Some parents hire a babysitter after a short interview and maybe a brief
meet and greet with baby, but if you have even a teeny bit of
uncertainty, it’s worth the peace of mind to ask the sitter to do an
“observation session.” This means having her over for a short sitting
session, which you partially observe and are partially absent during And yes, you should pay her for this, may be her hourly wage or a large percentage of it. With an observation session, “the kids get used to the new person, and
the babysitter also gets used to the kids and can ask you questions. She should reach out to the child and seem engaged and at
ease with them. This is where mom intuition comes in — trust your
instincts. Once you find the right sitter, you'll need to figure out the right pay. but prices vary based on your location, the sitter’s experience and, of course, your personal finances. You'll probably want to discuss typical local rates with other parents in your area. Once you figure out an average rate range, Clarkson says to talk to the sitter about what they expect. everyone’s on the same page from the start. Popular ground rules include
no guests in your home, no calling or texting friends on the job and and no taking the kids away from home without your permission.