What To Ask Babysitter Interview

What Are Your Views On Discipline Would You Change If We Ask

Discipline is a very important subject as it is essential that you and your babysitter are on the same page when handling challenging behaviors from your children.

You really want continuity of care while you are out, so I would advise spending a lot of time discussing your familys current discipline process and ensuring that the babysitter is on board with what you are already doing. They may even have some ideas that you havent heard of before and want to implement them yourself!

At Kidsit we strongly discourage spanking and do our best to promote positive discipline techniques as an alternative.

Ask Questions Related To Transportation

If your babysitting job doesnt involve the candidate transporting the kids anywhere, ask questions to understand how reliable their transportation will be to and from your house. If you do need a babysitter who can drive, ask to see their drivers license and ask detailed questions about their driving record. If your children use a car seat or booster seat, take the time to show them how it works and then ask them to show you the process on their own.

What Would You Do If A Child You Were Babysitting Refused To Go To Bed

A parent may ask you this question to gain a better understanding of how you would manage conflict or misbehavior while babysitting. Since a child refusing to go to bed is a mild yet common behavioral occurrence, your hypothetical response to such a situation should be appropriate. In your answer, try to explain how you would offer incentives to the child and encourage them to go to bed without implementing too much discipline.

Example answer:”If a child refused to go to bed while I was babysitting them, I would try to employ a few different tactics I’ve learned over the years. My first approach would be to offer an incentive to the childâwhat would make bedtime more fun for you? If those incentives didn’t work, I would move toward encouraging their compliance through other methods.”

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If There Was One Skill/lesson You Could Teach Our Child What Would It Be

This will give you a look at what is important to your nannywhether its a foreign language, an activity, or a personality characteristic is less important than what it means to them. Something important to them will likely become something important to your child, and that can be a wonderful thing.

What Do You Like Most About Caring For Children

Caring for children can be challenging for some individuals, but babysitters typically find the experience rewarding and fulfilling. A parent may ask you this question to evaluate whether you actually enjoy the task of babysitting children. In your response, try to describe instances where you felt accomplished as a babysitter or experienced a sentimental moment with a child to demonstrate how much you value working in such a role.

Example answer:”I think the most rewarding part about caring for children is fostering relationships with them and their families. I really cherish the moments where I can help families support a child’s growth and become an integral part of their development. These moments remind me continually that caretaking jobs like babysitting are so much deeper than simply watching a child.”

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Are You Certified In First Aid And Cpr

This is important, especially if the babysitter will be spending long and regular periods of time with your kids. If you really like the candidate and they have not yet been certified, ask them if they would be willing to do so before they begin working for you. There are typically many options for one-day courses. If the candidate has already completed a first aid and CPR course, ask them to provide evidence of this certification.

What Are Your Views About Disciplining Children

Every family a babysitter encounters will have differing views about disciplining children. A parent may ask you this to see whether you’re flexible with your disciplinary protocol and how you may collaborate with a family to identify the best disciplinary solutions possible. In your answer, demonstrate your flexibility and explain that you would defer to their preferences, as long as the child was safe physically and emotionally.

Example answer:”Disciplining a child can be a challenging taskâin most situations, I defer to the child’s parents and use disciplinary tactics that they implement on a day-to-day basis. This helps maintain consistency with the child’s typical experiences. My primary goal with discipline is keeping a child safe, both physically and emotionally, while encouraging them to behave respectfully.”

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Do You Have Formal Education In Childcare

In an ideal world, every babysitter would have education in childcare. In the real world, this isn’t the case. A babysitter may be too young to have a lot of education or be older, but uneducated. When you ask a candidate if he or she has formal education in childcare, there won’t be any misunderstandings. You’ll be able to make a wise and informed decision about hiring that person.

According to Indeed.com, babysitters should fit certain criteria. They should be over 18 and they should have four years of experience. But what about education? How much education a parent wants varies. Find someone who has a level of childcare education that works for you.

Would You Travel With Our Family

Do you want a babysitter who will travel with your family? This is usually more “nanny territory” but a babysitter may be willing to go along on family holidays or other types of trips. Babysitters usually get a bit of extra pay when they travel with families because traveling with families is outside of their usual work duties. Traveling with a family will take away the babysitter’s capacity to do his or her own thing once childcare work is complete.

If a candidate doesn’t want to do this, it’s not necessarily a deal-breaker, but it’s worth considering, as another candidate may be fine with travel. Consider your own family’s needs and if going out of town for a vacation or even just to the family cottage is something you frequently do or hope to do in the future.

