Creating a Long-Term Relationship with Your College Babysitter

Creating a long-term relationship with your college babysitter can help provide consistency and stability for your child. You need to be able to trust your babysitter, and your babysitter should have a good relationship with you and your child to help care for them. A good, long-term relationship can seem daunting to build from scratch, but it can be done.

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Find the right fit

When hiring a babysitter, it is important that you find the right babysitter for you and your child. The babysitter should align with your parenting style and understand why you make the choices you make. This is essential as disagreements will cause your babysitter to quit. During the interview process, have a trial run to see how they handle situations to ensure they handle things in a way you would as well.

Keep communication open

The most important part of any relationship is allowing for communication. This is especially true when it comes to the person taking care of your child. The babysitter needs to feel like they can come to you to ask advice about caring for your child, and you need to trust that the babysitter will be open to feedback that may arise. Communication is a two-way street, but if you feel like it is only one way, this will cause issues.

Prioritize boundaries

When you have a babysitter coming into your home, it can be difficult to maintain professional boundaries. You want your babysitter to feel like a part of your family, but it is also important that they have boundaries respected. If they do not want to come over for dinner, do not force them to. Boundaries go both ways as well. If your babysitter is doing something that crosses a line with you or your child, do not hesitate to communicate this with them. If they do not listen or seem to care, it may be time to find a new babysitter.

Make them feel at home

When you invite your babysitter into your home to care for your child, allow them to make themselves at home. This allows them to feel comfortable and will help them better care for your child. They will feel like they are able to use the resources available within your home to help your child when you are not there. Show them what they can and cannot use within your home. Walk them through how to use kitchen gadgets and appliances, as well as your washer and dryer, if you expect them to use these things.

Be there for them

College students have a lot on their plates. From classes and work to student organizations and personal lives, things can be stressful at times. If you notice that they are more tired or stressed than usual, check in to see how they are doing and let them know you are there if they need anything. If they do not feel like sharing right away, respect that and let them know you are there if and when they are ready. Give them time off if they are dealing with difficult situations or family loss. If they get burnt out because they are pushing through stress and working despite what is happening, they will not be able to show up for your family.

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Fair pay to you

In any job, employees are more likely to stay if they are getting fairly compensated for their work. This goes for your student babysitter as well. They have a lot of expenses as a college student, from living expenses to college costs. As such, they may not feel like they can keep babysitting for your family if they are not making the money they need. Make sure they are getting paid at least the average rate in your area and more if you can afford it. If they have proved themselves, consider giving them a raise. They may even come to you to negotiate a raise. Take this request seriously and listen to their points. If you are unable to afford a raise, see if there are any perks you may be able to offer to help offset the lack of a raise.

Build trust

Trust is crucial in any relationship, and that is especially true when it comes to your babysitter. You need to be able to trust that the babysitter will take good care of your child and be professional. Try your best to avoid micromanaging your babysitter, as this will make them feel like you do not trust them. Try not to check in every ten minutes. If they sense that you do not trust them, they will not want to work for you because you are making it seem like you do not trust them.

Building a long-term relationship with your college babysitter allows you to keep them around for a while, which provides consistency for your children and longevity for your babysitter’s career with you.