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Leaving your children in the capable hands of another person can be scary. As a parent, we have this unique desire to fix everything and protect our children at all costs. Turning that responsibility over to another person that we cannot control can be terrifying. When you are setting out on your quest to find a competent and qualified babysitter, the first place to turn is friends and family.

Although a trusted family member or friend can't be counted on all the time, most of them will also be able to offer recommendations. Ask parent's you trust at the church you attend, someone that works in the nursery on Sundays, one of your children's classmates parents, or your pediatrician's office for recommendations.

When you begin interviewing potential babysitter's make sure you ask for a list of references. Call everyone on the list, and have a list of questions ready. How did they discipline? Did your children like them? What did they do for fun? Did they invite friends or boyfriends over? Don't be shy, most parents will understand your anxiety. Ask your potential sitter if they have had training in CPR and first aid. A general guideline is that for the younger your child, the older a sitter should be. A 13 year old girl will be perfectly able to watch over your five year old child for a few hours, but for a newborn, you may want someone more experienced.

Once you've interviewed and checked your sitter's references invite them over to meet your children. Where as you don't need to sit and observe their interaction, busy yourself in the other room doing dishes or email. You will get an idea for how your children bond with this new person. If your child is shy, suggest they come over for a second visit in a few days.

Before you leave the babysitter alone with your children, give them a tour of the house. Make sure they know where exits are, phones, fire extinguishers, flash lights, extra keys and emergency numbers. If your child has any allergies or specific medical conditions let them know what they are. Type up a list for them to reference.

Filling in your babysitter on house rules is important. If your sitter is unaware of what your child can and cannot do it is easy for your children to manipulate them into staying up late, having a bowl of ice cream or watching too much TV. Let your sitter know what bed times are, acceptable snacks and meals, TV restrictions and what is acceptable on the Internet. Being clear about your expectations is important.

Let the sitter know if they can eat something, have guests over, or watch TV. Realize that the sitter is there to watch your children and unless you specify and pay for other jobs like cleaning, dishes or laundry, you should not expect a babysitter to do those job.

Being able to trust your sitter is paramount. Trust your gut, if something seems "off" move to the next sitter on your list. Your instincts are usually right. Make sure you have a few sitter's to choose from in case your first choice is busy.

Learn more about this author, Molly Carter.
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