Important Babysitter Questions to Ask Your Before Child Care Starts

When you first leave your children with a babysitter it can be very nerve wracking. How do you know that the baby sitter knows what to do in case of an emergency, rule breaking, or simply a difficult time? Before walking out the door on your way to a date or event, there are several important questions to ask your babysitter. Any of these should be asked even before you contract their childcare services.

Important Babysitter Questions - Safety First

The most important job of the babysitter is to keep your children safe when you are not there. Before leaving your kids in the care of someone else, asked questions about safety and their plan on what to do in any emergency situations. Do not be embarrassed to sound condescending by asking questions about what to do in case of a fire, a break in, or a medical emergency involving your children.

Important Babysitter Questions - Previous Experience

When deciding who to choose for your babysitting needs, it is important to ask questions about their previous experience with child care. Have they babysat before? What ages were the children they cared for? Have they ever offered babysitting services for extended hours or overnight?

While getting all of this information is important, it is probably more important to get references from past clients. The same questions can be put to other people you used the babysitter. If the answers don't match, you should be wary of your baby sitters trustworthiness.

Important Babysitter Questions - Skills and Credentials

Even if you're only looking for someone to sit with your child for an hour on an occasional basis, it is important to ask questions about the babysitter's skills and credentials. If the babysitter in question is a teen or college student, asking about their grades or extracurricular activities can help you formulate an opinion about their responsibility. Asked whether the person has taken childcare classes, any first aid or CPR classes, or any other type of extra education that may assist them in their babysitting duties.

Important Babysitter Questions - Plans and Ideas

Once you're confident that the babysitter knows everything necessary about safety, responsibility, and safety and do the skills, it is time to ask questions about what their plans in ideas are for the babysitting session. What kinds of games will they play with the children? Will they teach them a craft or cook simple snacks? Do they have a lot of homework to complete that will prevent them from playing with the children? The answers to these questions can tell you a lot about the type of babysitter you are using. No matter what the answers are, it is up to you to decide if you are comfortable with that person taking care for children.