Babysitters - Scarborough,ME

i know there are a whole bunch of questions to ask and theres no way i'd remember to ask them all the first time unless i wrote them all down (but i am oddly into making lists for myself)
I found this online at http://childcare.about.com/od/occasionalcare/a/sitterques...

1.Have you babysat previously? If so, please describe your experience.

2.Have you received any specialized training for child care (such as first aid/CPR, attended a babysitter course, or taken related school courses)?

3.Do you regularly work/volunteer with kids? If so, please describe (such as helping out with young dance classes, serving as a sports assistant, etc.).

4.Are your immunizations current?

5.Do you have any health restrictions that could affect your ability to babysit? (Yes, it really is okay to ask this question. For example, if you have three cats and the candidate is terribly allergic to cats, then this could be a problem. Or, if you have someone who can't access stairs but the kids' beds are on the 2nd floor, you need to know that before making a hiring decision.

6.Is there an adult or family member nearby in the event of an emergency whom you could contact? (This question is relevant if you are considering using a teenager or person who does not drive.)

7.Why do you enjoy working with children?

8.What activities will you plan with my kid(s) when I am gone? (Ask this question to determine whether the potential babysitter plans any games, crafts or child-friendly activities in your absence.)

9.What age children do you most enjoy? Least enjoy? Why? Which age group are you most comfortable/experienced with?

10.What are your overall child care philosophy? (Yes, you can and should even ask this of a teenage babysitter.)

11.Do you know how to change a diaper...and are you comfortable with changing even the really messy kinds?

12.Do you know how to administer medicine? (If your child has a cold, for example, and needs some medicine or is on oral antibiotics, you want to make sure the babysitter is comfortable in not only giving the proper dosage, but doing so safely.)

13.What will you do if the kids aren't getting along (or worse, fighting)? How will you handle separation anxiety (if this is a potential issue.) Ask these questions if the potential babysitter will care for more than one child and if "missing parents" is a likely concern.

14.What will you do if my child won't mind you or exhibits bad behavior such as biting? (This is an insightful question to determine how the potential babysitter processes the question and provides you with an answer. This also provides insight on disciplinary approaches.)

15.Under what type of situation would you call me? (Ask this to determine how a potential babysitter would rank a "need" or emergency.)

16.Are you comfortable being in my home at night or for an extended period? (Some people get nervous about being in someone else's home after dark, for example.)

17.Do you know how to prepare a simple meal? (Don't assume a person knows how to properly use an oven or microwave.)

18.Do you know how to feed an infant? A toddler? Do you know what to do if a child chokes? (You want to hear things like the sitter being knowledgeable about never to prop a bottle or heat it up in the microwave, or to feed a youngster uncut grapes, for example.)

19.What is your hourly rate of pay?

20.What hours and days of the week are you available to work? (Ask if there are any particular times/dates a potential sitter cannot work.)

21.What type of commitment will you provide me that you will honor our agreement to babysit and not cancel? (This question is particularly important if you are hiring a sitter for key holidays or busy times such as New Year's Eve.)

22.What babysitter qualities do you have that should make me want to hire you? (A good babysitter may talk about kid activities or art projects already planned, fun and games, a strong sense of humor, etc.)

23.What was your worst babysitting experience, and why? (See how the candidate worked through the problem.)

24.Do you have a list of references? (If you have not already spoken with someone about the babysitter beforehand, be sure you call and talk with references before entrusting a person to care for your child.)

25.What can I do as a parent to help make your babysitting experience with my kids a success?

We haven't had to get a babysitter yet, but as a person who has nannied for many years and babysat since i was 12 and I have gotten the questions, I like these a lot. I would ask these for sure if we were to interview babysitters. I would also like to be asked these things as a babysitter to ease the other parents minds.

I went through this alot when I went down to university with 3 children under the age of 7. I was away from all of my family for the first time in my life and away from any kind of babysitter that I had ever trusted with my children. Here is a list that I came up with to ask and a few things that I learned along the way.

