What do parents look for in babysitters?

Question

One of my firends wants to start babysitting and is curious to know what she can do to add to the chance of being bale to babysit. So, what do parents look for in a babysitter?

Answer 1

Be the following

~trustworthy
~Honest
~Reliable
~Good to children
~have patience

these are very important

Answer 2

I know when my kids were little things that I was looking for in a sitter were

-The sitter needs to be responsible, no being on the phone/computer, no having friends over while sitting.

-The sitter needs to like doing activities,games, etc. with the kids. No parent wants a sitter to plop their child in front of the TV the whole time they are babysitting.

-The sitter needs to be prepared for emergencies, and know procedure to follow and who to call if something happens. It is an added plus if they have gone through a babysitting course and learned CPR and the Heimlich maneuver (most communties offer a safe sitter course)

-The sitter should pick up any messes if the opportunity is available (example- when the kids have gone to bed, taking a nap, or even when done playing with certain toys)

It's an added bonus if the sitter keeps notes on things such as how much little Freddy ate at dinner, or how long of a nap Freddy took, when he woke up from his nap, etc

Bringing a bag with activities (what you bring would depend on the age of the children)

Make sure to ask mom and dad what rules to follow about snacks, bedtimes, etc.

Those are the things I had my daugher do when she got old enough to babysit. That babysitting course is really one of the best things to do to ensure a job. My daughter was so glad she took it, it teaches how to be a responsible babysitter. Hope that helps

Answer 3

Gotta tell you that my first reaction to your question was "an open calendar!".

That said, I was the primo babysitter of my neighborhood because I was popular with the kids. I PLAYED with them. I didn't treat them like dorks. TV was for after they were asleep. Most of my jobs came word of mouth-I babysat for one family and shortly afterwards, lots of other jobs.

The hardest thing actually to do was to turn down jobs so that I could have a life or when the situation was not to my liking. That's all you can do. Turn em down a couple of times and they will find someone else. If it is because of a behavioral problem, tell the parent. I had one place I wouldn't babysit for again and I told her it was because the kids would not follow my directions. Clearly, she needed to do something about discipline before inflicting them on anybody else.

I would not babysit on a night that my parents were not at home to call in an emergency. That was my mother's orders and as an adult now, I can say that it was a wise decision.

Answer 4

They should have babysitting and CPR training. I look for being a good student, well spoken, friendly but responsible, professional, good comments from other costumers, provides transpertaion for herself and sounds interested in the job. While I am interviewing her I send the kids into the playroom with her. After about 15 minutes she goes home. Then I ask the kids what they thought of the baby-sitter so if a parent does do this make sure you are nice to the children.

Answer 5

A mature responsible person. Trust is big, and yes yes yes, you have to really want to be around children, and they need to like you back! And not because as soon as the parents leave they know they can get away with anything. Babysitting is a job like any other, and directions need to be followed, and rules need to be enforced, just as if the parent were there. Hope that helps...

Answer 6

First and fore most is do the parents already know the baby sitter? When looking for work look for people you already know. If I already know you then you stand a severely superior chance. Next is experience, have they watched a child before? Do they seem smart enough to watch a kid? Some people are as dumb as a box of rocks and lack common sense so that really matters. Next is cost. To be honest parents juggle cost vs. experience. I tend to buy the sitter dinner and pay them, in turn my kids are taken care of and fed. Deciding on a "baby sitter" should be a delicate process. Your kids are yours and plan accordingly.

Answer 7

background of the person watching a child. Cleanliness. Personality, Charge, History, Talk to neighbors without the care giver around to ask questions about the person watching the children, If the care giver has children, any reports of abuse within the family(members in and out of the home).
Much, Much more, i used to work in a daycare so i have a pretty good idea.

Answer 8

well, parents want to be able to trust the babysitter with their kids. the babysitter has to be honest, trustworthy and has to love being around kids. Parents want to know that you are telling them the truth about everything. And they want to be able to trust you in their home. and no parent wants to leave their child with a person that hates kids.

Answer 9

Qualifications.....like CPR, First-Aid, babysitting course, etc.. I also looked for care of others like siblings, cousins..anyone. I would always have the prospective sitter come and meet my kids for an hour or so a couple of times before he/she sat for me to see how he/she interacted with my kids, and how my kids interacted with them.

Answer 10

We look for someone responsible, reliable, and someone who will play with the kids and not just sit around and talk on the phone. Someone trustworthy!