How to Find a Babysitter Who Aligns with Your Parenting Style

When raising your child, it’s likely you have decided on a certain parenting style, whether you know the specific name for it or not. As you look for a babysitter, it is important that their parenting, or babysitting in this case, style matches that of your own. Two differing styles can be confusing for your children as they can blur the rules of your home and values that you are trying to teach them. Luckily, there are some steps you can take to ensure that you find a babysitter who aligns with your parenting style.

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What Kind of Parent Are You?

First, think about what kind of parent you are and the qualities a babysitter can have to reflect that as you start your search. You may not have given it much thought before, but today is that day! Jot down what’s important to you in your parenting style and how you raise your children. Do you want someone hands-on, laid-back, or somewhere in the middle? This will help you plan out the next steps as you prepare to meet with potential babysitters.

Ask Specifics

You should conduct interviews with all potential babysitters. Interviewing isn’t just about putting a face to a name on a resume but is essential to finding the right fit for your family and parenting style.

After asking the basic questions about their background in childcare, plan specific questions tailored towards your own parenting style and expectations to see if you have the same mindset. This can include if they rely on screens, can take care of special allergies and medications, and how they monitor your children. Make sure you write everything down or record the interviews so that you can compare different candidates that best match your parenting style. Depending on how many babysitters you meet with, remembering each one exactly may be difficult.

Suggest Scenarios

During your interview, you should also suggest potential scenarios with your children and see how your babysitter would react and take care of it. While this is similar to asking specific questions, this puts more of an emphasis on your babysitter’s actions. How do they react if your child throws a temper tantrum over not getting any extra candy? Do they stay firm in their decision, do they yell, or do they give in?

You might be the type of parent who insists on gentle parenting and yelling might sound horrible to you. Or, you could insist that your child needs to learn the word no and can’t get everything they want. Ask for a very detailed description of your babysitter’s resolution and even play devil’s advocate. Keep pushing the scenario, what your child might say if told something else, and see where that leads you. Scenarios like this will really help you narrow down which babysitters best align with your parenting style.

Shared Values

You also want your babysitters to share the same values as you and your family. Where do they stand on helping your child with education, discipline, and family and house rules? Talking about these upfront is crucial to finding the perfect babysitter. Insist on honesty because you need to be the right fit for each other.

Check References

You should always check with the references for your babysitter, but this also gives you a glimpse into their past experience. Don’t be shy to ask their references about their own parenting style and how the babysitter accommodated them. If it sounds like their references have a completely different parenting style than your own, the babysitter might not be the best fit for you, depending on their adaptability. However, it is usually difficult for babysitters to align with every single type of parenting style.

If your potential sitter is new to childcare, don’t worry. There is still value in checking with different types of employers. You can still ask how they handled pressure and high-stress situations, and how they dealt with customers if they were in a customer-facing role.

Availability

It’s also important that your babysitter’s availability completely aligns with your own. This might sound like a given, but it is incredibly important for your parenting style and your children’s best interests. If you need full-day help, only after-school help, or nights, the perfect babysitter will be able to match your schedule. That way, you do not have to worry about finding multiple perfect babysitters for you and your family.

By being open about your parenting style and wanting a babysitter who aligns with your expectations, you will find the perfect babysitter for you and your family. Be specific in what you’re looking for, as this is a mutual partnership you will be entering with your prospective babysitter. Follow these steps and find someone who fits into your life and home perfectly.