Ask if they have been through the babysitters course.
How long have they been babysitting?
What ages are they comfortable with?
What activities do they like to do with children?
Are they comfortable with diapering and bath times if that ever came up?
(I always take care of that before-hand -bathing- but its really interesting to hear the answers)
Rate of pay? Always establish this ahead of time!
Availability?
When you have found someone, maybe they have a friend as a back up babysitter for when they are not available.
Having friends over when babysitting.
Phone and internet use when babysitting.
What you expect of them and what they should expect of your family.
Emergency contacts
Oh and swimming is out of the question unless there is a lifeguard on duty and even then it is ify!! I speak from experience.
I don't usually hire under the age of 14. I have found that they are fun with the kids but really don't have the experience to know what to do with an infant or in an emergency even when trained or have the babysitters course.
Don't be hesitant about hiring a male babysitter, I have had 2 male babysitters and my kids have LOVED them. They were very energetic and attentive. They had no problems with diapering and were super reliable. Not all will be that way but just saying that male to female, I would hire whoever got along with my children and not by gender. Best of luck and I hope that you and hubby get to spend some time together soon.
Check out the local highschools, most students need some community hours to graduate, this might might qualify if not, Im sure you could find some interested people.

if you want a teen who can watch them, and you go to a church, I would recommend talking to the youth group leader. I did, and she gave me the names of their 2 best babysitters, both of whom were certified in CPR and had taken the red cross babysitting course. We interviewed them, and they were both great, so we alternate when we take nights out.

We have been in the Dallas area for 20+ years and no family.

When we had our daughter 15 yrs ago I was very nervous (as expected).
HOWEVER, date night was a priority and we still date every weekend doing something.

When she was little, I hired a sitter through an agency who was a grandmotherly type. We loved her, she stayed with us until daughter was about 1 1/2. At that point, I got high school girls from my neighborhood, I knew the parents and the parents were right around the corner if needed.

We did it this way til she was a little older. I actually had a family of sitters, started with the oldest sister, worked with her until she left for college then moved on to younger sister. Both of these girls did overnights for us when needed after daughter was in middle school.

Network in your neighborhood. Our nieghborhood has a secure website and on the message board, we have listings of babysitters available.

Good luck...it is tough but once you find someone you love you'll be ok. GO for Date nights and don't miss out on keeping yourself connected with hubby.

.

Ask about experience. If your interviewing a teen, ask if they have taken the red cross babysitting course. Ask for references. Before actually hiring someone, have them come to your house for an hour while your home to see how well they get along with your child.

Do any of your friends have young teens?
12-13 year olds are sometimes better than 16-18 year olds. They aren't into boys yet and its' something where they can earn their own money.
I would make sure the mom is going to be home, I am still always home when the younger one babysits.
Make sure they know what to do when
kids choke
baby cries
they get hurt
phone rings
someone at door
fire
diaper change
clothes change
tantrums (usually these don't happen with babysitters)

Set rules, what to clean, when to feed, bath, friends(no), phone calls, food in fridge.
Have babysitter food, chips, soda, popcorn,
Call once when you are out for dinner twice if you are out for dinner adn a movie

i like the list that jr wrote..very thorough :) i know if and when i get a sitter for my son....who's not family or friend....i'll be using some kind of nanny cam. especially since at a young age they can't talk and tell you what happens...definantly make sure that they have first aid and cpr certs though.

We hired ours through Care.com and they have a whole list of questions to ask! We really like her. Care.com was a great resource. Lots of people contacted us, we interviewed a bunch and hired our favorite. It was easy. We paid $35 for one month to list our needs. I think it is good for kids to learn to take direction from others (not just family). They also teach our kids things that we never thought of! Good luck!

ask for references(sorry about the spelling). talk to other parents and who they use for a sitter.

If you live near a college or university with a nursing program, you may be able to post a notice to get CPR certified candidates. Ask them for a reference from one of their nursing instructors in addition to the questions asked below.