Questions to Ask When Interviewing a Babysitter

     Here are some suggested questions to ask your potential teenage babysitter. Consider this an attachment to my last post. 


 1.  Why do you want to babysit?

 2.  How many children have you watched? What ages?

 3.  Have you taken the American Red Cross babysitting class?

 4.  How many siblings do you have? Older or younger? 

 5.  What is your relationship like with your siblings?

 6.  Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?

 7.  What do you like to do in your spare time?

 8.  Do you like school? 

 9.  Are you in activities at school? What are they?

10. Names and numbers of references.

     The above questions should give you some idea on their character and their experience. If they want to be a teacher, nurse, psychologist, social worker,... they will probably make a good sitter. They obviously are caring and want a career that helps people. If they are in clubs and like activities they may be more playful with your children. If they have siblings, that relationship and how they describe it, should tell you plenty. This also gives you a chance to trust your gut by getting them to talk to you.

     The following are some scenarios that should give you a feel for how they might handle an unusual or emergency situation.

  1. If my child fell and then was unresponsive what would you do?
  
  2. If someone came to the door, told you we expected them to work on our cable, what would you do?

  3. If there was a fire in the kitchen? 

  4. What would you do if my child were choking? Or vomiting?

  5. What if someone were to come to the door saying they had to check for a gas leak?

  6. What if someone were to call asking for our address saying they needed to deliver a package?

     I am sure that you get the idea and can come up with some scenarios of your own. But you will feel more confident if you find out if they are capable of handling an unusual situation. If they are at a loss on how to answer your questions, you know they are not mature enough to take care of your child. 

     Please make sure that you meet and speak with your sitter before you hire them to watch your child. Trust your gut feeling about whether or not they will be a good sitter. Have them spend time with the child prior to you leaving. My best suggestion is to have them sit while you are at home the first time to see how they interact with your child. If you feel uncomfortable you can always cancel. Don't be afraid of hurting their feelings, you are leaving your child with this person and you want to be as sure as possible that you are making the best choice. You want to make the most informed decision that you are able.