What questions do i ask a babysitter before i hire them?

[ctmayala]

I'm starting to look for a babysitter for my 5 year old son at night, i thank i fond one but now i don't know what to ask her she would be coming to my home to look after my son she wouldn't be alone with him tell about a month ( i live with my dad and steep mom )
and how do i check her back ground and past babysitting jobs?

[curvedhobbies847]

Just ask her. She wont mind because it's ur responsibility as a mom!

[DizzeeBee]

I babysit a lot and am frequently shocked by the lack of questions I am asked!
Here is some things I advise you do:
1. Ask for a reference from a previous client, if your babysitter has no previous experience (everyone has to start somewhere, as long as they do have experience with relatives or friend's children) ask about their experiences with young children ie. siblings, nieces/nephews, cousins etc and ask if a relative or family friend could provide a reference.
2. Ask about first aid experience and training. They don't need formal training (many parents don't after all) but ensure that they can describe a first aid situation that they have been in and how they have dealt with it. Ask them a few role play style questions: If my son bumped his head what would you do? How would you deal with a wound that was bleeding? When would you call an ambulance?
3. Have a friendly, informal conversation over coffee. This gives you an opportunity to find out things about her you might otherwise not discover. It also gives you a vague idea of the kind of person she is. If she can't hold a short adult conversation, would you want her to look after your child?
4. Google their name. You'd be surprised what comes up when you google someone. You might get a facebook/myspace profile from which you are likely to be able to get a sense of her personality and background.
5. If she isn't someone you know from friends or another fairly close connection, you might want to ask that she has a criminal records check so that you can ensure she has never been convicted of any crimes.
Hope this gave you some ideas