Parent Resources

How much do you pay for babysitting?
How do I choose a babysitter?
What questions should I ask a potential sitter?
Additional Thoughts...

How much do you pay for babysitting?

All parents need at least some "me" time away from their children. A common question is "can we afford to pay someone to care for our child(ren)? Here are some questions to ask yourself when interviewing the prospective care giver:

Do you pay for occasional babysitting so you can go out?
What did you pay the previous babysitter?
Is this price set by you or the sitter?
If the price is open, then how much should you offer?

Less than €4 an hour is unacceptable. Remember that if this was you doing the job, you would want to be compensated for your time. If comparing to US prices, the range is from $7 - $10 for one child. This will be roughly €7-10 in Austria as well. Exchange rates don't count here. You should calculate in €2 to €3 for each additional child. SO your end cost should be based on your interview with the prospective sitter, your requirements and the sitters experience.

When can I leave my newborn with a babysitter?

This depends on your comfort level as well as your babies comfort level. After a couple of weeks, your baby is likely to be settled enough so that you can leave him/her with a trusted adult. You may find that you miss him/her more than s/he misses you! Make sure you leave instructions for his/her care and for how to contact you in case of need. Try taking a very short break the first time, and make sure it's easy for you to get back if the babysitter cannot cope or you just feel you have to check things out.

Babies can be very fussy. One day is a good day, the other is a fussy day. If you see that your baby is just not having a good start of a day, take into consideration the potential scenarios for the remaining hours. In some cases, we have to cancel our fun. In other cases, if you are bound to a job with set hours, make sure to prepare you sitter by teaching him/her any of your little techniques to help soothe the baby.

How do I choose a babysitter?

You need to find someone who has some experience in babysitting, the right amount of maturity, but who can still have fun with the children. No-one under 16 should be left to care for an infant or young child regardless of level of maturity. Even though there may not be legislation against this rule, you need to consider the health and safety of your own children first.

If you don't know a potential babysitter well, ask them to provide you with references, and then contact those people. It is in your best interest to know as much as possible before an in-person interview. Your babysitter should ideally have first aid skills, or be prepared to take a first aid course. Please be up front if you don't think a prospective sitter has the qualifications to care for your child. Kids Days will not discriminate, but will help you better advertise your needs. Also note, if you use a babysitter regularly, paying for his or her first aid training could be a worthwhile investment for you.

Your babysitter should be someone you trust to handle any emergency, or who will at least know whom to call and what procedures to follow. Set the guidelines at the first meeting.

What questions should I ask a potential sitter?

The first thing that you should ask a babysitter is whether he or she has references that you can see (and which you should follow up on). There are other questions you might want to ask:

• Do you have any previous experience in looking after young children?
• Do you have any first aid training which you could use in an emergency on young children?
• Would you be prepared to go on a first aid course?
• What do you like best about babysitting?
• What would you do if you were unsure about how to handle a situation?
• What sort of activities can you think of to keep the children occupied?

Remember, there's no such thing as an irrelevant question when it comes to your baby's safety and well-being.

Additional Thoughts

The first time a babysitter works for you, ask him/her to arrive well before you go out. This will give him/her time to get to know you, your house and, of course, your child. You may also want to pay her to come over and play with your baby a few times while you're at home. Use the time to take care of household jobs, so you're in the background if you are needed. This is a particularly good approach if your sitter doesn't have much experience of caring for young children. Sometimes we find someone we like, but they need the opportunity to learn as well.

Make sure that you leave all the information you can, from emergency phone numbers (your neighbours, your doctor, the accident and emergency unit of your local hospital), to what's off-limits in the fridge. Let him/her know what time you want the children to be in bed. Tell him/her what your baby can and can't do and what her usual routine is. Leave the address and phone number of where you'll be, just in case s/he can't contact you on your mobile. Show him/her where everything that she will need is kept, including the first aid kit and your telephone.

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