goes off?”

Training: Many communities offer babysitting training courses as well as first aid and CPR classes that help sitters learn the basics. Inquire if your sitter has had training or offer to pay for the class if they are willing to enroll.

Patience, responsibility and maturity: Assess these qualities by checking references and asking specific questions of the parents who’ve hired her to babysit before. Questions such as “How did she handle stressful situations?” or “Did she arrive on time?” will provide tremendous insight into the sitter’s capabilities.

Comfort Level: Take a “test drive.” Invite the potential sitter over while you are home and see how she interacts with your children and how comfortable your children are with the sitter.

Cover All the Bases

Once you’ve found a sitter you trust to properly care for your kids, your job is not yet over. To ensure the sitter is prepared, familiarize him or her with your home, specifics about your children and emergency information. Leave detailed instructions in plain sight and be sure it includes the following:

• your names and how to reach you, including cell phone or pager numbers

• your home address (including intersections and directions to the home in case they need to give directions to emergency services) and home telephone number

• name and phone numbers of several neighbors or close relatives

• emergency services number (usually 9-1-1)

• nationwide poison control hotline

• name and phone number of family doctor or pediatrician

• location of first aid supplies, fire extinguisher and flashlights

• house rules, including appropriate movies and television shows

• feeding schedules and bottle/food preparation for infants

• children’s bedtime routines and bedtimes

• food and drug allergies and any special medical information

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©Copyright 2009, Big Y Foods, Inc., Springfield, MA, (413) 784.0600
Artwork is for display purposes only and does not necessarily reflect specific items. Not responsible for typographical errors.