What To Expect From Your Babysitter

Looking for a babysitter is a big job for parents, especially those who are very picky when it comes to who they leave their kids with. Parents who are overprotective may find it more difficult to screen babysitters, and who can blame them? There are so many evils in the world today and you really don’t want to haphazardly choose a sitter. Although you know it’s impossible for you to stay beside them twenty-four hours a day, it is still your responsibility to keep them safe. And, one way to do this is to pick your babysitter well.

If you have children at different age levels, you’re going to have to hire a sitter who knows how to provide individual care each child. It is important that the babysitter knows how to handle several kids at the same time. But the question is, what do you really expect from your sitter? Are you looking for someone who just needs to serve food and change nappies? Or, are you looking for a babysitter who can also be a tutor to your toddler?

Here are some more points to consider when looking to hire a babysitter…

1. Your babysitter should know her duties.

Delineate how many hours you will be away so that your sitter will know which activities she can do with the kids during that time. Is it her duty to supervise the kids while they color or do their homework? You have to list down all the tasks you need done while you’re away. Your sitter might charge extra if the tasks involve extra activities like cooking or cleaning the house.

2. Extra Skills and Duties

Before you hire a babysitter, make sure you tell the applicant that you expect her to cook, clean or bathe the kids. Sometimes, this isn’t needed and the babysitter will just do these things without your instructions. But most sitters will wait for your go signal before entering your kitchen and touching the food inside your refrigerator.

To avoid confusion, pin or tack the menu for the day on the wall by the refrigerator. Tell your sitter about your children’s food preferences, allergies and the like. Prepare the ingredients and put them in containers inside the refrigerator. Label them with instructions so that your sitter knows what’s for lunch and what’s for dinner. If you have the time, show the sitter how to prepare meals so that you can rest assured that your kids are eating right.

A little bit of cleaning is important if you don’t want to come home to a pigsty. Make sure your sitter knows this so that she can clean up the mess before you get home. Now, don’t expect your sitter to do heavy work like dusting, vacuuming, and moping. It’s enough for her to be able to fold the dirty clothes and put the toys away after playtime. Tell her to do the dishes, put away leftovers and wipe off the stove and the counter.

3. Schedule and Routines

If you’re frequently on call, make sure your sitter knows about the nature of your job when you hire her. Then there is the topic of availability. If you work very long hours and you only have one day off work to care for your kids, hire a regular sitter to watch your kids. If you only need her to watch your kids for two hours, tell her.

Every family is different in terms of schedule. Sometimes, it’s difficult to find an individual who can adjust her own routine with your schedule, so it’s great when you find someone who is willing to work with you. Your babysitter has to be understanding and patient enough to adapt to your routines.