Finding the Perfect Babysitter

Everyone needs a break from the children. I know my wife and I like to go out on weekly dates and spend some time together without our two children. It gives us a chance to connect and energize ourselves to resume our parental responsibilities. Finding a good babysitter was important for the both of us. We didn't want any old Mo Joe off the streets to watch our precious children. We learned from our own experience how to go about in finding the perfect babysitter. The following suggestions helped us and I think will help any parent who is in search for that perfect babysitter.

Ask people you know for recommendations. You may know of some parents who frequently use a babysitter that they can recommend. They can till you what they like and dislike about the babysitter. They can also tell you what their children think about the babysitter. This will give you some idea before you decide to meet the babysitter. Other sources are schools, churches and day care centers.

Interview the babysitter. This will be your opportunity to get to know the babysitter. Some questions you can ask are "How much experience do they have babysitting? What age groups did they work with? What is their educational experience? Can they give you some names of references? Do they have any health conditions?" Have a list of questions ready to ask so you won't forget anything. In addition give the potential babysitter some situational questions to see what they would do if something serious happened. Some questions you can ask are "What would you do if the house was on fire? What would you do if one of the children were choking?" These are all important questions that will help you determine who would be able to take care of your children.