If you want to make sure your sitter enjoys spending time with your family enough to stick around, here are some tips to make sure that they feel right at home and motivated to do a good job looking after your kids.
Suggest Activities
When you’ve left your kids with someone else for the day, it can be a good idea to give the sitter a run-down of your area and the places and things that your kids like to do. For example, telling them where the nearest park is or any favourite movies or games.
While on this topic, you might also want to mention any limits on what they’re allowed to do (such as only one hour of screen time). Children tend to jump on the opportunity to bend the rules when they have someone looking after them that doesn’t know better.
This can often leave sitters in the awkward position of having to make guesses as to what they should or shouldn’t allow.
Don’t Leave a Mess
We know that It’s near impossible to keep the house clean for more than minute (or even 30 seconds) when you have young ones living with you. In saying that, try your best to have the place as clean as you can before the sitter comes.
This is so there’s not a backlog of cleaning to do on top of keeping up with the constant explosions that happen from the moment you walk through the door.
If things are just too chaotic and you haven’t had enough time then that’s OK, just make sure that you tell them not to worry too much about making things clean.
The only exception to this would obviously be if you organised to pay extra for them to do some housework for you.
Tell Them to Help Themselves to the Pantry
If your sitter isn’t told that he or she can help themselves to your kitchen, then they might go hours without eating because they don’t want to have something they’re not allowed. Make sure you tell them that they’re allowed any of the tea or snacks that are there so that they feel comfortable in doing so.
It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, most sitters are more than happy just eating whatever the kids are having (the kid’s usually have the best snacks anyway). A lot of the time the sitter would have eaten before getting there, but it’s still a kind gesture to offer whatever you have.
Give Them an Idea Of When You’ll Be Home
Every sitter likes to know when they’re going to finish so that they can be prepared, If there’s a chance that you might be coming home past midnight or past the time you give them, then it’s a good idea to message them and let them know.
On the same note, make sure that you’re checking your phone as often as possible in case they message you about coming home or if something urgent happens with the kids.
It’s also a good idea to compensate them for working into the early hours by paying a little extra.
Recommend Them to Others
If you have a great sitter who is wanting more work, put them in touch with some of your friends and make sure to pass on a positive word about them.
They will appreciate the extra opportunities that you’ve given them. Just make sure that you have their permission before you pass on any contact details.
About the Author
Maddy’s years of experience babysitting as well as her love of words bring us all we need to know about all things babysitting. She currently runs the Babysitters List site and still looks after kids occasionally.
