If you’re new to the world of finding someone to watch your baby, read and bookmark these interview questions to ask a babysitter. From their experience and certifications to availability and flexibility, these nanny or babysitter interview questions will give you a better picture of whether this is the right babysitter for you. You’ll also find helpful tips on how to conduct a babysitter interview.

Personal Questions

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These interview questions will help you learn more about the babysitter's personality and whether they meet your basic requirements.

1. How would you describe yourself?

2. What do you like to do in your free time?

3. Did you grow up around younger kids (siblings, cousins, neighbors)?

4. What is your availability? Do you have time constraints that would prevent you from staying later if necessary?

5. Do you have reliable transportation? What kind?

6. Do you smoke?

7. Would you be comfortable taking a drug test?

8. How much do you charge?

Experience Questions

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These questions can help you determine whether this babysitter has the necessary experience.

9. Describe your babysitting experience. How long were you with each family? What ages were the children?

10. What are your favorite and least favorite parts about babysitting?

11. How comfortable are you with changing diapers?

12. What are your methods for putting a baby down to sleep?

13. What was your scariest/most challenging babysitting situation? How did you respond?

14. Do you check on babies while they sleep? Why or why not? If you do, how often?

15. Do you have first aid and CPR training? If so, when were you certified? If not, would you be willing to get it?

16. Do you have references I can contact?

Scenario Questions

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These interview questions will give you an understanding of how well prepared this babysitter is to care for your child.

17. The baby starts choking; what do you do?

18. You are getting ready to give the baby a bath when you smell smoke; what is the first thing you do?

19. You and the baby have been playing when you notice that she starts rubbing her eyes and crying. What do you think that means, and how do you respond?

20. The baby just had a blowout in his diaper. Explain how you handle it.

Interview Tips

1. Call the references your babysitter gives you.

Ask them questions like:

  • How well do you know the sitter?
  • Has he/she worked for you specifically as a babysitter? If not, what was his/her role?
  • Is he/she punctual?
  • Is he/she dependable?
  • How did he/she handle a difficult situation while caring for your child?
  • Would you hire him/her again?
  • What three words would you use to describe him/her?

2. Check out the person on social media.
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and other social media sites are great ways to find out if the persona your babysitter is portraying to you is the one they portray to everyone else. Google is also a handy tool to find out the inside scoop on your prospective babysitter.

3. Discuss your expectations.
Do you expect your babysitter to perform household tasks (folding laundry, doing dishes and taking care of light housework) while working for you? Do you have a strict eat & sleep schedule you want the sitter to follow? If so, communicate that during your interview. Having crystal-clear expectations will help you both as you gauge whether this is a match.

4. Request a trial run while you're home. 
Schedule a time for the babysitter to watch your baby while you're home. You can evaluate how the babysitter interacts with your baby, if they use common sense, how their diaper-changing and feeding skills are and their general demeanor and confidence with babies. It will also help you determine if your baby responds well to the sitter.

Sarah Blight

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We’ve all been in this nightmare parenting scenario: the favorite stuffed animal goes MIA and a meltdown is imminent. But what if there’s a way to save hours of tears and searching? GUND is partnering with Chipolo, a Bluetooth tracking device and you’ll get a free tracker when you make any purchase over $50 online!

Once that package comes, attach the Chipolo Plus tracker (retail value $25) to your new GUND purchase or old favorite and connect it to the Chipolo app. The next time Caticorn disappears, hit the tracker in the app and listen for the tone. Your search just got much simpler! The app can also send “out of range” alerts if you leave the house, school, or the store without your kid’s stuffed bestie.

GUND is synonymous with quality, our plush is designed to last a lifetime – unless you lose it,” said Laura Henderson, Spin Master’s EVP of Marketing and mother to a two-year-old, classic GUND Snuffles lover. “We receive hundreds of emails from parents who are desperately trying to track down a lost plush and have seen social media posts go viral with celebrities even pitching in to help in search efforts.  Our collaboration with Chipolo offers an easy solution that makes parents’ lives just a little bit easier.”

You’ll have plenty of plush options to choose from online, including dinosaurs, PAW Patrol characters and the classic teddy bears. The promotion starts today and runs while supplies last, plus orders over $50 conveniently ship free. Save the day and your sanity!

