Picking a baby sitter
"I am going to be needing a baby sitter before long and I've never interviewed one before. I would like to hear how other parents go about finding and then determining whether a baby sitter is knowledgeable and trustworthy. It seems so hard to know."
"Recommendations from other parents! I ask parents I know and respect for the names of sitters they use. One mother only told me on condition that I wouldn't give the sitter's name to anyone else. Good baby sitters are hard to find."
"In my experience with looking for a family day care provider, I found that with just talking with the provider, if I felt that they were real friendly, I was comfortable that they would be good for my kids. In other words, go with your gut feeling but always get references just to make sure."
"If you're going to use a day care provider or center, check it out before you actually leave your child there. Look at what types of toys they have and what kind of play area there is. Ask the provider what he or she likes most about taking care of kids (beware of short answers). Look at her/his personal cleanliness. Look at where the child will sleep. Find out about planned activities or outings. Be sure and check out the safety measures (gates, safety caps on electrical outlets, carpets, outside play area, etc. Remember that `licensed' day care doesn't always mean better."
"Get names from friends whose judgement you trust. You can also call local church youth programs because some have lists available. Get references and call for their opinions. Whenever you use a sitter, make sure to check on the kids (even if sleeping) and check how the sitter left clothes, food, etc., before taking him/her home. You can help train them or help them know expectations immediately."
"References! References! References!"
"I would say the best way to find a baby sitter is by word of mouth from friends. Have a list of questions and concerns written down to ask the baby sitter. If they measure up to your standards then try them out."
"I'm a single parent of twin girls who are now 18 months old. The babies were very young (7 weeks) when I needed to return to work so I didn't want to settle for just `any old one' for my day care provider. I prepared a form letter to jot down answers to the many questions I had for the actual interview. Questions like: Price range; Paid holidays/vacations; Location; If she became ill, would there be a back-up person; How many children were present in the home, etc? This way I could study and/or screen the letters later on. Actually, upon interviewing I could tell who I would be interested in and who I wouldn't be. I also placed an ad in the local newspaper and after screening many phone calls (some responses were outrageous!) I narrowed the interviews down to less than a dozen. I set up the appointments with the twins present - that way I could see the interaction of the babies with her. The interviews were done in the prospective person's home. I could witness if the person was clean and healthy, if she was a smoker, had animals around, etc. I checked out her credentials, always asking for references. There was no way I would consider anyone without references. I was really lucky for I found a previous child care instructor who wanted to care for a limit of 3 children. The search was very time consuming and very stressful going through all the screening but it was well worth it! Please, please don't settle for just anyone. A young mother who lives below my apartment babysits for children, and I hear constant screaming every day. This person is very pleasant, attractive, and likeable to your face, but once the door is closed she's a very unhappy and different person. Her house is spotless but she loses control when one item gets out of place and when a child wets its pants. She has 10 to 12 children of all ages in a small apartment? What kind of activities could you plan for so many different ages in such a small place. No one would ever believe this! Decent, professional parents are leaving their young ones in her care. Didn't they check references? She's always advertising (watch for same phone numbers in the paper). Please consider all of the above. Talk to other parents, make unexpected visits and talk to your children about how their day goes. By the way, after selecting my day care provider and using her for four months, I quit my job of 4 years and decided to stay home and be with my daughters. I have no regrets!"
( What advice would you most like to give about experiencing life with a new baby?"
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