Congratulations! You are a proud parent of a beautiful baby. You hope the best of the world for her. You don't want her to miss anything in life and you want her to grow up with her head held high. You want her to read just like you and take interest in technology like her father. But you don't have the time to monitor your child every hour because you have a full-time job to do. What do you do?



Choosing a babysitter of course. Now, how do you do that? Remember, choosing a babysitter is as difficult as deciding on the scarf that your mother-in-law will like. The first thing you need for choosing a babysitter is to select the right candidate. Where will you go hunting for choosing a babysitter?

Try the high schools, colleges and the neighborhood to see if there is any teenager who would like to make a few extra bucks. There will be plenty. In fact, you will get some who have had the experience. Go for them first. If you have an older kid, try the junior staff of his/her school. They are a better choice since they have first-hand experience in handling kids. You can post jobs in the bulletin for more help on choosing a babysitter.

Authorized bodies allow children as young as twelve to become babysitters. Red Cross allows children of eleven to become babysitters too. Many of them are apt more if they have younger siblings. They know the games to play with the children, what to do to perk up their spirits and so on and so forth.

If you have toddlers, it is advised to go for teenagers simply because they have better co-ordination and better sense of understanding and ability to respond quickly to emergency situations than younger babysitters.

It is always better to ask the babysitters to visit your home for the interview when choosing a babysitter. They are children themselves but they should also understand that they are taking up a real job. It is not an easy job and it involves more than just being there by the child's side. When the young babysitter arrives, see how she conducts herself with your child. Watch how your child responds to the babysitter. You will be able to make out whether they have taken to each other or not.

Ask her if she has done this earlier. If she has, do not hesitate to ask for their contact numbers. Get in touch with them for their recommendations. Finally, when you done with choosing a babysitter, tell her everything that she needs to know about your baby and your house.

When the babysitter finally joins, leave some emergency numbers for her convenience. It must include your number, your office number, your baby's doctor's number, some neighbor's number, the police, the Poison Control Center's local number and the Fire Department. Also, tell her what she is not supposed to do. For example, she is not supposed to make too many phone calls even after she has put your child to sleep, she must not ask her friends to visit her and she should not leave the child alone in the house, even if the world seems to be coming to an end outside.