––Sarah Shebek

All images: Courtesy of GUND

 

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Photo: Tanya Teichroeb

“Two drowning people can’t save each other, remember?” I say as my teen’s thumbs tap across their phone on the couch across from me.

It’s 10:35 p.m. and a friend with similar mental health struggles posted something dark in their stories again. It’s a regular occurrence—but not always the same friend on the other end. A struggling teen reaches out to mine because they understand each other’s dark thoughts. My child hurts for them because they know the mental pain first hand and can’t rest until they’ve talked their friend back into a safe zone.

It’s a hard line to balance on. On one hand they can’t abandon their desperate friend, but on the other hand, it adds stress to an already stressed-out brain.

I often repeat my drowning scenario as a reminder to be careful.

Life is a lake in my scenario and we all experience it differently. You’ll see the competitive swimmers with purpose to every stroke and the relaxed ones floating as they soak up the sun. Look a little harder and you’ll see some weathering storms and gasping for air as they wait for it to pass and still others use a personal floatation device (PFD) to make sure they get where they need without going under.

Then there are the ones silently treading water and struggling for air. All their strength is used to keep from drowning. They don’t feel the sun. They don’t seem to be getting anywhere. However, they notice other people in the same predicament…and they latch on to each other.

Sound dangerous? It is, but it’s easier to reach out to someone who obviously understands you. You don’t reach out to someone who tells you to try harder. Their advice is useless.

What my teen needs is a life-saving device like a PFD. Maybe it’s made of counsellor appointments, doctor visits, medications, healthier eating, etc. Maybe part of it is a supportive family and safe places to talk. Whatever it’s made of, it’s slow to put together and hard to put on at first as it’s made of many components working together.

What our teens need is a hero.

Someone that made it through. Someone that conquered those inner voices or learned to control and manage them so they could go on to fulfill their dreams. Someone who knows what it feels like to fight for air, but is not currently in that state.

Our struggling teens don’t look at someone floating leisurely in the sun or swimming hard to pursue their goal and feel inspired to try. No, they think “I can’t do that.”

What they need is someone who was struggling to keep their head above water, but grew stronger and now swims with confidence. Our youth need to hear how people around them once wondered if they would ever make it.

They need to know that the people they think have it all together, used to fight for survival.

They need heroes in mental health. They need to hear if you fought with depression every day or anxiety kept you from functioning some weeks. They need to know that there are mental health heroes all around them.

They need you to swim up beside them and help them put that PFD on.

You can start by saying “I was drowning once too.”

 

This post originally appeared on Teens and Coffee Beans by Tanya Teichroeb.

Tanya is a mother to three teens and writes about these beautiful and challenging years on Teens & Coffee Beans-by Tanya Teichroeb | Facebook

Photo: Karissa Whitman

I was four months postpartum. I was struggling with nursing my son, but we had a wedding we had already committed to going to. I was so nervous because I was worried I’d lose my breastmilk supply for not nursing for so long. I spent the entire day packing myself a little bag full of my supplies. My breast pump, bottles, an icepack inside an insulated cooler for my milk, my nipple cream, etc…I was packed and ready.

I needed to run to the bathroom real quick and figured “Hey, why not rely on my sweet reliable awesome husband to put my bags in the car?” You know, I trusted him so much I didn’t even think to check all the bags made it into the trunk. 

About 25 minutes into our drive, I told my husband I’d probably have to pump upon arriving and once again before the reception starts. His response, “Well, did you bring your pump?” I looked at him and said, “Well duh, you packed the bags in the car, right?” Nope. He only grabbed one bag. My purse. Which, thanks hunny, I did need that. But I really needed the pump more.

At this point, the panic started to set in. This was our first long outing without my son. It was about 50 miles away from home. And already late at night. Once I calmed down, I figured I could just run to a local Target or Walmart and pick up a little cheap hand pump. Well get this, we get to Target, run in, and they were sold out of hand pumps. The next best thing was a $100 electric pump.

