How to Check A Babysitter’s References

It's all too sad but true but some parent's do not check out a babysitter's references because they consider it time consuming or simply because they are not sure what to ask. This is not a good idea because you do not want a stranger looking after your child – God knows who this person is and what was in their past.

Of course it is important to look at a potential references record because that is the only way you can find out information about your babysitter's competence.

Generally it is recommended that you get a minimum of three references (unless your babysitter is quite young and you are aware that you are part of the learning curve!)

Below is the minimum amount of information that you need to get from the babysitter.

Name of Parents _______________________

Name(s)/Age(s) of Child/Children _______________________

Dates Worked _______________________

Phone number/email address _______________________

Here are the questions that you should ask each reference.
How long have you known this babysitter?
Does this babysitter currently taking care of your child?
How long did the babysitter care for your child/children?
How old were your children at the time?
How many hours did the babysitter work? If regular, what was the schedule?
Why did babysitting arrangement end?
Did the babysitting experience with this person hold any disappointments for you?
What would you say is this babysitter's greatest strength?
Was the babysitter good at interacting with your children?
Did the babysitter participate in activities with your children.
How did the babysitter discipline your children?
Did the babysitter return calls promptly?
Was the babysitter on time for babysitting gigs?
Did the babysitter handle any emergencies for you and if so what happened?
How would you compare this babysitter to other babysitters you have hired?
If you needed a babysitter tomorrow would you hire this person again? If no, why not?
Not every single one of the suggested questions above may apply to your situation but the more thorough you are about asking questions of your babysitter's references the more you will know about his or her capabilities and the quicker you will be able to build up a trusting worker/employer relationship.

Many moms skip this step thinking they just have good intuition. However the trickiest people are the most charming. If your kids are important to you I highly advise you not to make the mistake of judging a book by its cover.

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Should You Spy On Your Kid’s FB or Myspace Page

Should you look at your kids's facebook or myspace page? They say that ignorance is bliss. If you do peek you really might learn something about your child that you would rather not know.

Before you take a peek you better have a good reason for invading your child's privacy. Many psychologists feel that teens need their own space within which to learn about processing their feelings and act out their own little dramas. It is not always necessary for you to be involved in these matters. Allowing them to express their own conflicts is part of the maturation process.

Of course it is hard to think of yourself as 'snooping' when these pages are very private. The justification in a parent's head is 'Why shouldn't I look if everyone else is…?'

Think of it this way. Would you like it if your kids were looking at your page? Most psychologists don't recommend snooping. Nothing builds responsibility and accountability in a child more than being trusted to figure out things on one's own. Your child must know that it is okay to make a mistake or two.

Still the other side of the argument is that these sites are social networking sites for adults and kids just happen to be on them. That is why these sites pose so many risks for teenagers.

Keep in mind that there is a fine line between taking a peek at someone's site and spying. It also may be hard not to become obsessed by what you see on some of these sites. It is just the nature of 'the beast.'

However there are some times in life when it is okay to spy. For instance if you expect our child is engaged in dangerous behaviors or relationships and you are having difficulty asserting your rightful parental control. If you feel your child's welfare is in danger it is definitely time to take charge. This is true if you think your child is at all involved in drug abuse, an abusive relationship, self-mutilation, drugs, pornography or anything else. In that case make sure you snoop in your kid's room, backpack, cell phone records and internet profiles in an effort to help him or her!

If you just casually want to take a look at the page all you have o do is make an appointment with your child to look at it. This shows your child that you have some respect for him or her even though he or she might be very irritated that you had to ask at all!

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