For some the process of finding a qualified babysitter is a no brainer. However, in this day and time you can not be too careful. A babysitter who is not totally qualified could be a real disaster. The Red Cross, in most cities, provides courses that can help babysitters learn what to do in many emergency situations. In the process of looking for a qualified babysitter you will want to be sure if an emergency arises they would know what to do and would not panic. If your babysitter were to panic in an emergency it could mean the death of your child.

If you are expecting and not due for several months, this is the perfect time to start looking for a sitter. This way you don't have to stress out because you waited until the child is born. Always go through dozens of candidates and choose maybe a dozen to interview a second time. Then you have a better idea of the four to six you will want to really grill about your wants and needs for your childs care.

The information and websites below will only give you the basics of finding the most qualified babysitter for you. Do your homework and research all the information you can on what to do and what to ask, before you settle on a babysitter. It is also advisable to have at least three or four babysitters on your list. This will help relieve any problems just in case your main sitter cannot work.

As your search this page remember, it can be a pain in the neck and take a long time to find the right babysitter for you and your child. But, if you cut corners in your searching, your child may be the one who pays for it.

How To Choose A Babysitter

Finding a qualified babysitter that you and your child are comfortable with can be a challenge and will take some time. It is a relationship like any other that starts slowly as you get to know one another and then builds to a trusted, dependable and comfortable relationship.

Where to start?
Ask your friends and family members for recommendations. You could also contact your local center of worship or the American Red Cross or YMCA. Ask potential babysitters for references and be sure to check them! Interview all potential candidates and be sure to ask your sitter if she has been certified in CPR or first aid. Babysitters should be at least 12 years old for toddlers and older children, and older if caring for an infant. A good rule of thumb, the younger the child, the older the babysitter.

What next?
Bring the babysitter to your home while you are there. Give the babysitter a tour of your home so that they can become familiar with the surroundings. Point out items the babysitter may need in an emergency such as a fire extinguisher, first-aid kit flashlight, extra keys and important phone numbers. Explain how to operate a security system or alarm.

Review any special considerations, such as allergies or other medical needs, with your babysitter. Explain your “house rules” to the babysitter and be very clear about your expectations. Cover rules regarding TV time, meals, homework and bedtime. Talk with your babysitter about having friends over, using the phone or computer and other rules while they are watching your child.

Have the babysitter meet and interact with your child while you are doing something else at home. Try not to be in the same room with your child and the babysitter, but try to find a place where you can listen and observe the interaction of the babysitter and your child. Note the attention the babysitter gives the child and vise versa. Is your child engaged by the babysitter? How does the babysitter discipline your child? This may give you an opportunity to see how your child reacts when supervised by someone else and also gives you a chance to give the babysitter some tips on caring for your child.

A night out
The first time you leave your child with the babysitter make sure you leave enough time to review your rules with the babysitter and go over any special instructions for that day or night. Make sure you leave important contact information as well as your agenda. Leave at least two additional emergency contacts in case the sitter can not reach you. An important item – make sure your address, home phone number and the closest major intersection are written down and your babysitter can see it. They made need to give this information to those responding in an emergency situation.

When you return, talk with both the babysitter and your child to find out about their experience. Review any problems or questions the babysitter may have about how a situation should be handled. Ask your child specifics about what they did with the babysitter while you were away. Let your child tell you about their feelings about the babysitter and make sure your child feels comfortable being with the babysitter.

Choosing a good babysitter can help you relax while you are away from your children and be confident they are safe and happy.

Tips on Choosing a Babysitter
by Amy Scholten, MPH

If you’re the parent of an infant, young child, or older child, chances are you will need a babysitter at some point. Perhaps you work outside the home, or maybe you just need to get away for an evening. Whatever your situation, you want to be sure your children are in good hands. A babysitter can be a big help, as long as you hire someone who is mature, experienced, capable , and who cares about the welfare of your children.

Here are some tips on choosing a good babysitter:

Finding A Sitter

Your first challenge is recruiting a potential babysitter. Here are some ideas:
1. Start looking for a sitter early. If you wait until the last minute, you may not be as discriminating in your choice.
2. Ask family, friends, neighbors, or coworkers if they know of any good babysitters.
3. Advertise for a babysitter in your local church, civic organizations, high school, or newspaper.
4. Find certified babysitters in classes conducted by your local Red Cross or YMCA.
5. Check your phonebook for sitting services. Here are some things to keep in mind:
* Services with an insurance bond will cover certain damages or losses to your property; however, most are not likely to protect your children in any way.
* Check to see if the sitting service conducts criminal history checks and screens its employees.

Hiring A Sitter

Once you have a list of possible babysitters, you can begin the screening process: Check references carefully. Contac t previous employers, teachers, neighbors, and relatives and ask them about the candidate’s qualifications as a babysitter.

Interview potential sitters. Look for candidates that are responsible, honest, patient, positive, competent, and caring. Here are some questions you may want to ask:
1. How long have you been babysitting?
2. What age groups have you worked with?
3. Do you know cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the Heimlich maneuver? Are you certified in CPR?
4. Have you taken any baby-sitting training or first aid courses?
5. What days and hours are you available to sit?

Also remember to ask the candidate how he or she would handle a difficult situation, an emergency, an illness, or poor behavior from your child (look for ideas that are positive and helpful), and allow the candidate time to ask you questions.

