Parents need to be able to trust the people who are caring for their kids. A lot of times teens decide to baby sit for the money. But a real baby sitter doesn't baby sit for the money, they baby sit to give the kids a good time. You can always tell if they are a good baby sitter by what is listed on the list below. Some are things you can tell before they baby sit and some you can tell after they baby sit. Parents: Remember that just because a baby sitter can't baby sit a few times in a row, it doesn't mean they don't want to baby sit for you or they aren't a good baby sitter. It means that they have a life, too, and that is good! After around 5 times of, "Know, I can't baby sit." Then you need to worry because sometimes baby sitters won't just come right out and say, "I never want to baby sit for you again." The #1 most common excuse you hear because they don't want to baby sit for you anymore is, "I'm busy" or sometimes they won't give a reason at all. And finally, remember that girl baby sitters are not necessarily better than boy baby sitters. Girls have attendancy to "Chat" on the phone and they also sometimes are ignorint to your kids and more concerned on your make up. We once had a baby sitter who would have boys over without the parent's permission, shower before he came, re-do make up, etc. After a few times of this we stopped having her, although we probably should have put an end to it right then and there! So look at the check list below and see if your baby sitter meets most of these requirements. (A good baby sitter should get between an 85-100%)
Does Your Baby Sitter Meet These Requirements?
Seems responsible
Has good references (Ask if they don't offer.)
Dresses appropriatly (No nose rings, tattoos, "gang clothes," etc.)
Organized (Shows up on time, doesn't cancel, confirms baby sitting job, etc.)
Enjoys kids (Plays with them, helps them out, gives lots of TLC, etc.)
Doesn't freak out at night (VERY IMPORTANT! You don't want a baby sitter who is too firghtened to care for herself or more importantly the kids!)
Cleans the house afterwards (This doesn't include doing laundry! If you want the baby sitter to clean, realize it's taking away their concentration on the kids. You should also pay more for this. Expect the baby sitter to clean up after meals, playtime, or any mess the kids made while the baby sitter was there.)
Is trained/certified (This is VERY important to look for in a baby sitter. Not only do they know how to care for your kids appropriatly, but they know how to entertain them and care for them in an emergency situation.)
Knows first aid and CPR (Important, but not 100% necessary. It's good to have a baby sitter who knows what to do in a life threatening situation!)
Doesn't eat you out of house and home (It's fine to offer them a snack or tell them to eat with the kids at meal time, but if they are going to pig out then you need to be concerned.)
Has good grades (Believe it or not, but it is important to have a baby sitter with good grades. It lets you know they are responsible, but also they can help your kids with homework if necessary. A 'C' Average is about what you could consider a good grade. But don't come right out and ask. Chances are they will have listed on their flyer, "An A/B Student" or if you know the family well you should probably know.)
You know the baby sitter's parents. (This is important because you need to be able to trust that in an emergency situation the baby sitter's parents are willing to come over and help out. You can also always tell if they are a good teen by the way they were raised.)
Isn't a TV Junkie (You don't want a baby sitter that is going to watch TV all night. It distracts them from playing with the kids. If your kids are old enough, ask them if the baby sitter watched a lot pf TV. Chances are, your kid will notice. It's fine if they watch TV after the kids go to bed, though!)
Doesn't talk on the phone (Baby sitters do have a social life, but when they are baby sitting they need to realize it's a job and most jobs won't allow you to talk on the phone all day. Call and check up on them everyonce in a while, if you get a busy signal everytime, most likely it means you have a baby sitter who is talking on the phone!)
Is trustworthy (You need to be able to trust that your kids are in good hands and that your personal things will not be snooped through!)
Is 100% Honest and Upfront (If someone got hurt or something was broken or stained, you need to know! So you need to trust that your baby sitter is going to fill you in on that! It doesn't matter if things were fixed or everything was OK, you still want and need to know!)
Has the ability to lay down the law, discipline, and say "No!" (Sometimes when a kid asks for something and give them that look, a baby sitter has a hard time saying no. They also might have a hard time disciplining. You need to let the baby sitter know before hand how to discipline, but a baby sitter should NEVER hit a child. They also need to be able to lay down the law. They need to follow the rules and inforce it on the kids. They need to get the kids into bed on time and be able to control them!)
Your baby sitter is between the ages of 11 and 15 (These are the best ages to get baby sitters. A lot of people think it's better to get them when they can drive, but usually by then they become really interested in boys, becomes real "Teen Like," etc. But when they are younger it's before they can drive and before they think they're real cool. They also still like "Playing" at this age and their imagination hasn't completely gone away yet, so they have an easier time playing with your kids.)
Respects you and your property (Follows your house rules, respects what you say like no friends over, no TV, etc.0
And last but s\certainly not least, THEY LIKE KIDS! (A lot of times you will find teens looking down on kids, calling them brats, or trampling over them. You don't want a baby sitter like that!)
