6 Ways to Ensure Your Babysitter is Safe For Your Kids
It is inevitable that as parents we are going to have to rely on the help and services of a babysitter once in a while. Parents have to work, attend meetings, and even are allowed the occasional social function without kids… Babysitters are a part of childhood and parenthood.
Babysitter safety is a parenting issue that is near and dear to my heart, my family has learned the hard way the heartbreak that can come when you do not choose the right babysitter for your children.
We hired a women who came very highly recommended from a daycare center where she had been working. They assured us that she passed all background screenings and would be wonderful to bring into our home. I was horrified to discover that the woman was not as kind or loving as she appeared and my children were hurt by some of her actions.
There is no greater guilt for a parent than to feel like they made an error in judgment that ended up causing their children any kind of pain. I have been angry at myself but have ultimately turned my anger into action, learning to tell people to be much more careful in picking a safe sitter.
♦ Do your own background check on the person, especially if they are going to be in your home often. Your local police station can do these for you rather inexpensively. They should include criminal checks, sexual offender checks, driver’s record checks, and address checks.
♦ Get recommendations! Ask for letters of recommendations from other families that the sitter has worked for and make sure they include names and phone numbers. I have talked to some people who are embarrassed to ask for this information… but I say when it is your children, you can never be too safe and a good sitter should respect your concern.
♦ Follow up on the recommendations. Call a few of the families to ensure the names and numbers are legit and speak to the parents and even the kids if possible.
♦ Meet with the person once by yourself and once where you introduce them to your children. This gives you a chance to watch them interact together while you are still around to ensure the sitter is a good match for your children.
♦ Trust your Gut! I had a small reservation about this person that we trusted in our home but convinced myself she must be good because she’d been working in childcare for so long. I wish now I would have listened to that small voice in my gut.
♦ I also ask potential sitters if they have taken a Safe Sitter course, first aid or CPR training… because I want to know how prepared they are. My kids are known to be a little accident prone.
I can assure you that the next time I am required to leave my children with anyone other than a trusted family member… I am going to be following each of the steps above. We live in a world where our job as parents is to be over vigilant and overcautious.
In future posts I will share a few more posts about babysitter safety and ways to prepare your sitter when you are gone. I would love to hear from any of you about other ways that you ensure your babysitter is safe for your child. It’s an important issue to consider and I hope that next time you are looking for a sitter you will take a few extra moments to ensure the safety of your children.
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January 20th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
Excellent advice! I did a great deal of child care when I was younger and was often amazed at the lack of information mothers requested. They were often so greatful that a babysitter was available they only asked my rates.
Another suggestion is to drop in unexpectedly from time to time at the babysitter or day care center. You may be surprised by what you see. I was frequently pleased, but once very unhappy to see my child isolated while the family ate a meal.
Grandma Helen
January 21st, 2009 at 10:22 am
Thanks Helen, That is a great point that you made about dropping in for surprise visits during the day. I appreciate you adding that advice for our readers! Have a wonderful day and we hope to hear more from you in the future.