The word babysitter can mean different things to different people. To some, it’s a secondary school pupil who watches their children on date nights. To others, it’s the experienced university student who’s there with their children for a few hours after school each day. Or maybe it’s the caregiver you rely on to get the kids to school a few days a week. Regardless, babysitters can be an integral part of your childcare team, especially for those who don’t need the full-time support of a nanny.
Before you begin the search for the perfect babysitter, it’s important to know exactly what type of caregiver you’re looking for because different types of sitters can offer different things in terms of experience, qualifications and even availability.
Here’s what to know before you get started on your search for a babysitter.
Types of babysitters
The perfect babysitter can be anyone, from a neighbour down the street to an experienced former educator you found in a local community group. But the right kind of babysitter depends on what your family’s specific needs are, so you should have an idea of what different types of babysitters can offer.
Secondary school pupils
Babysitters in this age group are good matches for weekend and summer jobs. While they are typically the youngest of the available babysitters, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re less capable. Ideally, a secondary school sitter will have participated in a training course or got their CPR certification, or at least have experience working with kids or other families. They should also live nearby, as some in this age group may not have their own transportation or a driver’s license.
University students
Depending on their schedules, university students may have more flexibility than other kinds of babysitters, though they may be unavailable during summer or for certain public holidays. Typically, university-aged babysitters have more experience than secondary school babysitters. For this reason, they may require a higher hourly pay rate. But as a bonus, many babysitters in this age group are drawn to caregiving because they are training for future careers in education or early childhood development, meaning they may possess extra knowledge of how to interact and engage with children in meaningful ways.
Adult babysitters
There are many kinds of adult babysitters. Some may be parents themselves who are looking to earn some income by caring for additional children. Others may be retired or former teachers, grandparents or even former nursery staff who are making a pivot into personalised care. While age implies more experience, it is still important to verify that adult babysitters have valued qualifications, like CPR training, just as you might with a younger babysitter. An adult sitter may charge more, especially if they have training and experience in child-related fields. That said, they are also more likely to have availability during mornings and afternoons when other babysitters who have school or extracurricular activities are not available.
Traits to consider when looking for a sitter
Each family has different needs and different preferences when it comes to finding a babysitter. Before you jump in and decide on your babysitter, spend some time thinking about what you need and want in your ideal sitter.
While each babysitter is unique, there are a few key traits and qualities most sitters should have:
- Enthusiasm: The babysitter should genuinely enjoy caring for children and approach their work with an energy that shows they’re truly interested in the kids in their care.
- Initiative: The babysitter may not know the ins and outs of your household right away, but they should be able to jump right in, get the children engaged and anticipate their needs.
- Playfulness: The babysitter should possess the ability to play and knows how to keep kids entertained, such as by setting up scavenger hunts, doing science experiments and making up plays.
- Responsibility: No matter how much fun they’re having, it’s key that your babysitter still gets the kids in bed on time and sticks to the routine. Ultimately, parents need to know their children are in good hands, so the ability to respect rules and routines is important.
- Professionalism: Babysitting, even in more casual scenarios, is a real job and should be taken seriously. The babysitter should be reliable, dedicated and have experience. In an ideal world, they should understand the job they’re doing and not just treat it like a side gig for making some extra cash.
- Accountability: The babysitter should show up on time, honour commitments and value the responsibility they have to your family. Even if it is a part-time babysitting job, at the end of the day, families rely on their babysitters.
Basic babysitter duties
Babysitters are primarily hired to care for and entertain children, so they don’t typically take on additional duties, such as cooking or household cleaning, that might fall under the purview of a full-time nanny. Still, it’s important to have a clear idea of what duties you do need your babysitter to take on and to communicate those right off the bat.
It’s a good idea for families to spend time actually thinking about what it is that they want this person to do and to gain a bit of understanding about what things are normal for babysitters to do, and what might fall in the “additional extra” column.
Typical babysitter duties include:
- Playing with children.
- Doing simple meal or snack prep and clearing the dishes.
- Cleaning up play areas.
- Changing nappies.
- Helping with potty training.
- Preparing bottles or baby food.
- Getting kids ready for bed.
Extra babysitter duties may require a higher pay rate and can include:
- Transporting children to and from activities or school.
- Helping with homework or tutoring.
- Preparing complex or highly specific meals and snacks (such as in the case of a food allergy or intolerance, for which it may be necessary to find a babysitter with additional experience).
- Doing any chores beyond basic clean-up of the areas and items used.
- Coming up with unique play ideas or educational activities.
If your children require highly specialised care, it could be that a professional nanny is better suited to your needs. In any event, communication is the key to ensuring your babysitter understands what’s expected and feels capable of being able to perform in their role.
Above all, the most important thing is not to blindside your babysitter with a list of responsibilities that they didn’t know about. You don’t want them to come into your home and feel like the setup is different to what was originally communicated.
Safety and childcare training to look for
While safety training and special certifications are not required of babysitters, knowing a caregiver is trained in how to handle an emergency provides great peace of mind to most parents. Here are some safety courses and certifications to look for.
Choking and CPR
Typically, caregivers should have some form of first aid training. This training includes CPR, what to do in cardiac emergencies and how to clear obstructed airways (choking). If you have older children, the caregiver needs to know adult CPR as well, because a child of 11 or 12 is essentially the same size as an adult.
Courses offered by the St John Ambulance will cover this training. If a babysitter says they’ve received this training, you should ask to see a copy of their certification so you can verify that it is current, as trainees must be recertified every three years. Tiger Lily offers courses specifically for paediatric and early years care.
Infant and childcare training
Pacey offer early years courses such as the Home-Based Childcare Award that teaches how to work effectively with children in a home-based setting. They also offer courses on first aid and CPR.
Water safety training
Particularly if you’re hiring a summer babysitter or have a pool, it may be a good idea to find a babysitter with water safety training. Water safety training courses offered by the Royal Life Saving Society cover possible dangers near water and how to respond in an emergency.