It’s ironic, you know… Many people ask few babysitter interview questions – yet when they want to buy a new washing machine, the salesperson has to answer a list of questions….
Is this not EXACTLY the wrong way round ? Your child’s life is at stake here…
If you spend an hour making a decision on an appliance purchase, and a few minutes asking babysitter interview questions, how much do you REALLY care about your child ?
Sorry if it comes across as blunt. The fact that you are here actually shows you DO care about the welfare of your child / baby / toddler. And there are occasions where new babysitters are referred to you by someone you know, and who has used their services, and you can be forgiven for trusting a responsible person’s opinion.
The fact still remains – your child’s welfare, and possibly his or her life, can be at stake here. Not only due to neglect, or a lack of understanding, but also due to a “mismatch”. While it is good to have a “strict” babysitter, your child should still be comfortable enough to approach her in case of need.
The list of babysitter interview questions are just half of what you need to ascertain – the rest you will have to entrust to your intuition.
So let’s get down to business:
Once you located a potential babysitter, SCHEDULE an interview. Don’t leave it until she arrives half an hour before you leave for a function…
What if you don’t trust her ? What then ? Will you cancel your evening ? Or will you just get in your car, and worry the whole night while you are out ? What if you come home and something is wrong…..
NOT AN OPTION. SCHEDULE the interview – in good time. Ideally, the first time around should be without your child being present. The child’s interaction with the new “friend” is likely to be a distraction – and may let you lose focus of the questions you really wanted to ask. Only AFTER she passed your screening, can you allow her to meet your child or children – and see how they react to one another. Once again, this has to be done BEFORE you schedule any babysitting session.
Here are some babysitter interview questions – you will probably add some more of your own as you go along:
It is advised to start with the less “formal” questions first – for a more relaxed atmosphere. Remember, if the person is more relaxed, it will be easier to detect a lie…
What do you like, and dislike about taking care of kids ?
What activities do you enjoy most (and least) with children ?
Have you ever had to deal with problems, or “problem kids” ? And how ?
How do you like to keep yourself busy while the child is sleeping ?
Up to this point, it is basically “small talk” – the real babysitter interview questions list start here….(you could add some more to just have her become comfortable with you – it depends on the situation and the person)
What previous experience have you had with childcare ?
What were the ages of the children entrusted to you ?
What is your approach to discipline ?
How do you enforce rules ?
Do you have some contactable references ?
Have you had any training to become a babysitter ?
Are you a certified babysitter ?
Did you ever have to deal with an emergency situation ?
How would you respond if a child was choking ?
How would you respond in case of fire ?
This is NOT the ultimate list of babysitter interview questions – but it is a good start. Do take the time to do some background checking. And do get some feedback from your kid(s) after the first night out – just to be sure you made the right choice. Keep in mind that it is not only a question of WHAT she does – but also HOW she does it.
It’s a crucial choice. Spend some time and make a good one.
