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Six Qualities to Look for in a Babysitter

Six Qualities to Look for in a Babysitter

Article by Amy van Weelderen, sharing her tips for finding a great babysitter.

Between background and reference checks and your own interview process, finding a great babysitter can be a bit overwhelming.  If a starting point is what you need, look out for these six qualities in your sitter candidate and take it from there.

Six Things to Look for in Your Babysitter

1. Dependability – Does she arrive on time? Does she have reliable transportation to get her to your home when promised?  Make sure your sitter is reliable and is a gal of her word.

2. Flexibility – Your plans change and so do the moods of the kids. Make sure your babysitter can roll with the punches and be adaptable when situations need her to be.

3. Fun and Creativity – Does she have a spark? Do your kids get excited when “Sitter Annie” is coming over?  Look for that fun factor that you know will entertain and keep your kids busy and happy. If you know they are well cared for and having fun, then you can relax and have some fun, too.

4. Good Communication – We all know that communication is essential to success and that applies to great child care. We want our sitters to be able to tell us if our little darlings were mischievous, stubborn or just a big old pain.  Let your babysitter know she is welcome to open a conversation and make sure she’s comfortable letting you know about the good, the bad and the ugly.

5. Intelligence – Just because she is attending or recently graduated from a great university does not mean she is…how do I put this?…bright.  Make sure your babysitter “gets it”. Our little angels can be quite clever, so make sure their sitter is always one step ahead.

6. Trustworthiness – This goes without saying that you have to trust your babysitter. Background and reference checks are important but you need to really trust the person you hand your kids over to. Make sure you listen to your “mommy vibe” and take the time you need to build some trust between your family and your sitter.

Amy van Weelderen has been helping busy families connect with top notch university students for over five years with her babysitting referral company, Lullaby League.  She loves to zip around Vancouver on her bright red Vespa, is over involved in her son’s school and thinks a pint of ice cream should be deemed “single serving”.

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