As a parent, it’s important that you’re able to take a break for your responsibility of full-time caregiver every once in a while. But in order for you to feel comfortable in doing this, you need to have a babysitter that you can trust. However, this task can often be harder to accomplish than you might hope. Luckily, there are quite a few things you can do and strategies you can employ to help make this challenge a little easier. To show you how this can be done, here are three tips for finding a trustworthy babysitter to watch your children for you.
Start With People You Know Or Get Recommendations For
According to Leah Rocketto, a contributor to The Bump, one of the best places you start on your search for a trustworthy babysitter is with people you already know or people who’ve been recommended to you by someone that you know. Try speaking with your friends, family members, coworkers, community members, and others to see if they’d be interested in babysitting your kids or if they know of a trustworthy babysitter that they’d recommend. Additionally, you could also ask people like your child’s daycare teacher or those who might watch your child at a gym or other childcare facility to see if they’d be interested in watching your child at your home on occasion, as you and your child will likely already have some kind of rapport with this person.
Always Check Their References
Once you think you’ve found someone that you’d like to watch your kids for you, you should still do a bit of homework about this person before you just leave your children alone with him or her. According to Robin McClure, a contributor to Very Well Family, it’s wise to always ask for and check references for any babysitter you’re considering working with. Ask these references questions regarding how long they’ve used this sitter, if they’d recommend them to other families, and if they’ve ever had any problems with them, either regarding their children or just with the sitter personally.
Do A Dry Run Before You Leave Your Kids
To ensure that you’ve made a smart choice with the babysitter you’re planning on using for your children, Rosemary Black, a contributor to Parents.com, suggests doing a little dry run with the sitter before you leave your kids alone with him or her. By having the babysitter over to your home before you plan to leave, you’ll be able to show the sitter how your home functions, introduce the sitter to your kids, and see how your children respond to having this person around.
If you’re wanting to spend some time away from your kids but don’t have someone you can trust to watch them while you’re gone, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you find a trustworthy babysitter whom you can depend on.
