How to Be Wise When Choosing a Babysitter | License to Parent

Choosing a babysitter can be a bit tricky sometimes. Whether it’s finding a sitter with the right availability or one who won’t charge an arm and a leg, parents have to check a lot of boxes before they find the perfect sitter.

Is it time to reprioritize the criteria on that checklist? In the culture of today, should parents have extra discernment when choosing a babysitter?

Choosing a Babysitter

As a kid, my parents hired any number of different teenage girls in the neighborhood to babysit my siblings and me, while they occasionally went out on the town. Other than having a heartbeat and fogging a mirror, there was no real vetting process for babysitters back then.

Though things usually worked out okay for my siblings and me, today is a different day. Unfortunately, Internet pornography has tainted the well of so many prospective babysitters.

So, while I would advise against ever hiring a male sitter, be selective—even with the females. And sadly, this even includes family members. Develop a relationship first—that includes friending them on social media. Remember, we live in a different time.

Picture Provided by: keeping it real