Babysitters and babysitting agencies

Having a capable, responsible person who can be called upon to babysit for your children is a great benefit for parents who are badly in need of a night out! Finding the right person and preparing them properly will give you the peace of mind to really enjoy your time off to the fullest.

Babysitters

Many teenagers supplement their allowances through babysitting jobs but while you may be happy arranging for a friend’s daughter or neighboring teenager to babysit your children, you should consider whether a teenager has the necessary maturity and presence of mind to look after young children or babies, particularly if something should go wrong. There’s no legal minimum age for babysitters but many childcare experts advise against allowing under-16s to babysit young children.

While many teenagers place babysitting advertisements at local schools, or in the local paper, most parents tend to go by personal recommendation from family or friends. Be sure to interview any prospective babysitter carefully, and try to ascertain how they’d cope with certain situations. For example, ask them what they’d do if one of the children woke with a fever while you were out, or started vomiting. You might want to suggest, if they haven’t already, that they take an introductory first aid course, or at least run through some basic health checks with them. Check what experience they have of looking after young children – possibly in their own family, or for other neighboring families – and be sure to check all references thoroughly.

Preparing your babysitter

If you’ve found someone you like, you might want to invite them over to your house to spend some time with the children before their first evening’s babysitting. This will give you a good opportunity to see how they interact with the children, the kind of activities that they are ready to do with them and – most importantly – how well your children respond to them!

Use this opportunity to show them round the house and explain where things are kept, such as first aid supplies. Go through your children’s routine with your sitter so she’s familiar with what you expect from her – this will help things to go smoothly. If she’s looking after your baby, be sure that she’s aware of when to give feeds and where the clean diapers are, and give her tips on how best to comfort your baby if she becomes distressed. Also tell your sitter what to do in the event of a fire, where the escape routes are or spare keys are kept.

It’s important to set house rules for your sitter about bringing friends over, watching TV, or using the phone or internet. Make sure that you leave emergency contact telephone numbers – a cellphone and landline number, if possible – and tell them where you’ll be and when you anticipate getting back. If you are going to be later than you thought, let them know.

Leave some refreshments for your sitter – soda or juice, and a light snack should be enough.

Babysitting agencies

An alternative is to register with a babysitting agency. The babysitters on its books should have had background checks but ask how the agency recruits and checks its staff and explain any special requirements you might have. Ask for references and be sure to leave good (or bad as the case may be) feedback on your experience with the sitter.

One disadvantage of using an agency is thatyou’re unlikely to get the same sitter twice, so you and the children won’t be able to build up a relationship with one sitter. You also cannot guarantee the same level of experience from one sitter to the next – and it’ll be more expensive.

The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.

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