by Stephanie Epplett

Created on: January 30, 2009

Before leaving your child with a babysitter, you want to know that your children are in capable hands, be comfortable with the sitter and know the kids are comfortable with them too. It doesn't matter how you stumbled across your potential sitter, meeting and interviewing her in person is the most ideal way to decide if this is the sitter for you.

When you make the initial phone call to the sitter, set up a time for the sitter to come over when your family is all at home. Pick a time of day that is more hectic than normal or the kids may be more active. While this seems unfair and will be more difficult to stay focused, it will give you a good insight to how the babysitter will handle chaos or difficult situations.

When the babysitter arrives, invite him/her in and introduce him/her to the children. Give the sitter a tour of the house and begin the interview then. Approach the interview in a casual manner, this will set both you and the sitter at ease. There are several different approaches to casual interviews. You could conduct the interview while making dinner, giving baths, getting the children ready for an outing or outside while the children play. It's always a good idea to have the kids around so you can watch how the perspective sitter interacts and reacts to the children and to the different situations that may arise.

Know the questions you want to ask inside and out. If you are keeping notes, offer the perspective sitter some paper and a pen to make their own notes. Discuss the questions you want to ask and watch carefully the body language as the perspective sitter answers. Keep the conversation upbeat and casual, because some of the questions you ask may be personal and direct give them plenty of time to answer. While they are answering, never interrupt. If you need clarification to an answer, wait until they are finished and ask them to clarify.

If you are comfortable, find an excuse to leave the room for a minute, leaving the child or in the room with the sitter. Watch how the perspective sitter interacts with the kids. Do they talk to them? Do they get down on their level or do they just pretend they aren't in the room? This is also a good time to determine what the sitter is made of. An acquaintance of mine always holds the interview in the kitchen and gives the kids a snack. She always gives the toddler a cup of juice, knowing the child will spill the juice when she leaves the room and knowing the child will cry when she does so. Depending on

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