By: Tamara | Last updated February 13, 2019 
Leaving your child in someone else’s care is not an easy thing to do. Being away from your little one while you’re at work is hard enough as it is. The last thing you want is having to double worry, because you don’t trust your baby sitter or you don’t think they’re good enough for your child.
Here are some tips that might help you out when looking for the best baby sitter for your kid:
Everything starts with a good job description. Underline the traits you want your babysitter to have, your expectations and your detailed needs: when do you want your babysitter to be available, how many hours/day, what are the main responsibilities? Do you need someone that also knows their way around the kitchen? Do you need someone bilingual? Try to jot down all the things you consider important and write a clear, thorough job description.
Where to look for a nanny. The most common ways to go when it comes to finding a good, reliable nanny are to contact a specialized agency, to search for online listings or to go through word of mouth, trusting your family’s/friends’ recommendations. Agencies are of course the most professional and trust-worthy ones and they can also find you someone that matches your specific needs. However, they are also the most expensive way to go. Online websites can also be useful, as long as they’re legitimate and they only contain listings of registered babysitters. Going through recommendations can work, too, as long as you completely trust the person who gives the recommendation.
Narrow down your candidates. Once offers start to pile up, start the screening process before you go further with a face to face interview. There’s no need to waste your time. Narrow down your choices to max. 10 candidates and call each and every one of them. Hearing them on the phone might offer you additional information.
Interview your remaining candidates. This is among the most important steps in finding a great babysitter. That’s why you have to be fully prepared. Make a list with all the important questions you want to ask and try to have your child around during the interview. This way you’ll be able to observe for yourself if the nanny clicks with your kid or not and how they react and handle certain situations. You may find someone who seems perfect, qualified, experienced, trust-worthy and reliable, but when face to face with your child, you discover there’s no compatibility between them what-so-ever.
Schedule a trial run. You’re almost there. After you decided on a certain baby sitter, schedule a ‘practical test’. Call her to work for a few hours to see her in action and observe how everything works. However, try to be realistic and don’t be too judgmental. Everyone needs some accommodation time and maybe a little job training before they can reach their full potential. Be patient and invest in a long term relationship. This way all parties involved will reap the benefits.
