Looking for babysitters right now is
harder than ever. Dawn Jorgenson spoke to experts in the field to
put together a list of key concerns, plus a suggested list of questions parents
should ask prospective babysitters during an initial phone interview.
If the person you are considering
hiring is someone who has come as a recommendation by a friend, or even if it’s
a neighbor, you’ll still want to chat about all the must-know information about
your children, including house rules and discipline.
Eight basic questions to ask during
an interview for a babysitter:
1. How
long have you been babysitting?
2. Could
you be available on short notice?
3. Do
you have reliable transportation?
4. Do
you have experience caring for children of XX age?
5. What
are some activities you enjoy doing with kids?
6. How
comfortable are you enforcing house rules?
7. How
do you usually deal with behavioral issues?
8. This
is a screen-free/sugar-free/dairy-free/pet-friendly/non-smoking/etc. home. Are
you comfortable with that?
If you’ve never met a candidate
before this process, Jorgenson adds, you’ll want to do a more thorough
interview, which includes arming yourself with a list of things that are important
to you, and making sure to ask specific questions about those things. You’ll
also want to get more details about the babysitter’s skills and experiences, as
well as what kind of job they are looking for.
More
questions that uncover more about the babysitter’s background:
1. What
do you love about babysitting?
2. What
do you look for in an employer?
3. What
do you find most challenging about caring for children?
4. Have
you taken any childcare or safety classes?
5. If
so, do you have copies of your certifications you can provide?
6. Are
you willing to submit a background check??
If you already know what days and
hours you’re looking to fill, explain what this would look like, and write down
some questions that will be specific to the kind of care you expect for your
children, including things like allergies, pets, special health needs and house
rules. Create a potential situation that could arise and then ask them how
they’d handle it.
Finally, if you’re nearing the end
of your phone interview and your candidate has acted or said one of the
following things, you may want to reconsider the hire:
1. They
forgot about the interview altogether.
2. They
don’t return calls or emails to schedule the interview in a timely manner.
3. If
an in-person interview, they show up late.
4. They
speak negatively about past clients or children they’ve cared for.
5. They
seem unwilling to perform basic functions of the job.
6. They
seem distracted or unenthusiastic.
7. Take the time and choose your
babysitter with care.