How to Spot a Bad Babysitter
Leaving your little one in the care of a babysitter can be stressful. Even if you put your babysitter through an extensive interview process and thoroughly checked her references, it's not always possible to know if she's doing her job. Some parents install nanny surveillance equipment in their homes so they can monitor their child̵7;s care while they're away. but it's often possible to tell if you've hired a bad babysitter without resorting to such extreme sleuthing measures.
Instructions
Pay close attention to the moods and emotions of your child. Observe if he's happy when the sitter is coming over or if he seems fearful, anxious, depressed, sad or angry, recommends Education.com. Observe your child's behavior upon your return home, such as if he displays unusual relief and refuses to stop clinging to you. Watch for other radical changes, such as if your child is typically outgoing and suddenly becomes withdrawn or develops sleep issues or night terrors. If those changes coincide with the arrival of a new babysitter, it could be a sign that she's causing your child emotional trauma. Check your child for any injuries, such as unusual scratches or bruises. Ask both the babysitter and your child how each injury happened, even if it's only a minor scratch. If their reasons are different, it's a sign that your babysitter might not be telling the truth. Check if any toys were broken or damaged during your absence. Repeated avoidable accidents and broken toys might be an indication that your babysitter isn't doing an adequate job of keeping an eye on your little one and is leaving her unsupervised. A skillful babysitter will maintain a vigilant watch over your child at all times to prevent injury and damage to property. Contact law enforcement immediately if your child continues to suffer physical injuries under your babysitter's watch, such as bruising or other signs of possible abuse. Ask the babysitter for a full report when you return. A reliable babysitter won't hesitate to share with you the ups and downs of how her babysitting duties went and won't resent your request. Watch for signs of secretiveness or reluctance to give you specific information. If the babysitter isn't forthcoming with detailed information or seems reluctant to share events of the day, it might be an indication that she's hiding something or feels guilty. Or, if she seems forgetful about what occurred during her watch, she's most likely not giving your child adequate attention and her heart isn't in her work. Take note of the levels of cleanliness of both your home and child upon your return. If your child appears unusually unkempt and dirty, or a younger child has a soiled diaper and is in need of a changing, it's a red flag that the babysitter isn't properly attending to your little one's needs. Your babysitter should keep your home in the same condition as when she arrived. A messy home with dirty dishes piled in the sink and toys and games strewn about the floor is further indication that your babysitter is lazy, pays poor attention to detail or is not handling her duties professionally. Ensure that the babysitter followed all your instructions while you were gone, such as taking your child to the park, feeding her the correct foods, giving her a bath and putting her to bed at the specified time. Ask your child the next day if the babysitter followed her usual routine to ensure her answers match up with what the babysitter claimed. Look for signs the babysitter doesn't respect your rules, such as arguing with you about a particular rule, claiming to forget one or more of the rules, making up excuses for why she couldn't follow a particular rule or giving in to your child's demand, such as allowing her to stay up past her bedtime to watch TV.
