Anyone who entrusts their children to someone else’s hands must be able to rely on the person. Not everyone is born to be a babysitter. There are certain qualities that the person should possess when taking care of children while their parents are away. We want to help you find the perfect babysitter for you.
#1 Really like kids
What your babysitter does or aspires to do for a living and whether they have a piercing or a tattoo is really completely secondary. Don’t go by looks, personal hobbies, or job and assume anything about him. Much more important is what attitude he or she has toward children and that he or she is genuinely interested in and enjoys them.
After all, he has to look after her for several hours and we know how exhausting that can be.
It is therefore best to meet with the children at home when you first get to know each other so that the whole family can “check it out” and you can get to know each other.
If he or she doesn’t make the time to do this, then he or she doesn’t seem serious about taking care of the children.
#2 Be flexible
If a babysitter is studying or working, they have fixed times when they can look after children and when not. That is also perfectly okay if these times are clarified from the outset. Of course, it is best for parents if he is flexible in terms of time.
Especially when both work and have very different working hours, it may be that they need short-term care after daycare or school. In the case of single parents, it will probably be the case more often than short-term help is needed in everyday life.
If flexibility and spontaneous agreements are very important to you, you should make that clear in the first interview.
#3 Not being impatient and easily irritable
Your parents know best how nerve-wracking children can be. Especially if you have several bullies at home and everyone brings their own character traits.
It takes a lot of patience, strong nerves, and a calm demeanor. Can your babysitter handle it when things get busy or is he a very sensitive guy?
You know your children best and should prepare them for what to expect. A good test is if you let him play with them for a few hours while you’re at home. Then you will notice exactly how he deals with them and whether he can handle it.
Ask the children how they find him or her because they have to be alone with him and also listen to him.
#4 Be trustworthy
It goes without saying that parents expect a babysitter to be trusted. After all, he takes care of her loved one. He will also come and go into your house or apartment and invade your privacy. You should think carefully about who you let into your home.
Constant distrust would not be ideal. So if you have an uneasy feeling from the start, you should bring it up.
#5 Bring creativity and inventiveness
Of course, babysitting doesn’t mean making easy money while sitting back. So don’t just turn on the telly, take out the tablet and keep the kids busy. If the parents expressly allow the children to do this for a certain period of time, that’s fine.
But most of them want him or her to go out with the children, do something or play and do crafts inside. Creativity and ingenuity are required when it comes to children’s activities. Communicate your employment aspirations to him and ask what suggestions he has. First and foremost, the kids need to have fun.
#6 Respect your rules and guidelines
As soon as a stranger enters your house or apartment, your rules apply. You should make that clear right away. You have certain routines in the family and in everyday life that the person should adhere to.
It’s not okay for the babysitter to allow the children something that the parents always forbid. The children will probably try to influence him to do so. But even here the supervisor must be consistent and act in your interest.
#7 Be reliable
If you agree that he or she should pick up the children from daycare or school at a certain time, you must be able to rely on him or her doing so.
It is therefore best to clarify in the preliminary talk how important appointments are to you and at what time he absolutely has to take care of the children on time. If something comes up, it’s not the end of the world. Then he just has to communicate it in time.
#8 Act responsibly
In order to be able to put yourself in children’s shoes, it’s great if you’ve still kept the child in you mentally. But that’s one thing in the game, of course, there are also limits to where a supervisor has to behave responsibly.
He should only do things with the children that have been agreed with the parents and that he believes he can do himself. It is unacceptable that the children are intentionally put in danger.
It is important for a babysitter to be aware of their duty of care and that minors will be entrusted to them.
#9 Never leave the kids alone
An absolute no-go: “The children take a nap, so I can hop over to the late night.” Even if it was really short and you’re back in 10 minutes. Anyone who is supposed to take care of children must not leave them alone.
A babysitter should already know this on their own or you can talk to them about expecting this.
Just make sure that everything he needs is in the house, from toys to food and drink or even drugstore items for the children. Then the personal errand can wait until he’s done babysitting and you’re home.
#10 Demonstrate honest behavior
Everyone makes mistakes and especially with children, everyday life rarely goes as planned. One of the other plan can change or a child doesn’t feel like doing a certain activity. It is important that he always informs you how the children are doing, what has been done, and also if an accident or mishap has happened.
Lying because he is ashamed that something happened while he or she was in charge is not acceptable. That can happen to anyone and you should give him the feeling that he can and should always tell you everything.
#11 Maintain family privacy
The person who takes care of your children automatically participates in your daily life and goes in and out of your home. He or she sees very private things about you that you don’t want to share with the outside world or that don’t concern anyone. It should be clear to him that he is silent about it or not informing strangers about it, let alone inviting them to your home if this has not been agreed upon.
All these things must be clarified beforehand. Also whether photos or videos can be taken of the children and who can see them. If this point is very important to you, it is important that you make it clear.
You might read these tips as a little guide when you are looking for a babysitter. Betreut.de puts you in touch with the right childcare provider and also has other tips for choosing your perfect caregiver.
Are you tied to your house, garden, or apartment and terrace for various reasons? Then we have some tips on how you can keep your little rascals busy outside.
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