At this rate, I was thinking I could just grab some bottles, a little cooler and manually express myself. We were now running about 15 minutes late to this wedding we had already driven so far to get to and decided that would be the plan. During the first “manual” pump, I sat in the car all by myself with my husband’s shirts hanging on the windows for some privacy. I was trying so hard to express anything but just kept getting a drop, drop, drop. I never even had a letdown, yet my breasts felt so full and engorged by this rate.

I sat in the car and shed a few tears, I mean come on, can ya blame a girl with breasts full of milk who is pumpless and it’s the first long outing away from her baby? Talk about the worst-case scenario. I tried going back inside and running some paper towels under warm water to try and warm compress, but that didn’t work either.

Looking back I think I was so stressed it definitely played into my ability to have a letdown. Also looking back, I will never let my husband pack my pump again, well I probably will, but that trust is hard to regain. I mean, lesson truly learned. By the time we got home that night (and yes, we ended up leaving early), I was able to nurse my son and relieve all the pain and pressure from the milk.

So new mama, my tip to you? Take a moment to double-check that you’ve packed your breast pump and that it’s also in the car. 

Karissa is a mom to two young boys and a blogger of Mom After Baby. Karissa believes ALL moms are capable of life beyond motherhood and is passionate about providing informative & educational content to new, expecting, and postpartum moms.

Photo: Slumberkins

The holidays can be a great time to practice conflict resolution skills. More people + more perspectives = more conflict. Whether it’s with partners, family members, or children, some of the same skills can work for us all. Try using the four C’s of Conflict Resolution: Calm, Curiosity, Collaboration and Connection when conflict emerges.

1. Calm: Try using positive self-talk or taking deep breaths to calm yourself when conflict emerges. Maybe say to yourself, “I can handle this conflict, I’ve got this.” We are much better able to navigate conflict when we have our body calm and regulated. This also helps those around us regulate too since emotions can be contagious.

2. Curiosity: Use curiosity to explore what the other person is trying to communicate. You don’t have to agree with them, but try reflecting back to them what you hear them say. “I see, you are thinking that pumpkin pie would be better than pecan this year.” This helps the other person feel heard and understood and helps you move into a place of understanding, from which you can problem solve.

3. Collaboration: Explore the possibilities of problem-solving the conflict. Take the time to express your own perspective and see if you can encourage the other person to engage with you in coming up with creative solutions. Even children can learn to do this. Is there a solution that could lead to everyone being happy? If not, what would be another creative option.

4. Connection: Whether you came up with a mutual solution, or ended with an “agree to disagree” scenario, we can almost always find a way to connect and repair with the ones we love. Letting a child know, “it’s okay to be sad about my decision” or letting a relative know, “I hear how disappointing it is to change plans this year. I feel sad about it too. I cannot wait to see you again next year.” can remind us that conflict is a natural part of relationships and we can get through these moments with love and connection.

There are many resources and tools available these days to support young children in learning these conflict resolution skills early on. Slumberkins Conflict Resolution Collection with Hammerhead Shark offers more tools and support for moving through these moments together.

 

Kelly Oriard & Callie Christensen
Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Kelly Oriard and Callie Christensen are co-founders of Slumberkins, a children's brand supporting social-emotional learning for children. Kelly has a dual master's degree in family therapy and school counseling, and Callie has a master's degree in teaching. Both are passionate about teaching children social-emotional skills to thrive in our modern world. 

We cannot wait to get back into a dark and cozy movie theater, surrounded by the smell of buttered popcorn. But until then, movie nights at home are all the rage. Added bonus? The whole family gets to join, including our family pets. Think Like a Dog, a new family comedy about the bond between a boy and his dog, premieres on Digital and On Demand Jun. 9. So we’re busy planning a dog-friendly movie night at home just in time. Read on for clever ideas to host your own, plus find out why we give this awesome new flick, starring Megan Fox and Josh Duhamel, two paws up!

The Power of Friendship 

Lionsgate

In the movie, twelve-year-old Oliver is a tech prodigy whose middle school science experiment goes awry, resulting in Oliver and his dog, Henry, being able to hear each other’s thoughts! Oliver and Henry become even closer through this newly acquired super skill, joining forces to overcome obstacles at school and home, even helping Oliver's parents rekindle their marriage. (That's some dog!) If your kiddos are missing out on seeing their friends, see if another family can do a simultaneous “watch party” where the kiddos are all watching the movie at the same time. After the film, get the kids onto a Zoom or FaceTime to talk about the flick!

