Those are great traits but finding a good babysitter possessing all those good qualities are hard to come by because not even we as parents are as perfectly capable. Perhaps in trying to find a good babysitter who will temporarily take care of the kids for us, we should apply a more realistic approach.

Even doting grandparents are not ideal babysitters because they tend to spoil our kids and allow them to do things we do not allow. As a result, children tend to challenge our authority because grandma or grandpa allows them such privileges.

Here are some practical suggestions if you’re having trouble finding a good babysitter:

1. Conduct your interview as if you’re an old friend trying to catch up with the latest about your babysitter. Ask about things in an offhand manner so she can relax and be natural with her answers.

Is she likely to be married and have kids of her own? Does she also impose house rules on her own brood? If yes, how does she go about it or if she’s effective in implementing them? How many kids does she have and how old are they? Do they go to school and do well?

2. Watch for contradicting statements like year of birth, or school location or share fabricated experiences about local night spots or venues which may indicate that she often patronizes. Ask for pictures of her kids if she has one in her wallet and look interested. Give the praises due her if her kids are well raised and well groomed. This is an indication that she practices what she preaches and it might be the end of your quest in finding a good babysitter.

3. Notice if she has any penchant for jewellery, designer clothes, shoes, state-of-the-art cell phones, iPods or MP3s. Give her compliments and make comments on how expensive they must be and take note if she will insist that they are only fakes or imply that they are genuine.

In which ever case, ask about her husband’s work and their family’s source of income. Try to let the person reveal her true self and interests and you might get the idea that taking care of children are the least of her interests.

4. Call your kid and introduce the would-be babysitter. Notice any awkwardness on how the sitter will handle the situation. Well rounded babysitters act on instinct when it comes to handling kids during first meets. They know what to ask or say to the child to make them warm up to them as their babysitter.

5. Ask for contact numbers or email addresses of referrals and as much as possible establish whether they are her regular clients or mostly one-time babysitting engagements. Any excuses not to give you at least one are negative indicators.

You may consider the above suggestions to get an idea about your potential babysitter’s personality especially regarding traits that may influence or affect your child. However, in finding a good babysitter, background checks or investigations should always be performed to ensure your child’s safety and security.

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