Most parents relish the occasional “kid-free” outing from time to time but may feel anxious leaving their children at home with a babysitter. You can ensure your kids have a safe and fun adult on-hand so that you can worry about making the movie on time instead of what’s happening at home when you follow these guidelines:
- ask for recommendations from neighbors, teachers and your children’s friend’s parents;
- do an interview and make sure the potential babysitter understands what is expected of him or her when caring for your children;
- invite the babysitter over before hiring so that he or she can meet the children and you can get an idea of how they all get along;
- ask the babysitter for references and actually follow up and contact them; and
- perform a quick internet search of the babysitter’s name to see if anything troubling comes up; you can also request a police background check if you feel the need to do so.