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The Most Frequently Asked Questions About The Babysitter Interview

With these general recommendations, lets move on to the practical part: the questions.

We at Jopla have talked to several parents who have been struggling with the search for their first babysitter, and have compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions. We propose them below:

1. How many families have you already babysat for? How old were the children?With this question parents are trying to understand your level of experience they want to know if you have already looked after children of their childrens age or if it would be the first time. Answer with sincerity, there is no right answer.

2. Why do you like working with children?

The reason for this question is obvious: A good babysitter loves spending time with children and dealing with the challenges that this brings. Experience can count, but here it is first of all a question of personal attitude.

3. Do you do any other work or part-time activities?

This question usually serves to introduce the topic of your time availability and the organization of your times with those of the family. Dont hide your schedule or any vacation time youve already planned.

4. Do you smoke?

What the family wants to make sure of is that you wont smoke when youre around the kids. If you smoke, reassure them that you will not do it while on duty.

5. What activities do you like to do with children during babysitting hours?

6. What do you like least about babysitting?

How Many Families Have You Babysat Before What Age Were The Children

This question determines whether the candidate has sufficient experience. A good babysitter can adapt to working with children of all ages. However, you may prefer someone with experience managing baby and toddlers’ needs, or how to engage with young teens.

What to look for in an answer:

• Adaptability
• Experience working for multiple families or different age groups of children
• Understanding of different age groups and their specific needs

Example:

“I have worked for three separate families in the past. My first babysitting role was when I was 16 and caring for the neighbour’s five- and seven-year-old kids after school. After I graduated high school, I joined an agency where they placed me in two other households. In one, I cared for a two-year-old boy three days a week, and the other I babysat a twelve-year-old girl. I’m comfortable working with children of different age groups and always find fun activities to keep them engaged.”

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How Often Do You Use Social Media

Your first clue as to her frequency? If shes texting while youre talking to her. Some young candidates are more attached to their phones and social than others, thinking nothing of FaceTiming friends, mindlessly texting, streaming YouTube videos, browsing and posting to SnapChat all while watching your kids.

You need to be very clear about your expectations, including not posting images with your kids or being on her phone at all unless its an emergency.

Note: This list of babysitter interview questions is meant to be a helpful tool for your family its not meant to be an exhaustive rundown of questions to ask potential caregivers. What would you add? Let us know in the comments.

Interview Questions For A Nanny For An Infant Or Baby:

• Tell me about your experience with infants/babies.

• Do you have experience caring for infants who have a difficult time taking a bottle?

• What is your approach to establishing a sleep schedule?

• If applicable, do you have experience working with new parents?

• What is your experience with pumping and/or supplemental feeding?

• Are you comfortable with our methods of sleep training, play, and/or feeding? What are your preferred methods?

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What Do You Charge Per Hour

You’ll need to know how much money a babysitter will expect to make, per hour, while working for you. Before you think about how much you want to pay, you should learn the facts. According to Lifehacker.com,

Babysitters who live in cities tend to earn more because they are dealing with a higher cost of living than babysitters in smaller towns or rural areas.

In San Francisco, a babysitter will earn an average hourly rate of $16.65, which is higher than the general USA average rate of $13.44 per hour. Don’t expect anyone to work for less than eleven bucks an hour.

Ask About A Sitter’s Skills And Experience But Also Ask Questions That Allow You To Get A Feel For Their Unique Personality And Sense Of Judgment

One of the most important parts of hiring a new babysitter is getting the chance to interview them about their qualifications. The word interview might sound intimidating to some people, but in reality, the interview is your chance to get to know a potential sitter on a deeper level to see what makes them tick and most importantly, to determine whether you want to open your home and expose your children to them.

While you may be inclined to get to know a potential sitter on a more personal level, youll also want to be sure to ask the right questions so that you glean the information needed to make an informed decision about their child care skills. We asked two industry experts, The Babysitting Company founder Rachel Charlupski and NannyTrack co-founder Leah Clarkson and, to tell us the must-ask questions parents should bring to any interview. Heres what they had to say.

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Are You For Or Against Nanny Cams

Nanny cams are a form of video surveillance. Some moms record their babysitters and let them know they’re being recorded. Other moms do it covertly.

Which type of mom do you want to be? If you’re considering recording any babysitter that you hire, and want to be open about it, you should ask a prospective candidate how he or she feels about nanny cams.

Nanny cams are legal in the USA, as long as they aren’t used in areas that are considered private, such as a nanny’s bedroom or a washroom, according to Care.com. Canadians should review provincial laws to find out the rules. It’s best to hire a babysitter who’s ok with being recorded.

