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How to Choose a Babysitter

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As much as you may want to, you likely will not be able to spend every waking moment with your child. This may mean hiring a babysitter to fill in from time to time. But how to choose the perfect one? Here are some tips to find a good babysitter:

  1. Ask around. Your friends, neighbors, co-workers, or pediatrician may have recommendations or know someone looking for work.
  2. Check your local YMCA, Red Cross, hospital, or library. They may have a list of babysitters that have recently completed their safety and CPR course who are looking for work.
  3. If your child is already in a daycare program, see if any of the workers there are looking to babysit on their time off.  
  4. Look online. There are many websites like Care.com that prescreen applicants and will have listings of babysitters near you.

Once you have found a good potential fit, it is good to interview them and spend some time with them and your child first. Some important questions to ask include:

  1. What experience do you have in babysitting?
  2. Are you infant and child CPR certified?
  3. Have you taken a babysitter course?
  4. If you have a pet, how do they feel about them?

Ask for references and call those references. When spending some time with the babysitter and your child, watch to see how they interact. Does your child act normally around them? Does your child like them? Are they both comfortable? As always, follow your gut. If your gut says something is off, look for another babysitter.

Looking for a babysitter can be stressful, but you can do this! There are many good people out there who will care for your child in your absence, you just need to look, be smart, and follow your instincts!