Safety
Babysitter safety checklist
What to ask before you hire, what to walk through on the first booking, and the one-page sheet to leave on the counter every time.
Ten interview questions that tell you something
- How much experience do you have with children the ages of mine?
- Are your CPR and pediatric first aid certifications current?
- What would you do if my child would not settle at bedtime?
- Walk me through what you would do if a child had a serious fall.
- Have you managed food allergies or given medication before?
- How do you handle screen time when a child pushes back?
- Do you drive, and would you be transporting children?
- How do you use your phone while sitting?
- What is your policy on having anyone else in the home?
- How much notice do you give if you need to cancel?
Listen for specific stories rather than reassurance. A sitter who describes an actual difficult bedtime and what they tried is telling you more than one who says they love kids.
The first booking walkthrough
- Show every exit, and where the keys are
- Point out the first aid kit, flashlight and fire extinguisher
- Demonstrate any lock, gate, monitor or car seat they will use
- Introduce pets and explain their behavior honestly
- Walk through the bedtime routine with your child present
- Say clearly what you want a call about versus a text
The house sheet
Print this and leave it on the counter. Update it twice a year.
Both parents' cell numbers
Where we will be, and when we expect to return
Local emergency contact who can arrive in fifteen minutes
Home address written out for a 911 call
Allergies, medications and exact dosing
Pediatrician name and phone number
Bedtime routine in order, with times
Food that is allowed and food that is not
Wi-Fi password, door codes, alarm instructions
Pet feeding, walking and behavior notes
Where the first aid kit, flashlight and fire extinguisher are
Screen time rules and approved shows
Rules worth stating out loud
- No visitors unless we agreed in advance
- No driving our children unless we arranged it
- Text us a photo or update at a set time if it helps you both
- Never leave the children alone in the house, even briefly
- Call us before calling anyone else, unless it is a 911 situation
Emergency basics
- 911 for medical emergencies, fire and immediate danger
- Poison help line: 1-800-222-1222, staffed around the clock
- Your home address posted where the sitter can read it while on the phone
- Written consent for emergency medical treatment, if your pediatrician requests it
After the booking
Ask your child open questions the next day: what did you do, what was the best part, was anything strange. Ask the sitter what was hard. Both answers tell you whether to book again.