Questions to ask babysitter?

Question

Our kids are only 3 and 4. They usually have grandparents babysit them but this time they have to have a sitter they have never had before. They have only been babysat by people other than family about 4 or 5 times. I have never had this girl babysit. Should I tell her no boys over or should I assume she already knows this. Should I ask her what kind of food and drink she likes so she can have it while she is over. I know she has experience. She is coming over today to meet my boys. Friday is when she will be babysitting. I'm so inexperienced in this I'm just wondering what to ask, and I want her to enjoy babysitting for them too.

Answer 1

Ask her what her other sitting jobs have been like. How many kids, what roles were expected of her, did she have to cook dinner?, give baths?, tuck into bed? These may give you hints about how experienced she actually is.

If she seems to have a lot of sitting jobs under her belt you may not need to say the 'no boys' thing. But above all, remember that these are your children, and you are the rule maker. If you want to remind her 'no boys' then do it, don't worry about how she will react. You want to make sure that your children are being taken care of by a good role model.

If you would like, make sure she realizes that she is welcome to the snacks or drinks around. This will help her feel more comfortable in your home and with your children. It could also lead into asking what types of things she likes if you want to have these on hand as well.

Make sure she is aware of your boys' routines for the time period she is sitting. Does one love to play outside while the other would rather color? She should know if one is allergic to peas and the other hates bedtime stories.

Also, be sure your contact information and emergency phone numbers are posted where they are easily accessible. On a note by the phone or on the refrigerator is a good place for these. It's a good idea to post a friendly neighbor's name and number if you have one, and let that neighbor know that someone is sitting your kids and that you gave the sitter his/her number in case something happens. Also post the number for your children's doctor, as well as the local poison control center. And post your physical address.

A good rule of thumb is to think that if something would happen to your boys, what steps would you take? Would you call their grandparents? If yes, then post that phone number. Would you call other family members? If yes then post that number. It is better to overload the sitter with information than for her to need it and it is not available.

Good luck, and have a great time out without the boys!

Answer 2

You are going to have this girl watch over your children and she can't do that if she has a distraction such as a boyfriend ,,,, It's ok to stock the frig and have snacks but I would strongly suggest that before you have anyone you don't know or know well enough watch your children that you have them come to your house so you can get acquainted ,,,, Boyfriends aren't the only danger your children could be exposed to ,,,, Child molestation has been reported allot of times and the perpetrator was the baby sitter ,,,, You might give that some thought ,,,, Anyone you are exposing your children to that you don't know that well is a potential risk ,,,, Do what you want but remember it's your children that have to live with your decision too ,,,, Use the time you have to investigate this girl and see who else she's sat for and what their opinions are ,,,, These are your children we are talking about here so do some research before you make a final decision ,,,, Like I said it's your children that have to live with what you decide ,,,,

Answer 3

I'd start first by asking her if she is licensed.If so, then I would ask her if she knows how to perform CPR in case something happened.I'd also ask her if she has any references like present and previous customers you could talk to.Telling her what the kids like and what they don't or what they are allergic to is a good idea.Is it a teenage girl?If that is the case I would also make sure that she is responsible and capable of handling emergency situations.I am having the same problem.My family are the only ones who have ever babysat for me.I've decided to wait until my child is a year old to get back into the job force.I dread the day when I have to go back and find him a babysitter.Good Luck.

Answer 4

The main things you should make sure she has are emergency numbers, like poison control, fire department, police etc. You never know what could go wrong when you're not there. You should also make sure she knows how to contact you while you're out in case she has any questions or concerns and what time you think you'll be home around. Buying extra things for her to munch on isn't necessary, but it's a nice thought if you'd like to. Most experienced sitters know the basic house rules about not having company over etc. but you might want to go over some of your expectations so they know what you're excepting of the them. For an example bed times, medicines, alergies etc. I hope this helps.

Answer 5

I would tell her the house rules that you want followed when you will not be there... so yes I would say no boys over, tell her any phone restrictions you have, any television restrictions you have, what she can eat and what she can't, make sure you tell her if you want her restricted from some rooms, i don't know how long she is babysitting for and what times, but tell her about the rituals your kids have, play time, snack time, dinner time, bed time, bath time. Make sure she knows what to do in an emergency... if she knows cpr and other first aid tactics, It is nice to have something there that she will be able to eat and drink if she will be there for awhile, or just ask her to bring something for herself, make sure she knows the kids allergies and what they are allowed to eat and what they are not allowed to eat, just normal stuff that a stranger wouldn't know about your lifestyle. Hope this helps gl

Answer 6

you're no longer a enterprise, you're no longer an equivalent probability enterprise. you may hire whoever you sense maximum gentle with and you ought to no longer sense accountable approximately it. those are your little ones, you have that ideal. How plenty experience a babysitter has is the incorrect question... you ought to ask how plenty experience she has with little ones your newborn's age. If she has babysat for 10 years... yet purely for older little ones... that does you no good. i might look at how she interacts with your newborn and how gentle she feels around your daughter. ascertain she knows the job is to play with your newborn, to no longer purely sit down at your residence and play on her cellular telephone. Ask how plenty be conscious she needs to babysit, how busy she often is, etc. the proper sitter is ineffective if she isn't available. Ask if she has taken a newborn cpr type contained in the previous 5 years.... cpr does not substitute that plenty, if she has taken the class and her certification has expired i do no longer think of that would desire to be a super turn off..

Answer 7

I would make sure to tell her any house rules you have, dont assume she knows. Like if you don't want her using the phone, having friends over ect...she needs to be told. I would ask her what drinks she likes, very nice gesture to allow her a snack/drink. :-) She would probably appreciate it. Also i would make sure she knows if there are any TV programs your children arent allowed to watch. Depending on how long she watches your children, tell her of their potty routine, do they need help with it ect.....if they are potty trained. Also if they will need a nap and when. Ask her about who she has babysat for, can you call and ask how she is with other peoples children? I'm sure it will all work out great and the kids will probably have fun. Maybe tell her of activities she can do with the kids, such as coloring with them, play-dough, things like that. Good luck!!

Answer 8

Ask her anything that you want to know about how she would deal with your boys or emergencies and also as for the rules of your home just tell her and say something like this is the way i like to have things done here so I thought I'd go over them with you. As for asking her what she likes to eat and drink that is a very nice thing to do and she will appreciate that, but if she likes pop and you don't let your boys drink pop your boys might get mad that she's getting it and not them.

Answer 9

I'm a babysitter and families always tell me there boundaries and expectations before I start working for them. I would tell her your boundaries and expectations because she will be working FOR you. Some families ask what food and drink I like, but mostly they just tell me to help myself to what they already have. I never expect a family to go out of there way to get me food or drink. Good luck!

Answer 10

It really depends on what age she is. I f she is youunger (14 or 15) than you probobly shouldnt have to telll her about thet rule. You should make sure that she is red cross certified to babysit and that she has some experience taking care of more than one child at a time.