Provide Them With Various Hypothetical Scenarios And Ask How They Would Handle Each Situation

These kinds of questions may put the candidate on the spot a bit, but its important for you to see how quickly a babysitter can think and respond in case of emergency. Possible scenarios include fevers, cuts and bruises, tantrums, refusal to go to bed, anxiety over you leaving, and sibling arguments. You know what happens in your house better than anyone, so dont be afraid to put those real scenarios out there as a problem solving scenario.

If you have an anxious child, this type of question can be especially important to ask. I would suggest that a parent with a child suffering from separation anxiety ask the babysitter: “How do you handle children who cling to their parents when they are leaving? Do you feel comfortable holding on to my child while we leave? How will you help my child settle down once we have left, yet he or she is still crying for us?,” says Colleen Wildenheaus, mother of a 13-year-old girl suffering from severe anxiety and OCD, and blogger at Good Bye Anxiety, Hello Joy.

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The Most Common Interview Questions For Babysitters

Babysitting can be a highly fulfilling career for those who enjoy child care. If you’re a prospective babysitter looking for a new position, preparing to answer common interview questions can help you secure a role. In an interview, parents may ask you a variety of questions to evaluate your competencies. In this article, we outline 44 of the most popular interview questions for babysitters, including 10 example answers to help you prepare.

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Here are 12 general questions you may be asked during your interview:

• Can you tell me a little about yourself?

• Where do you see yourself in five years?

• Why did you leave your last role?

• What three words describe you best?

• What are your biggest weaknesses?

• Why do you think we should hire you?

• What makes you unique?

• What interests you about being a babysitter?

• What hobbies do you have outside of work?

• What are your major strengths as an employee?

• What hourly rate do you charge as a babysitter?

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Do You Have References

It’s not enough to ask for references. You have to go further by actually contacting the references and having discussions with the references. If you want a babysitter with a proven track record, rather than a newbie, you should ask for no less than three references and check every one of them.

Great babysitters know that parents want references and they have them on hand. References are the way that they get new jobs. So, don’t feel guilty for asking for references and then actually contacting them.

According to Enannysource.com, when speaking to references, you should ask about the babysitter’s reliability. Also, ask what kind of person the babysitter was.

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Questions About Experience And Background

Here are 11 questions about your specific experience and background as a babysitter:

• How long have you been a babysitter?

• Do you have other experience working with children?

• What inspired you to become a babysitter?

• How many families do you currently work for?

• Do you live nearby or have reliable transportation?

• Is it acceptable if we ever have to call you to stay later than planned?

• Have you ever worked in a long term babysitting position?

• What age groups do you have experience working with?

• What type of educational background do you have?

• Why did you originally start babysitting?

• Do you have any other part-time jobs or time commitments?

Tips For A Babysitting Interview

Here are a few tips to follow to ensure you have a successful interview:

• Do your homework: Before your interview, review the information you have about a family, including a child’s name, age and favorite activities, so you can show your genuine interest.

• Engage with the kids if you can: Most of your job will entail engaging children in various activities. During the interview, try to put forth an effort to engage with a family’s children.

• Prepare to answer child care questions: In your preparations, make sure that you rehearse answering questions about your child care skills, as they are the most relevant.

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What Are Your Hobbies

A prospective babysitter may be a talented artist, or a gifted athlete, or anything else under the sun. Taking a look at a babysitter’s hobbies will help you to get to know him or her faster. Our hobbies say a lot about us. Also, asking about hobbies is definitely a great ice-breaker during interviews. It’s a little break from asking the hard questions.

It’ll be great if you can find a babysitter whose hobbies are similar to your own, but this isn’t mandatory. As long as the hobby’s wholesome, it’s a sign of a well-rounded person who enjoys life.

Via Skype Or Telephone

Having a first interview using Skype or telephone is a good way to get acquainted with your potential babysitter. If you have many candidates, it can be a more efficient way to shortlist those that you feel are most qualified.

It’s not recommended to hire a babysitter solely because of an interview over telephone or Skype though. You’ll still want to have a second interview to meet at least one candidate face to face before you offer them the job. Ideally, you’ll want to see how the babysitter interacts with your children in person as well.

When scheduling your telephone or Skype interview, be sure to get someone else to watch your children and any noisy pets. You don’t want any distractions or loud background noise while you’re interviewing possible babysitters, as it won’t give a great first impression.

A phone interview allows you to get all the basic must-have questions out of the way that might immediately disqualify someone like:Availability .

• Experience .
• References and how to contact them.
• Permission to request a background check.
• Rates.

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