This is the Personality Parents Want in Great Babysitters

Want to be one of the greatest babysitters?

The kind that parents keep calling again and again to watch their kids?

The kind of babysitter who kids will always remember as their favorite?

Being one of the best babysitters isn’t as difficult or mysterious as it may seem. In fact, it all begins with you and your character.

This is the personality Parents Want in Great Babysitters

Character of Babysitters is at the Heart of What Makes Them Great

What is character? It has a lot to do with what makes you YOU — your personality, your originality, and your reputation. Parents are looking for babysitters with strong character who can be entrusted with what’s most precious to them in the whole world: their children.

Do you think you have what it takes to be one of the great babysitters? Let’s do a little character check…


1. Are You Friendly?

Start with the basics: Parents can’t hire babysitters who aren’t approachable. Do you wave when you pass families in the neighborhood? Do you smile when you see them in the grocery store? You can’t do these things if you’re chatting and texting with your friends on your phone, so take a quick account of how others might see you and make an effort to be a friendly neighbor.

A friendly attitude is the one thing every great babysitter needs — so make sure you have one!


2. Do You Like Kids?

This may seem like a no-brainer, but make sure you have this minor detail worked out: Babysitters must like kids. Not everyone is cut out for it. (And trust me, babysitting would be no fun if you don’t even like kids to begin with.)

Are you the kind of person who enjoys playing with your younger cousins at family gatherings? Do you like to volunteer to help with the little ones at church events? Then you probably fall into the kid-friendly category! Woohoo!


3. Are You Responsible?

Next, you should think about your reputation among your friends and family for being the kind of person who does what’s asked or expected. For example, do you remember to feed your pet without being asked? Or do you do your homework on-time for school? If not, this is an excellent place to start. Begin working on what you should be accountable for, and soon you will be the kind of person who is ready to take on the added responsibility of taking care of kids.


4. How’s Your Dependability?

Speaking of being responsible, you might want to think about whether you’re dependable. Trustworthiness is an admirable attribute to have — for babysitters and everyone, really. So make sure you’re the kind of person other people can count on, and you’ll be well on your way to being an awesome babysitter!


5. Are You Punctual?

A parent needs to be able to count on a sitter to be there on time — otherwise, you throw the parents’ evening off, and you can be sure they’ll think twice before hiring you again. Timeliness is SO important in having the evening run smoothly, so plan to arrive to your job 7-10 minutes early, tote bag in hand. That way, you’ll have plenty of time to ask questions and get the parents’ instructions for the evening.


6. What About Honesty?

How honest are you, really? Would you tell a parent if the evening didn’t go as well as you had hoped — if something was broken or if you just had a hard time getting the child to obey? Or what about being honest when negotiating babysitting rates? That’s important, too!

As difficult as it can be, parents really appreciate your honesty. And it can make a difference in how smoothly your interactions go with the family in the future. Honesty really is the best policy!


7. Are You Respectful?

This is a biggie for parents, too: are you respectful of their authority and family rules? Parents want to feel secure that you will be running things as they would at home. That means you must abide by their rules. No eating in the family room? No problem! Kids need to be in bed at 8:00? Then do your best to make that happen! If you are respectful of the family’s rules, then the parents are much more likely to add you to the list of great babysitters.


8. Are You in Charge?

Oh, kids. They can really push the boundaries sometimes — especially with new babysitters. Some kids just want to see how much they can get away with — so make sure you’re prepared to be loving but firm with them. If you’re not lovingly authoritative — think Mary Poppins — then work on being more firm.


9. Do You Have Patience?

Speaking of kids pushing the limits, you’ll need to brush up on your patience! Whether it’s a child purposefully stretching the limits or a 2-year-old insistent on putting on his own shoes — SLOOOOOOWLY — take a deep breath and remember that you are there for the kids. Being patient with them will make you one of the most memorable babysitters, guaranteed.


10. Are you Trained and Certified?

Did anything on this list give you an idea for where you can improve? Great! You are well on your way to becoming an amazing babysitter!

Did you feel pretty comfortable with your honest answers to these questions? Awesome! You’re probably ready to take the next step to creating your babysitting business!

Whichever category you find yourself in, it’s true that trained babysitters make the best babysitters. A great training program can give you confidence and skills to face whatever challenges may come your way on the job: from a toddler who won’t eat to how to engage kids in play time.

Babysitting 101 is just the course for you! It covers all these things and more, so you’ll become the confident, fun babysitter you always dreamed you’d be. You can take the e-Course online or find a class locally, and then watch the babysitting jobs come rolling in!

Best wishes to you as you embark on your journey to become one of the best babysitters!


READ NEXT: Advice on How to Get More Babysitting Jobs 

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About Aubrey Hunt
Before hopping on the crazy ride we call motherhood, I studied engineering and taught math and science to middle and high school students. Now, perhaps like you, I fill my days singing The Itsy Bitsy Spider and praying my preschooler will eat a vegetable — any vegetable!