What to Look for in a Great Babysitter or Childcare Giver

Every parent needs at least one good babysitter you can turn to when you need a few hours on your own. Whether you need a nanny for work hours, a school provider or a babysitter so you and your husband can get out of the house for a few hours on the weekend, it’s important to remember to live life for yourself sometimes, too. If you’re nervous about finding a child care provider or babysitter, here are three things you should never compromise on when making your decision.

Your Gut Instinct

There is nothing more important when it comes to your child’s care than your gut instinct. If everyone in the world loves one particular babysitter but you feel in your gut that she’s not the right person for your children to be left with, don’t hire her. Don’t rely on anything but your own instinct and feeling when it comes to hiring someone to care for your children.

A Love of Kids

There are people who love and adore children and there are people who aren’t really fond of kids but do their job for the money or the easy hours. Make sure the person you hire really loves kids. Trust me; you can easily tell who those people are. One simple way to tell whether or not someone really loves kids is to check out your child’s reaction to them. Kids have a way of telling things like this. If your kids don’t like someone, chances are they don’t care much for kids in the first place.

A Background Check/License

If you’re hiring someone to care for your kids, it’s always worth it to require a background check or to see if they are properly licensed by the state. Your kid’s safety is second to nothing else on the planet – don’t forget that.

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