Observe sitters. You want a sitter with whom you and your children will be comfortable. You should observe their interactions with you and your children. Here are some tips:
1. Choose a sitter with whom you can relate—someone who shares your ideas about taking care of children and with whom you can be frank.
2. Choose a sitter who loves children and relates well to them. The sitter should:
* Give children plenty of attention and enjoy playing with them
* Use a gentle tone of voice
* Smile and laugh with children
* Use positive ways to help children behave (not hitting, slapping, shouting at, or scaring them)
* Keep the child comfortable and clean

And if for some parents the interview process alone is not satisfactory or their children are too young to comment on sitter’s behavior, technology can offer substantial help. Surveillance cameras or nanny cams, as some are calling them, have become very popular in recent years. They can be very easily installed, for example in a child’s room, and the recording reviewed later.

Consider the age of the potential sitter. In terms of the babysitter’s age, here are some things to consider:
1. What is the age of the child or the ages of the children for which the sitter will be responsible? In general, the younger the child, the older the sitter should be. For example, you probably wouldn’t want a 12- or 13-year -old taking care of a child under age three.
2. How long will the sitter need to watch your children? If an overnight stay is required, the sitter should be older.
3. Many capable babysitters are preteens or young teens. However, if your sitter is under the age of 16 and something happens to your children while you are away, you are legally responsible.

When the Sitter Arrives

Have the sitter arrive 15 minutes before you leave. Make sure the sitter knows:
1. Where you can be reached (address, phone number, pager number)
2. Rules about meals, play, TV, computer time, friends, etc.
3. General safety guidelines including important names and phone numbers, potential hazards, how to bathe and change the child (if appropriate), and how to handle emergencies
4. How to keep the play areas safe

Talk to Your Children

You should talk to your children before the sitter comes and after he or she leaves (or the next day, if they are asleep). Before the sitter arrives, you should remind your children about safety instructions, their rights, and what behaviors are not appropriate. After the sitter leaves, ask your children about what they did while you were gone, what games they played, and if anything happened that made them feel uncomfortable or afraid. Ask them if they liked the babysitter.

The above was borrowed from: https://healthlibrary .epnet.com/GetContent.aspx?token =af362d97-4f80-4453-a175-02cc622 0a387&chunkiid=14072#AmyS

Good Babysitter Qualities

Parents look for certain qualities in a good babysitter. Some of these include:
1. Have good health: Your overall health is important. If you have a cold or other contagious disease, do not accept a babysitting job.
2. Be dependable & responsible: Dependability is a must. Notify parents immediately if you will not be able to take a job so they can find another qualified person in time. You are responsible for the child's health and safety.
3. Love children: The best babysitters usually understand and love children. Children tend to know whether you like them or not.
4. Be self-confident: Children judge you as much by the way you look and act as by the words you say. Be sure of yourself.
5. Be mature: You need to be levelheaded and act calmly in an emergency. You have to maintain authority and discipline.
6. Show good manners: Be pleasant, and act in a courteous manner. This includes respect for the privacy of families by not going through closets and personal possessions.
7. Be knowledgeable about children: You need a basic understanding of the stages of child development. You must also know the basic techniques of feeding, dressing, diapering, bathing, and playing with younger and older children.
8. Have a business-like attitude: Make sure you agree on the business aspects of the job before babysitting with a new family for the first time. Get the necessary information from the parents before they leave.
9. Be adaptable: Accept the differences between households. It's your responsibility to fit in with the family's usual pattern or routines — not the other way around. If you feel uncomfortable with the family's lifestyle, you may need to refuse to accept the opportunity to work for them.
10. Be safety conscious: Protect the children from harm and be alert at all times.
11. You will be in demand: Great babysitters are known by many parents. Usually they are busy with repeated jobs for the same families.

Using a babysitter
If you're just getting started on your babysitter search, never fear — there are lots of ways to find a qualified person to care for your child.
http://www.babycenter.com/refcap /baby/babychildcare/44.html

How To Choose A Babysitter
Is He or She Qualified? Check your sitter's qualifications against these characteristics recommended by the American Red Cross Babysitter's Training
http://www.childcare.about.com/ cs/occasionalcare/bb/babysitter. htm

Interviewing a Potential Babysitter - Questions to Ask About
Find and Keep a Qualified BabysitterBabysitter Checklist ... Deals on Kids' ClothingPrepare for Single MotherhoodChoosing a Support GroupUnpaid Child
http://www.singleparents.about .com/od/havingfun/ss/ sitterinterview_3.htm

Hiring a Babysitter: A Checklist - Associated Content
Choosing the right babysitter is a job. Great babysitters do exist. ... There are many ways to locate a qualified and caring babysitter.
http://www.associatedcontent.com /article/47641/hiring_a_ babysitter_a_checklist.html

Is He or She Qualified?
Check your sitter's qualifications against these characteristics recommended by the American Red Cross. Babysitter's Training
http://www.sitters.bm/resources /choose_babysitter.pdf

THE BENEFITS OF EMPLOYING CERTIFIED BABYSITTERS
2) Crisis and Emergency Response Training - Certified babysitters ... Abuse and Neglect Recognition - Certified babysitters receive training to help them
http://www.unce.unr.edu/ publications/files/cy/2004/fs0464. pdf

Babysitter's Training Course
Offered by The Red Cross and teaches what you need to know and what every parent wants in a responsible babysitter. Babysitter's Handbook available online.
http://www.redcross.org/services/ hss/courses/babyindex.html

BabysittingClass.com training - Get the information you need to
BabysittersClass.com on-line training - Get the information you need to handle the challenges of babysitting. Highly beneficial course inculcates safety and
http://www.babysittingclass.com/

Babysitting Education Free Tips, Advice, DVD Course, Babysitter
Still from babysitting training DVD - techniques training for babysitters. Educational gift. Backed up. Your child will also learn important babysitting
http://www.superbabysitting. com/