What to Say on a Sign to Let Others Know You Would Be a Good Honest Loving Babysitter

I had a major personality flaw. I was mode as well considerate. I cared way as well much almost what other people thought. These seemingly pleasant personality traits put my kids at risk. When interviewing for a babysitter, they acquired me to not ask the right questions. I didn't want to be rude. I didn't want to exist presumptuous.

I will never brand that mistake once again.

I share some of my story to not highlight my parental inadequacies (although it is a take a chance). But rather to assist other parents larn from my mistakes.

Nosotros spent over $500 at a nanny placement agency. I know that sounds crazy, but I was willing to spend whatever corporeality to ensure my children's safety. The agency was supposed to complete a full background check, check all references and ensure the bidder had enough expertise to intendance for our children. I trusted them. Mistake #ane.

We got to interview the bidder they sent over. Our guard was down – every bit we felt she had already been properly screened. Afterward all – we had forked over $500 for that very purpose. Mistake #2.

We never asked her the hard questions. I have e'er been was overly polite. I never liked to footstep on anyone'south toes. I have replayed that interview over and over again in my head. What if I had asked her amend questions? What if my guard had been up? Would I take seen things – warning signs?

Nosotros had our sitter for over a year before any hint of a problem showed up. What had I missed earlier then? She was always friendly. My son always went to her – he never cried in her presence. She had children of her ain. She was dependable. She was nice. She was a nightmare.

Trust me – this could happen to anyone. As a therapist, I read people for a living. I get people. I used to go into daycare facilities to discover their staff. I missed this because I was looking in the incorrect direction. Request the wrong questions.

Parents practise this all the time. I hear like horror stories in my child therapy do. They thought they could trust their sitter. They idea they knew their sitter well. They thought because information technology was a relative they were safe. They thought wrong.

If you are searching for a babysitter, salvage yourself the guilt (trust me information technology's not fun) and ask the sitter these tough questions. Information technology is not important what sitters say to these questions (because frankly, if they accept a problem, they aren't going to acknowledge information technology)), simply watch how they say information technology.

Have you e'er had whatever problems with drugs or booze? Did whatsoever previous employer have these suspicions?

The concluding office of the question is meant to brand applicants second guess themselves. Did you hear something from i of their references that indicated an issue? Either they volition adamantly deny an issue – or will stammer and effort to defend themselves.

Practice you lot have to accept any prescription medications that make you drowsy or impair your thinking?

You don't desire babysitters sleeping all mean solar day. Some prescriptions tin can brand people extremely lethargic. You accept a right to know what their mental state will be when they are watching your children.

If I had known the existent answer to this question – it might have made me second gauge putting my children in her care. It might have made me second guess her story about how my child got ant bites all over his body considering he was playing in the backyard for merely a "minute" while she was on the phone.

Do you lot have a history of anxiety or low? If so, what unremarkably makes you feel anxious?

I have absolutely nix confronting anyone who suffers from anxiety or low – after all those are the people I try to aid at work. But, I do want to know if those issues will interfere with their ability to keep calm under stress.

I knew our sitter had anxiety, simply I did non realize that information technology made her sleep all day or that it made her go into such a panic that she didn't know what to do when minor situations popped upwards.

Will you always demand to bring anyone else to come with you when babysitting? If so – do they have issues with drugs, booze or mood instability?

Even if applicants insist they volition never have to bring someone with them – probe farther. Inquire them, "Only if you did, who would it exist?"

I dubiety my sitter would have been honest if I had asked – but it would accept been worth asking.

Instead I had to notice out the hard way – with the discovery of little liquor bottles hidden all around our house and a browser full of visited porn sites that had been viewed while she was watching our kids.

It turned out that our sitter had a pretty disturbed 20-something son. Patently she would driblet him off a cake from our business firm and call him to come over when we left.

Was he safe to be around kids? Did he have a criminal history? I will never know. I do know, however, that he felt free to drink and view porn in a stranger's home.

What'south the worst scenario you take had to deal with while babysitting?

End asking the happy questions – and focus on the hard ones. Did the applicant have an example? Did the applicant handle the situation well?

Who would you call in example of an emergency?

This may seem obvious, just when our infant son had over 100 ant bites from caput to toe – our sitter called her teen girl for help. Not u.s.. Not poisonous substance control. Not the doc. Her teenage daughter.

Have you ever hitting or come shut to hitting a child?

They won't be true, but if you are able to read people – this would be a good question to ask.

Have y'all ever had any issues with the police or has your license ever been suspended?

Allow them know that you lot will do a background bank check – that yous do it for all applicants. Once they know this they might exist forthcoming.

Describe the most annoying child y'all've always babysat.

Get a window into what bothers them the virtually. Does their example prove some impatience? Is the reply saccharide coated?

Describe the virtually annoying parents you've ever had to work with.

Are they describing you? Are they more annoyed by involved, caring parents or indifferent, uninvolved parents?

If you lot had to subject area our kids, how would you lot exercise it?

Such an important question to ask. Don't presume they won't hit your child or punish them in some other style you might find unacceptable.

How were you disciplined growing up?

If you lot want a better peek into the last reply – inquire them this one. What do they describe? If they experienced harsh discipline do they support it or talk about how they would do things differently?

Trust your gut!

When I await back – at that place were many times my gut told me something was not right.

When she told me she took him to the shop, only something told me she went to her home.

When I told her not to take him out anymore, but when I forgot my bag they were no where to exist constitute.

The warming signs goes on and on. But with each warning sign I had a rational caption to dial dorsum my concerns and she had good excuses.

I volition always trust my gut from now on. I will not care if other people think I am paranoid or overreacting. I will not worry about hurting other people's feelings. I will react. I volition protect.

I am i of the lucky ones. I dodged a major bullet. My kids are okay. Four years later and my kids don't fifty-fifty remember her name. But, I practise. And I will never forget the lessons she taught me. Don't judge a book past its encompass. Because sometimes the cover is overnice, but the story is ugly.

Accept you had a like experience with a babysitter? Do you have any other good questions nosotros should ask sitters? Get out a comment and help u.s.a. all practise a skillful job screening the people we are entrusting to care for our kids.

Do you know other people who need to inquire babysitters these tougher questions? Share this commodity and protect their kids.

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Source: https://www.anxioustoddlers.com/babysitter/

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