Signs of a Bad Babysitter

There are great babysitters and there are bad baby sitters. This article is all about how to spot the bad seeds so that you don’t risk the safety of your kids by letting someone who may be harmful stay with them.

You know how people put on a good front when they’re talking to you but do the opposite as soon as you turn your back? This happens frequently. But there are telltale signs that your babysitter is not doing her job well. Here are some of them…

Seven Signs That You Hired a Bad Babysitter

1. She doesn’t show up on time.

Being late consistently is not a good sign. You can make allowances for the first few times it happens, but if your sitter is not punctual, you’re going to have to deal with the inconvenience of explaining to your boss why YOU were late.

Being punctual is one of the best ways a person can prove she’s responsible. It means she knows how valuable your time is, and that she has an obligation to help you get to the office on time. If your sitter is habitually late, she may not be as responsible as she claims.

2. Your child does not like her.

Your child is a mirror of how good the sitter is. A happy child means the sitter is great at what she does. If your child looks scared the moment you mention the sitter’s name, something might be off. Babysitters should be lovable, or at the very least, they should maintain a civil relationship with your kids.

3. Your sitter hardly talks about what she does around the house when you’re not around.

Every working parent wants an update every once in a while. If your babysitter refuses to talk about her day with your kids, you have to take notice. If your sitter avoids telling you about her day in your home, maybe there’s an issue she doesn’t want to bring up.

4. Failing to Do the Tasks

Being a working parent, you don’t want to come home and find out that the dishes have piled up, there’s clutter everywhere and the baby has not been bathed.

If you left a list of task to be done, make sure your babysitter does them. If the list is too long, maybe you can forgive her for prioritizing the important tasks and not doing the other less important ones. However, she should at least do what you’re paying her to do… to take care of your children’s needs. If your sitter insists on doing her own thing and ignores your list, you should consider hiring someone else.

5. Frequent Accidents

Accidents do happen, but if they happen all the time, something’s up. You should install a hidden camera (also called nanny cameras) if you want to find out if accidents really are accidents. Watching your child is a nanny’s responsibility. If she spends her day chatting on the phone while you’re not around, she may have forgotten what she’s there for.

A conscientious babysitter is difficult to find, but there are a lot of them out there. If your current sitter is not doing her job well, don’t hesitate to replace her.