I’m the first to admit it: I’m a bit of a control freak. I like things to be arranged a certain way in my home, I thrive on completing a task on time, and I find it difficult to delegate. But parenthood flipped a switch that made me realize I had to loosen the reigns if I was ever going to maintain my sanity. So, I asked for help from family members who were willing to hang with my little gal while I was busy. But they weren’t always available and I wondered: how do you find a good babysitter?
"When it comes to finding a babysitter, this means asking for references, doing an interview, checking their background ,and seeing how the babysitter interacts with your child or children," says Candi Wingate, president of Care4Hire, in an email interview with Romper. "Ask what experience your babysitter has had and whether she has any experience with a child in the same age group as yours."
Dr. Shefali Tsabary, a clinical psychologist and author of The Conscious Parent, suggests that you consider good old-fashioned word of mouth to learn more about a potential caregiver.
"The more you can get personal references, the more assured you can be about the qualities of the person you are hiring," she says in an email interview with Romper.
Wingate says it’s also important to ask whether or not a potential sitter has had CPR training and is familiar with what to do in case of an emergency involving your child. Be sure to also ask for references and ask about the type of philosophy they have about taking care of children.
Jill Simonian, creator of The Fab Mom and Parenting Lifestyle Expert for CBS Los Angeles News, says a parent should also ask about social media usage.
"Find out how involved, interested, and/or addicted your future sitter is when it comes to checking apps, taking pictures, posting online, scrolling Facebook and more," Simonian tells Romper in an email interview. "You might have to get creative to find out by checking the candidate's social feeds, but the last thing you want to accidentally happen is for your baby to roll off a couch because your sitter was consumed with 'liking' on Instagram."
But most of all, take heart. Experts say that babysitters can not only makes us better mothers, but our children more well-rounded tiny humans.
And that’s something I can attest to. Just now, my phone lit up with photos of my daughter splashing at a pool with a giant grin spread across her face and my mama heart felt so happy that she is taken care of while I work.
Feels like a win-win to me.