Cool Science

istock

You might not be able to recreate the exact scenario (how cool would that be if you could hear your dogs thoughts?) but watching Oliver get all sciency is sure to inspire your kid to do the same, so why not have a little science experiment set up for afterward (or intermission)? Don't know where to start? Check out these classic science experiments

 

Treats for You and for Your Furry Friend

Deborah Breen Whiting via Pixabay

A movie without popcorn is like a dog without a bone! Stray from the norm with one of our popcorn recipes. Popcorn cake? Yes, please! Don't forget your four-legged friend. Your pup may not be able to tell you exactly what they want like Henry can, but they can enjoy some homemade dog biscuits, too.

Dress for the Occasion

Katie Bernotsky via Unsplash

It's not an event without donning some special duds. Better yet: match your best fur buddy or how about getting your dog a bowtie for a good cause. Looking sharp!

Tickets, Please!

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The good news is your movie won't be sold out, but don't let that stop you from making your own tickets! Use one of these free downloadable templates to create tickets for the movie, even popcorn, candy and snacks to set the scene! Send them around to friends and family to see if they want to “meet” you at the movies. 

Lionsgate

Think Like a Dog premieres on Digital on On Demand on June 9! Need another reason to gather your family, furry and otherwise, to watch this new movie? Not only does it star Megan Fox and Josh Duhamel, it’s written and directed by Gil Junger, who directed 10 Things I Hate About You and was a Daytime Emmy nominee for directing the TV series "Ellen", and produced by Andrew Lazar, who also produced 10 Things I Hate About You—meaning the little ones aren't the only ones who will get some laughs in during movie night!

 

—Jamie Aderski

 

Photo: Rawpixel

Books are my spirit animal. Well, maybe dragonflies, but anything bound and full of inspiration and insight runs a close second in stirring my soul. While many of us in the book lover club have read hundreds upon hundreds of amazing works, we usually sink our heart into a few favorites.

One of my all-time cherished books, which I recommend to anyone willing to listen, is The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz. This little gem is only 138 pages, but every word awakens the spirit and makes you think. You come to a certain knowing with each agreement listed, nodding your head in affirmation of a spoken truth.

Don Miguel Ruiz shares how making only four agreements with yourself and the universe can unfold and unfurl the bound-up version of self and lead you back to your authentic identity and purpose. Doing so awards you the freedom to live from a place of wholeness.

Regardless of your worldview or spiritual beliefs/non-belief, these four agreements make sense because they’re universal truths any of us can and want to live out. No matter who I recommend this book to, no matter what they believe beyond the here and now, the wisdom shared within The Four Agreements resonates.

1. Be impeccable with your word.

All we need do is look at Twitter for 30 seconds to realize how often this agreement finds rejection. Words matter. They can cause irreparable damage and instill lasting hope. This world is in dire need of the latter.

2. Don’t take things personally.

Who doesn’t do this? And how is it working out for us? The rampant “everything is about me” mentality is causing widespread disconnect and detachment.

3. Don’t make assumptions.

We live in a world that functions on assumption more than fact. Headlines and gossip have become the basis for judgment. In large part because communication, which requires listening, discerning, studying, has become a lost art.

4. Do your best.

Every human can start doing this right now. Doing our best is enough, even if some days our finest hour is a complete mess or failure. Doing our best includes accepting and forgiving ourselves and others for collective weaknesses and faults.

As common sense as these agreements sound, we’ve all fallen into the trap of living outside their boundaries. The human thing, ego thing, illusion thing, is hard. But continued resistance to these positive commitments means more misery, suffering and dysfunction will exist. The good news is, a mindful decision to enter into these agreements—the best we can—will change the world around us. Instantly.

Consider just one example: if you decide not to take your coworkers comment personally today, then your time home with the family after work will be pleasant and enjoyable. This in turn makes for a stress-free evening for your spouse and kids. The lack of tension helps everyone have a good night’s rest. And, come morning, each person in your family starts a new day feeling refreshed, joyful and ready to face the world.

