It’s date night. You need to travel for work. Your friends from college are in town. Maybe you just need to get out. Whatever the reason, it’s time to find a babysitter.
When choosing a babysitter, it’s important to pick someone who can meet your No. 1 goal as a parent: keeping your child safe. A professional babysitter will have a background check, extensive training and experience. But most of the time, babysitters are teens or young adults who are hired through the recommendations of people you know.
Here are six questions to ask when considering a babysitter for your child:
1. Are they ready to take care of a child?
State laws about how old a child needs to be before they can babysit vary but generally require someone around 12 to 13 years of age. The American Red Cross recommends that babysitters be at least 11 years old. But even if a child is old enough to babysit legally, parents need to consider their child’s level of maturity before making the decision to let them babysit.
Talking to character references can help parents decide whether a potential babysitter is ready for the responsibility. Possible character references for young babysitters could include authority figures like an instructor, athletic coach or teacher. A character reference can provide information about the potential babysitter’s personality, reliability and work ethic.
2. Do they know first aid?
Even with the best care, medical emergencies can happen. Babysitters should learn CPR, how to do the Heimlich maneuver and protocol for other crisis situations covered by first aid training. Parents should communicate to the babysitter where first aid supplies are located in their home.
3. Can they handle other types of emergencies?
A babysitter needs to know what to do if there is a non-medical emergency like a weather hazard, a potential crime or a house fire. Parents should have an emergency plan in place and share that plan with the babysitter. Make sure the babysitter has the ability to contact emergency services.
4. Are they able to provide basic child care?
Think about all the things your child will need while you’re away and create a schedule or list to share with the babysitter. Check with the babysitter to make sure they are comfortable with, and know how to do, everything on the schedule and ask them if they have any questions. This schedule might include activities like mealtimes, bathroom times and bedtimes. Be sure to note locations of specific foods or items your child might need.
Basic Care Skills:
- Correct diaper changing/bathroom hygiene practices
- Food preparation
- Conflict resolution
- Safety monitoring
- Recognition of emergency circumstances
- Adaptability to parenting style
5. Do they have the personal skills to support my child?
Patience is one of the most important skills anyone caring for children can have. Other skills that can make a good babysitter great include clear communication with parents, creativity in leading activities and being able to adapt when things don’t go according to plan.
6. Are they able to support the specific needs of my family?
If your child has a medical condition, disability or other needs a babysitter might not be familiar with, it’s important to share that information with the babysitter ahead of time so they can familiarize themselves with the care your child needs.
Parents should also share information about household pets with the babysitter, even if the babysitter won’t be providing pet care. This is important in case the babysitter is not comfortable with the pet or has an allergy.
Infant Care
Infants need to be carried, they can’t talk to tell someone what they need, they have special sleeping considerations and, sometimes, babies just cry.
For these reasons, it’s best to have experience with babysitting and education about the unique needs a baby might have.
Safe Sitter, a U.S.-based nonprofit that provides training for babysitters, recommends that babysitters have at least two years of experience with babysitting older infants and children before accepting a babysitting job for an infant who is less than 6 months old.
Even with experience babysitting older children, a babysitter will need to know additional skills to provide proper infant care.
Parents should make sure the babysitter knows how to prepare bottles and check a baby’s temperature, put the baby to sleep safely, change diapers and perform first aid.
It’s important to note that the procedures for CPR and first aid for choking are different when a child is younger than 1 year old. The American Red Cross offers an online course that covers these emergencies for children and babies.
The post What to Consider When Choosing a Babysitter appeared first on Chesapeake Family.