How to Choose the Right Sitter for Your Kid
Are you looking for someone to tutor your child? Or you want someone to cook dinner for your kid and take care of them? These are but a few questions to ask yourself before you choose a babysitter.
You may hire a sitter because you have to go for that date night, or you want to work on a weekend for extra cash, or need your kid to get after-school help. But how can you go about selecting the perfect sitter for your child?
And first, where can you source a sitter from?
Your neighbor’s teenage daughter may be perfect for this job. But what other services can she offer apart from attending to your kid and maybe play with them in your backyard? If you are looking for more than that, consider hiring an experienced sitter. They may come from your workplace, local church, and nearest day-care facility. Ensure to seek reference from other parents to help with the selection. Here are a few suggestions to use in deciding on a nanny.
Trust Your Instincts
Your kid’s safety is the most important thing. So, if something seems a bit off with a sitter, then this is a sign. Your brain might play tricks, but gut intuition never lies. When interviewing a sitter, look out for a first impression. How the person dresses, speaks, and behaves. Suppose they don’t seem right, then there’s no need to think it over or seek someone else’s opinion. That person isn’t suitable for your child and their mental health since the child may suffer from depression. Studies reveal that about 3,000 people receive mesothelioma diagnosis each year.
Consider Reference and Reviews
You can get references from online reviews where parents post jobs and sitters apply. While there, perform background checks by contacting the sitter’s previous clients. If your child is old enough, they can tell you what they think of the sitter; so consider reviews from your kid.
Know Your Kid’s Needs
Identify your child’s unique needs, significant weaknesses, and what they are good at. It will help you select the right sitter who can nurture your kid’s talents and help them work on their weaknesses. Choose a sitter with qualifications that match your child’s needs and improve their development. One with extra knowledge of another language, helps out with school assignments and impacts your child’s soft skills.
Select a Sitter With Extra Services
Other than sitting all day looking after your kid, a sitter who can provide extra services would be perfect. If the sitter can do laundry, cook meals, clean up after your kid, and run errands, then you wouldn’t mind extra payment. Some sitters are willing to provide such additional services but discuss it during the interview.
Negotiate Payment
Based on great qualifications and provision of extra services, the sitter charges might be high. Before hiring, ask about the costs, and negotiate for payment you can comfortably afford.
When selecting, you need to be cautious as the sitter will be with your kid in your absence. Select a sitter with the right qualifications, one you can trust around your kids.