Common questions parents ask a new babysitter at an interview

Parents need to know that you are aware of all the responsibilities that come with babysitting. They need to know that you are prepared in case of an emergency and will handle those situations effectively. Another important part of taking a babysitting course is the CPR and First Aid training you’ll receive. This is essential for babysitters to have the knowledge and the confidence to act, should a child be in need.

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Parents are more comfortable hiring a babysitter that has experience. Some experience can include:

• Babysitting Siblings
• Supervising a class of younger students at school
• Entertaining younger relatives at family gatherings

If you don’t have any experience, it is important to be honest with the parents. Perhaps you can volunteer to become a mother’s helper first. Once the parents are ready to hire you, you’ll feel more comfortable and so will the parents.

Parents want to know if you really like kids and are willing to do a good job at keeping their kids safe and entertained while they are gone. Tell them about activities you plan on doing with their children and how you plan on entertaining them. This becomes more difficult when there is a large age-gap between children. For example, if you are babysitting a two-year old and a six-year old, the older child may want to play with toys that have smaller size pieces. However, this can be a dangerous choking hazard for younger kids as they tend to put everything in their mouth. You must know how to entertain both at the same time while keeping them safe.

It’s important for babysitters to be honest. Parents can often give you advice on how to deal with difficult situations as well as how to discipline their children. Discuss different scenarios and how you would handle the situation and ask them for their advice. Parents know their children best and can tell you what works for their children and what doesn’t. For example, an older child may be disciplined differently than a younger child. What works for one may not for all.

It’s important for parents to state clear house rules so the babysitter knows what to expect. Some examples include:

• Are the children allowed to use the Internet or play video games while the parents are gone?
• Are the children allowed to have friends over when they are being babysat?
• Babysitters need to be comfortable enforcing the rules set out by the parents.