Trusting someone to look after you kids is never easy, especially if you have just moved to a new town or recently returned to work. With the rises in child obesity and lack of proper physical education in schools, childcare workers have become another line of defense against unhealthy habits for kids. Not only do you need to find someone to take good care of your children and respond well in emergencies, you may also want a sitter who will only feed them healthy foods and encourage healthy activities while you are gone.
The first step is to decide exactly what you want in a babysitter. Do you want them to take an educational, active, or creative approach to watching your kids? Perhaps you are looking for some combination of the three. Make sure you know exactly what you are looking for in a sitter before beginning the search.
The next step is to figure out where to find a babysitter. Since you want a sitter that enjoys being active, you might want to consider asking parents you know that have kids on high school or college sports teams. Ask other members of your community or utilize people that work at the local Boys & Girls Club, YMCA, or other community center. These babysitters are familiar with helping kids stay active, and they know plenty of fun and safe activities and games.
After choosing candidates from churches, local community centers, friend referrals, and classified ads, ask for references and set up an initial interview. Find out how much experience they have, and check their references. Make sure they understand exactly what you want your children to do and eat while you are away, and ask if they are comfortable with the guidelines and responsibilities.
Set up a time for them to meet your kids and arrange for a spouse, friend, or family member to be present. See how they interact with your children, and whether they are caring and disciplined, or negligent and harsh. Offer the opportunity for them to play with your kids in a place where they are less likely to feel that they are being watched, such as the backyard or the basement. Pay attention to the kinds of activities they encourage and the way they speak to your children. Afterwards, be sure to talk to your kids about what they did, what they talked about, and most importantly, if they liked the sitter.
As long as your children are comfortable with your sitter, you are off to a good start. On their first day as babysitter, try to provide a list of fun and healthy activities and snacks. Make sure they understand that certain things such as television, soda and sugary snacks are prohibited, and let them know the laws of the land such as the requirement of finishing dinner before leaving the table. Make sure they are familiar with a few PE games and activities in order to make sure they never run out of entertainment and active options. At the end of the babysitting job, be sure to find details about exactly what they did, what your kids ate, and what time they went to bed. Make sure your children’s stories are the same, and if so, you have found a babysitter!
Amanda is a writer and blogger living in San Diego, USA. She writes on behalf of SPARK, an organization that helpes teachers and recreation leaders provide physical education to help fight child obesity.