In this scenario, agreeing to not take things personally in one single instance affects the entirety of your experience going forward, including all the people in your sphere of influence. One agreement by one individual in one moment of time has the power to change countless lives via the ripple effect.

The four agreements Don Miguel Ruiz challenges us to embody are powerful, important, healing. My commitment to practicing them has changed my life, my family, the people around me.

Although I’m just one person making a small difference in a limited space, together we can make a significant difference in an ever-expanding space. Humanity deserves the healing.

This post originally appeared on Thrive Global.

A self-described “sappy soul whisperer/sarcasm aficionado,” Shelby is a wife of 27 years & mom of three millennials. She co-authored How Are You Feeling, Momma? (You don't need to say, "I'm fine.") Her stories are in print at Guideposts, online at sites like Her View From Home and Parenting Teens & Tweens, and at shelbyspear.com. Get 3 FREE chapters of Shelby's book

There are numerous behavior systems and methods of parenting out there—just take a peek at Pinterest under “Parenting.” While these long-term systems and techniques generally provide some manner of relief in the long-run, sometimes you just need an in-the-trenches, how-the-heck-do-I-handle-this-right-now solution. Here are five tried-and-true methods for stopping that behavior in its tracks.

1. The Whisper. Tired of yelling, especially when nobody is listening?

How it works: Instead of yelling your next instruction or correction, try whispering it. You’ll have to get in their space and on their level to make this one work—which is part of the reason why it works so well. That momentary connection is sometimes all it takes.

Remind them that if they want to say something back, they’re in a whisper-only zone. Before you know it, those grumps will change right into giggles.

2. The Secret Code. The no-nag, embarrassment-proof method to calm.

How it works: When everyone is in a good mood, have a discussion about a secret word that you can say when a behavior needs to be changed. This way, instead of nagging, all you have to do is say the secret code word when behavior is starting to go astray.

This works especially well for kids who don’t do well with being called out in front of peers (#everyone), anxious kiddos, and for behaviors that aren’t necessarily on purpose (maybe you notice someone has hurt feelings, but nobody else has noticed). It also teaches kids self-reflection, as they are the ones who have to identify the behavior that needs stopping.

3. The Show Them Where You Need Them. This works best for visual learners.

How it works: Kids are in loud, hyped-up scenarios all.the.time. Telling a kid they are being loud doesn’t necessarily mean anything to them. Try showing them with your hands. Raising your hands above your head, say “you are up here,” then lower your hands to shoulder, chest or hip level and say “and I need you down here.” This is a visual reminder of exactly how loud they are being, and how much quieter you need them.

Full disclosure: I stole this one from our foster care case manager/trainer. Thanks, Aaron!

4. The Interrogation. So many needs, so little time.

How it works: Remember that last time you were hangry in a work meeting, and every idea seemed awful, or every comment seemed critical? That happens to kids on the regular. The next time they are acting up, try asking a series of rapid-fire questions.

“Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Are you tired? Do you need something?”

Usually they get annoyed and say no to everything…until they stop themselves and say “yes! I AM hungry.” Talk about that poor behavior over a snack, once everyone is feeling a little less monstrous.

5. The Countdown. This isn’t your Grandma’s counting to three.

How it works: Start at twenty and count down toward zero. If they get to zero, they get a consequence.

Counting is a cue that an unwanted behavior needs to stop. But it puts kids in control in a small, simple way. They decide when to stop. It’s a tiny risk-reward scenario (i.e. Can I stop before mom gets to zero? What if I don’t?) that happens each and every time you count. Even more importantly, it gives the counter something to focus on other than the behavior. Remember that technique of counting to ten when you’re mad? It’s built-in!

Note: if hours have passed since the last countdown, go ahead and start back at twenty. But if it is a series of events in rapid succession, pick up right where you left off, whether 13, 9 or 2. They have less than twenty seconds, but it signals to them that the behavior is continuing, and they aren’t doing a good job addressing it.

Eileen Manes is a writer for kids, a five-going-on-fifteen-year-old wrangler, a reader, a Lego aficionado and a fuzzy puppy lover. If she's not reading, writing or revising, you'll find her procrastinating by redesigning her blog (or living room), hiking or Zumba-ing. But definitely not doing laundry.