Introducing Your Child To A New Babysitter

When hiring a new babysitter, it is important to keep a few things in mind in order to make the process go smoothly. Of course, the first step is to hire someone you trust and can leave your kids with, worry-free. The initial interview should be full of your pre-set questions and a thorough explanation of your family dynamic and children’s ages and characters. After hiring your babysitter, here are some tips to follow to get the children on board.

Schedule a “pre-date”:
Before leaving your child alone with the new babysitter, schedule a time where the babysitter can come to the house and you can spend time together, playing games and learning more about each other. If you feel things are going well, you can maybe do a trial run, going to the grocery store or running other, quick errands to test the waters.

Discuss your outing:
For young children, surprises like “Mommy is going out” are not received well. When you know you will be going out and leaving your child with a babysitter, it is a good idea to prepare your young one ahead of time, telling them about your outing, and reminding them of the nice babysitter that played with them at the “pre-date”.

Don’t wait for the last minute:
Have your sitter arrive 10 or 15 minutes before it is time for you to leave the house. This gives the young ones time to adjust to their presence, and also gives you time to give thorough instructions, without having to remember everything while you’re rushing out the door.

Give them something to do:
Ahead of time, plan an activity for the babysitter and your children to enjoy together. This will give them something to do while you are away, distracting them from missing you, and it will also provide the babysitter with some structure if they were not sure how to keep your children entertained.

Prepare bedtime:
Preparing your child’s pajamas, toothbrush, snack, and bedtime story is a great way to reassure your little one. If your child is old enough, have him or her take on the responsibility of explaining to the babysitter how the bedtime routine goes at your household.