Quote:
Originally Posted by abaya
At what age does it start being okay to let your child be babysat? How old are the babysitters, usually? And how do you figure out if you can trust them? (Perhaps I should start another thread.)  |
The youngest child I've ever babysat was only a couple of months old, but it wasn't a big deal. There is a stage when a child is an infant that I call the "slug stage." This is the best stage for babysitters in some ways, because the baby is soo boring. There is very little work involved--feed it, change it, put it in its bassinet or swing and call it good. A child can be babysat at any age--but you ought to make sure that the sitter has experience with that age group prior to hire.
And you figure out if you can trust them by checking their references--most of my work comes via word of mouth, meaning parents hear from their friends that I do good work, and then call me. A good babysitter has references and certifications to show for the work that they've done. If your babysitter does not have their First Aid/CPR in infant/child, you should not be employing them. Before you start employing the sitter, it's always good to have them come over and do a meet-and-greet, to see how they interact with your children. A good sitter will be obvious--they will be interested in getting to know your child and playing with your child.
As for the worst thing I've done while babysitting--well, I really haven't done anything bad. I have occasionally looked at things while I was tidying up to figure out where they go, things that may or may not include personal information. Obviously, I've looked in medicine cabinets, but that's just part of the job--usually that's also where the Band-Aids are. And most parents give me permission to eat whatever I want...and I do.
And I don't worry about nannycams--none of the families I babysit for employ such measures, because they trust me, and they should!