Dana Gutkowski
Latest posts by Dana Gutkowski (see all)
- How can I be a good aunt? - May 19, 2021
- Aunt Quotes - March 19, 2021
- End Your Silence. Support Black Lives Matter - June 29, 2020
Are you thinking about becoming a babysitter and caregiver? What are parents and children looking for when interviewing a babysitter?
Find out if babysitting is the right job for you. It doesn’t matter if you’re a paid babysitter or a family member doing it for free. You’ll want to ask yourself if you have these characteristics before saying yes to becoming a babysitter.
Parents might have more than one babysitter as options. How do you know you’ll be the one to stand out and get the call first to watch their kids?
If you’re the family member that wants to be first in line or the hired help, how can you measure yourself up to find out if you’ve got what it takes to be the best babysitter for families?
All great babysitters share common characteristics. Do you have these qualities?
1.) You’re in touch with your inner child
If you want to work with kids, you have to remember what it’s like to be one. If you’re in touch with the child still lives inside you and can tape into that energy, babysitting is a great job for you.
Kids want someone that will play with them, have fun, and share laughs. Parents want the same for them too. If the kids are happy while they’re away, it takes away from the Mom and Dad guilt.
2.) You’re extroverted
Kids can be a little shy around strangers. If you love being around people, are you constantly smiling and starting conversations, you’re probably extroverted. If you have an outgoing personality like that, you’ll be successful with getting kids to open up to you.
Even if you’re not outgoing with adults (me), you may find that it’s easier to get to know kids. Kids like to be asked questions about themselves, whether it be their clothes, favorite toys, colors, etc. The trick to getting to know kids is to make them the center of attention.
3.) You have a lot of energy to burn
Do you find that you have a need to constantly be moving around? You’re not the type to sit still for long? You wanna get up and go?
If so, kids will love you! Parents know that they’re kids are better behaved and happy when they’re engaged with someone or something. Kids have shorter attention spans so they need someone to keep up with their ever-changing minds.
4.) You’re a nurturer at heart
Parents want to know that you’re not only a fun person to be around, but that you also have a big heart. When they leave their children alone with someone else they need to feel like they’re in good hands.
If you have a love in your heart for kids, whether they’re related to you or not, you’re a nurturer. Great babysitters know how to sooth a scared or nervous child so that they feel safe with them.
5.) You’re open Minded
When you settle into adulthood or begin your journey there, sometimes you can get stuck in your ways of how things should be. For example, how a game should be played, or how something should look.
If you’re a great babysitter, those things don’t matter. You can adapt to the child’s wants and desires as long as it’s still safe for them. They like to explore, color outside the lines, and be free. If you can handle that, you’re a good fit for kids.
6.) You’re a self-starter
Parents want to see someone that can take initiative. It’s best to go into your babysitting stay with a plan. If you can get the ball rolling and not depend on the kids to tell you what you’ll be doing today, you’ll be successful at babysitting.
You’ll hear kids say “I don’t know.” in response to the question, “What would you like to do today?” Or the complainant of “I’m bored.” after 10 minutes of playing. Great babysitters can take the reins and get kids interested in activities or make suggestions to kill that boredom.
7.) You’re Creative
Kids have wild imaginations and they need someone that can keep up with their creative minds. Whether or not they admit it, they love a challenge.
A great babysitter can match the creativity of a child, come up with games, scenarios for imaginary play, or come up with new lyrics for popular songs. You never know what a kid is going to take to, so having creativity in your pocket will help you engage with the child.
8.) You’re responsible
No one wants a babysitter who cancels last minute, doesn’t show up on
The same goes for kids. They need to feel secure when their parents go out. They will feel vulnerable without their parents. So someone that can make them feel safe and that they can trust is crucial for them.
A great babysitter is punctual, organized, and communicative both with the parents and their children.
9.) You’re able to think on your feet
Great babysitters need to be adaptive to their environment. Young children are constantly moving around, changing games, and pushing their limits. Babysitters need to be on their toes at all time to respond to these different scenarios.
10.) You’re patient
Children need someone who won’t easily lose their cool with them, but they’ll also test you to see just how far they can push you. If they know that they can get under your skin and get a reaction, they may do it more frequently just because they can.
If you’re a great babysitter, you’re aware of their tendencies in children and you’re not going to react to every last thing as if a fire alarm is going off.
Parents need to know that they can leave their children with a person that’s calm, cool, and collected the majority of the time.
11.) You’re reliable
You must be able to say you’re going to do something and follow through with it. Babysitters need to be depended on so that parents have support to turn to when they need to be childfree.
Kids want to know they can rely on YOU watching them with their parents go out.
A great babysitter will show respect for their job by arriving on time, doing what is asked of them, and giving feedback to the parents.
