The Best Questions to Ask Potential Babysitters for Your Toddler
Having someone look after your favorite person is a big deal, especially if your child is a toddler. Here are the questions to ask potential babysitters if you’re looking for someone warm, caring and trustworthy. Their responses to these questions will help you determine if the babysitter is the right fit for your family. Here are a few to add to your list:
1. How many hours are you usually asked to watch a child when babysitting?
This is one of the essential questions to ask potential babysitters. Why? If your potential babysitter usually babysits for 2-3 hours and you’re looking for a full day of care, you may want to think through how you can help support the babysitter on a long-haul visit so it is less overwhelming.
2. What are some hobbies of yours that you like to introduce to the children you babysit?
With this question, I’m looking to hear if you have any hobbies.
3. When was the last time you babysat someone my child’s age? How did you spend your time together?
This is one of the most important questions to ask potential babysitters for your toddler. If the answer to this question is ‘never’ or ‘a long time ago’, I’m probably going to pass. Also, if they don’t remember what they did during their time together, that’ll be a ‘no’ for me.
4. What do you do when you realize you are running late and won’t be arriving at the scheduled time?
You probably won’t realize the value of some of these questions to ask potential babysitters until you’re in a situation and you’re glad you discussed it beforehand. With this particular question, I’m looking for a response that indicates they will communicate with me that there will be a delay. I would rather know in advance your new ETA than wonder if you are going to be a ‘no-show’.
5. I practice xyz parenting which means when my child does x or y, I do z. Is that something you feel comfortable doing?
If you want your babysitter to be aligned with how you handle things at home, be specific with your requests. And always ask if this is something they are able to do, instead of assuming the answer is ‘yes’.
6. If something bad happens <provide an example>, how would you handle that situation?
You want to be able use realistic examples. If you’ve had a near miss, use that example. If you have more than 1 child, you could ask…if you take my children to the park and they go in opposite directions, what would you do? If my child has a melt-down, how will you react?
7. Do you plan to have technology-free fun? If so, what does that look like to you?
It may sound old-school to some, but there are a ton of things you can do nowadays without a WiFi connection. Let’s see if they can come up with some. When you find yourself in a situation where they can’t, it becomes painfully clear why this is another one of our most important questions to ask potential babysitters.
Pro Tip:
If your gut is telling you that a potential caregiver isn’t the right one for you, know that the right one is out there (somewhere!) waiting to be found. If the health/safety of your child is the most important thing to you, then pick someone you feel GREAT about, to look after your little one.
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This is so helpful Crystal. We have never used babysitters before, but we need to start as Mummy and Daddy need some time together. I will be referring to this when the time comes – thanks so much for sharing. xx
You’re welcome! Thank you so much for reading! Xx
These are great questions to ask, thanks for sharing
Thank you for reading, Charity!
Selecting a babysitter to take care of your toddlers isn’t an easy task. Not everyone can be trusted. These are good questions to ask. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for reading, Fadima! I agree with you; trusting someone with your most precious being is scary. But once you find that wonderful person, hold on tight to them!
Great post – selecting a baby sitter is so difficult. They would have to be the correct fit.
Agreed. Trusting can be hard sometimes. Xx
Fabulous questions to ask, it’s a minefield looking for nurseries, and childminders
Agree, Debbie! It’s a bit nerve wracking, to say the least, especially when you read all the awful things in the news.
So true xx
These are good questions to ask. It will surely be useful for someone looking to hire a babysitter. Thanks for sharing
Thank you for reading, Rupali!
I think nr 5 is really important to discuss with anyone with whom kid is left, not only paid help. To avoid unpleasant surprises – extreme example spanking or how to handle when kid doesn’t listen. And kids will push boundaries with every new person 🙂
Very true! Thank you so much for reading.
Providing them with scenarios is a great idea! I always hate the scenario questions in interviews haha, but I think in this case you just need to know that your child will be their priority- whatever happens. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Thank you for reading, Eleanor!
Exactly! Thank you for reading!
Great post and questions, thank you for sharing
Thank you for reading, Jasminka!
These seem like excellent questions to ask; I will pass this on to any parents looking to get a babysitter. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for reading, Molly! Xx
I’ve always wondered how you’d go about finding the right babysitter, these questions would definitely be a great place to start.
Yes! It is a bit nerve wracking because there are some scary stories out there, but I’ve found the best luck with current teachers because they are already background checked and are used to caring for multiple children at once.
Great tips and important questions to ask anyone looking after your child.
Thank you for reading!
We haven’t left Alex with anyone other than family yet, but know we’ll need to hire a babysitter at some point so these tips are really useful and insightful. Thank you so much for this go to list of things to ask your babysitter 🙌🏻
You are most welcome! Thank you for reading!!
Thank you for these great tips that will be very helpful to parents looking for a babysitter. It is not easy to leave your child with a stranger, so the choice is crucial because you have to trust this person. Great post!
Corinne
Thank you for reading, Corinne. Yes, it can be quite frightening to leave your child with a stranger. But once you find someone you trust and they adore, it’s magical.
These tips are fantastic, especially #4! It can be super helpful when you’re a busy parent trying to coordinate your child’s or children’s care. Of course, life happens and people may run late sometimes. Discussing what to do in those situations can eliminate a lot of stress and communication issues. Great post! x
Thank you so much, Jordan! I tend to get anxious if people are running late and they don’t communicate! My mind begins to think the worst. Xx