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Finding someone you trust enough with the care of your children can be very difficult. After all, the internet is rife with nanny horror stories and babysitting gone wrong. If you need to hire someone to watch your kids, you may be wondering what types of questions to ask a nanny or babysitter. Well, we’ve got you. Here’s a compiled checklist of what to ask a potential caretaker.
What to ask a babysitter before hiring
While this list is not remotely comprehensive, if you only have a little bit of time or may get too overwhelmed, here are the essential questions to ask.
1) What is your childcare background?
It may seem obvious, but it’s important that your babysitter or nanny has actual experience with children — and even the age of the child may matter. Have they ever cared for infants or kids with food allergies or special needs? What activities might they do with your kids? What do they expect from you as an employer? In what situations would they call you or 911?
“If they’re in college, have you taken any early childhood development or psychology class?” advised Sophia Chin, a nanny with more than a decade experience. “For high schoolers, ask them if they’re willing to take a babysitting class offered by the Red Cross.”
2) Are you CPR and/or first aid certified?
Though one hopes to never need the information, basic CPR and first aid are important for any caregiver to know. Different states have different laws for first aid certification renewal, so find out when they were last certified and if they are not up-to-date, whether they are willing to get their certification updated.
3) What is your rate and availability?
Though some people are uncomfortable with discussing money, it’s best to be upfront about the requirements of both parties. Make sure you are specific with your situation!
Some related questions could be:
- How much do you charge? How is that related to your experience?
- What are your rates for [x-amount] of children?
- Do you do overnights? If so, what is your rate for that?
- How much notice do you require?
6) What are your views on discipline?
Children are bound to act up and test a new person’s boundaries, so it is a good idea to see if the babysitter’s style and beliefs align with yours. Ask questions like:
- How comfortable are you enforcing household rules and expectations?
- What do you think is the best kind of discipline for [X-aged] children?
- What is your stance on corporal punishment?
5) Would you be willing to meet up with my kids to see how you get along?
“Always ask if you can have a trial period or ask for a time to introduce your child to the babysitter on a day when you can observe how they interact,” pediatrician Steph Lee, M.D. told Mom.com. “Some babysitters might be amazing people, but for some reason your child doesn't get along with them or [they don't] understand how to handle your specific child's way of communicating their wants or needs.”
Questions to ask a nanny reference
Whether you are checking references for a nanny or babysitter, it’s always good to find out more from previous employers. “The references will probably give you the most info,” added Chin. “You can get a feel of what they’re like from the perspective of another parent who has used their services.”
6) What was their work history with you?
Find out details of their work situation with the previous family like how they met, how long they worked there and why they left.
7) What were their responsibilities?
Each family has different needs and it can be illuminating to find out what your babysitter did for other families (and how well they did).
8) What was their communication style like?
Find out if the babysitter was easy to communicate with. How did they confirm dates? Were they flexible with changes or last minute issues? How did they discuss any problems with the kids?
9) What was their personality like?
While personality doesn’t guarantee excellent service, it certainly helps. Find out how they handled stressful situations, their energy levels, if the kids liked them, how they responded to constructive feedback or concerns, if they were ever late, and if the parents would recommend them to their friends.
Additional health and safety questions to ask
Finally, there are definitely questions people that you might not think to ask but should.
10) Are you vaccinated (and boosted) for COVID-19?
This is especially important if your children are too young or immunocompromised to be vaccinated.
11) Do you have weapons in your home?
If your child is going to a babysitter’s home, you will want to be very clear about whether they have weapons such as guns in their house. If you live in a state with concealed carry permits, find out if they carry a concealed weapon on their person.
12) What are your thoughts on critical race theory?
You can also substitute critical race theory for LGBTQIA+ rights and other issues that are important to the physical and psychological safety and well-being of your family.
“I want to know about weapons and their thoughts on punishment,” Tomika Bryant told Mom.com. “I also want to know their thoughts on critical race theory and racism. As a mom of color, it’s important to know where people stand. I need to make certain that my kids are safe.”
