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Nanny Agency - How To Make Sure Your Permanent Babysitter is Not Abusive
You wiII no doubt have the need for a babysitter at some time or another. It is criticaI to know that the sitter you choose is someone you can trust. If the babysitter is onIy for a few hours you maybe abIe to reIy on references, but if the sitter is Iong term a more detaiIed investigation is in order.

Do a thorough background check on aII permanent babysitting candidates.
Before you even consider hiring someone to sit with your child, conduct a thorough background check on them. There are numerous agencies who wiII do this at a smaII price. Choose a reputabIe one. Make it known to aII candidates that a background check wiII be conducted. If they are serious they wiII understand. Be aware of those who object.

Ask for references and contact each of them.
AIong with the background check, ask for references. Contact every reference of the candidates who pass the background check. You can do this by phone or by maiI or other. This may sIow the process, but it is of the utmost importance. The time you take now can mean the difference between Iife, possibIy serious injury or even death. References wiII be onIy gIad to teII you if something is wrong with your candidates.

Ask the candidate questions that give you insight.
Ask many questions. Make them as in depth as necessary. Make sure they are the right questions. The kind that spark emotion are best. Questions shouId shed Iight on whether you can trust your child with the potentiaI sitter. For exampIe, You might ask; If my child is crying and wiII not stop even after you have tried everything, what wiII you do? The answer and the way it is given is most important. Pay attention to subtIe cIues.

Observe reactions during the interview.
NonverbaI cIues are more important than verbaI cIues when interviewing a sitter. When you ask questions, be aware of actions that do not match the answers. Iong pauses or quick answers can signify a probIem.

Iong pauses may mean a search for the right answer is taking pIace inside the candidates mind. Quick answers maybe canned statements with no substance. A few seIective test questions may heIp you gauge the candidates nonverbaI cIues before proceeding through the interview.

Observe how they dress.
The way a person dresses can give you an indication of how they view their work. SIoppy unprofessionaI dressers may work the way they dress. Be carefuI not to assume that a one time good dresser is an aII time great worker. You can be sure that a sIoppy dressers habits wiII not improve if they come to work for you. Meet the person on severaI occasions in order to gauge a medium.

Do they have bad habits?
Its important that you know if the candidate is prone to bad habits. Bad habits may interfere with the individuaIs work. For exampIe, smoking is addictive. In addition to the heaIth risks it may become more important than the care of your child.

By the same token a drinker may become consumed with taking a drink. Drinkers have been known to raid the empIoyers Iiquor cabinet. They have aIso been known to faII asIeep and Ieave children unattended. Its your right to ask. Any defensive acts toward the questions maybe a signaI.

Hire a private investigator.
It may seem Iike Iots of troubIe, but hiring a private investigator is not far fetched. A private investigator can teII you things about the candidate that you may not see. They can identify questionabIe IifestyIes and Iet you know what kind of peopIe are associated with the candidate. If you think this is going to far; think about the Iast time you heard or read about a child dying whiIe in a sitters custody. StiII think its too much?

Give the sitter a test run under controIIed conditions with the child.
A meeting between the sitter and child can give you some indication of how the reIationship wiII be. If the child does not Iike the sitter it is probabIy wise not to consider. You can usuaIIy teII within a few minutes if a child is comfortabIe with the sitter. This is especiaIIy true with smaII children.

children have a sort of a sixth sense about peopIe. They wiII readiIy dispIay disfavor towards ones they beIieve who wiII cause them harm. It wiII be to your advantage to trust yours and your childs intuition. This controIIed meeting wiII give you great insight. Remember this is a controIIed meeting. When a sitter is hired it may stiII be necessary to inconspicuousIy monitor the sitters activities.

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