Essential Qualities of a Reliable Babysitter: What to Look for in a Caregiver
It’s only in the imagination that a wonder woman has everything under her control. However, in real life, as a working mother, you’ll need a babysitter to look after your child while you’re away at work. A babysitter significantly affects your child’s growth. Since kids will spend an incredible amount of time with the babysitter, you must choose someone who contributes to good personality development. In this guide, we bring you the top must-have qualities of a babysitter.
Attentive
The young minds act fast, as do their hands and feet. One moment they might be sipping juice, and the next second they might be dangerously close to the swimming pool. All of this happens within the blink of an eye. So, when you choose a babysitter, ensure they’re attentive. It’s because a little bit of distraction on their part may wreak havoc. The nanny shall quickly notice the cause of the child’s discomfort. Are they hungry? Is it too cold? Have they bumped their heads? The babysitter should be able to identify.
Smart
No, we aren’t looking for scientific scholars here. But the babysitter should have the common sense to address the kids’ tricky questions. He or she must frequently try to strike up conversations with the child. It will encourage the child to take part in lively discussions. When challenged, the child will learn & expand their boundaries. While interviewing to hire a sitter, ask them how they’d deal with a particular situation or plan their schedule.
Friendly aura
You don’t want an awkward or shy babysitter in your home. The babysitter you hire must be friendly and a good communicator. If they lack confidence in communicating, trusting them with your child becomes harder. Your sitter must be lively, friendly, and positive to open up to your child and retain their attention. As an adult, would you rather hang out with someone exciting or someone who’s very reserved? There you go! Your answer is exactly what your child will choose.
Patient
Children can be a handful to handle. Moreover, it’s a matter of almost all the time. If you know that your kid gets worked up easily and becomes too much to handle, ensure the hired babysitter has patience. Only then will they be able to understand and handle the difficult situations present by the child’s fluctuating physical, emotional, and cognitive requirements? They should be familiar with effective strategies for de-escalating and preventing misconduct.
Trustworthy
You cannot keep wondering about how your baby is doing at home while you’re at work. You’ll remain distracted most of the time if you fail to hire a trustworthy babysitter. The sitter should be completely transparent with the family and child both. Since you’re letting someone into your private space for longer hours during the day, make sure it’s someone you can trust. They shouldn’t be leaking sensitive family information to outsiders. One way to ensure how trustworthy the babysitter can be is to conduct a background check about them. Ask for references or recommendations from families they’ve worked for. Consult with the babysitter agency to provide a performance review of the sitter, their duration of employment, and feedback from families.
Command over leadership
Although you’d want your child to have the most fun with the babysitter, it’s also important that the little one respects them. Their ability to entertain should also be associated with the ability to become stern when enforcing rules. The sitter should maintain a personality that children find easy to talk to, listen to, and respect. Find someone who keeps the household running strictly according to the routine, even in your absence.
Conclusion
Sticking to the above-mentioned tips will help you hire a good babysitter. It’s also true that going with the gut feeling has worked for many parents. Call the dealing off if you feel something is off about the babysitter you’ve hired or interviewed! Don’t ignore the vibe if it makes you feel nervous or uncomfortable.
