There are plenty of ways to find a babysitter. The real question is how to find a trustworthy babysitter.

 

Finding the right babysitter for your kids can be an overwhelming process. You want to find someone reliable who will be a good role model for your children.

 

Having the right influence on your kids at any early age can make a huge difference in their learning.

 

Everyone knows a babysitter. But you can’t just take any Jane Doe off the street to watch your kids.

 

Here are some tips for how to find a trustworthy babysitter:

 

1 – Do a background check

 

You would think this would be standard, but it’s not. You need to know that the person watching your children doesn’t have a criminal past.

 

Background checks aren’t too expensive if you get one ($30-50)… but if you’re interviewing at least a handful (you should), that process becomes expensive and time consuming quickly.

 

With Smart Choice Sitters, the sitters all get their student identification checked. But we don’t stop there. We also check their transcript. Only students and recent graduates of an institution of higher learning who held a 3.0 GPA or better are bookable on our site.

 

2 – Interview multiple candidates

 

Like interviewing job candidates at work, you don’t want to interview just one person and think you’ve found the right person for the job. You won’t fully know who else is available and qualified.

 

Take some time. Prepare questions and know what answers you’d like to hear. Get to know the candidates a bit.

 

You may even need to hire multiple sitters. Your primary may not be available each time you need a sitter. She may have something come up

 

3 – Get references

 

Always get references. If the candidates don’t have babysitting experience, get character references. Read the reference letters.

 

They may provide some valuable insight into your potential sitter’s personality, which will guide you in the right direction.

 

4 – Ask the tough questions

 

Don’t be afraid to ask tough questions. This person is going to be looking after your child. That’s a very important role.

 

Don’t be shy about asking the questions you need answered to feel comfortable having that person around your kid.

 

5 – Trust, but verify

 

You don’t need to be super skeptical of everyone, but verify the information before you decide on a sitter.

If you can, outsource the verification process to a reliable source like Smart Choice Sitters. Having someone else take the time to screen potential sitters makes your life easier and puts your mind at ease.