25 Questions to Ask a Babysitter Before You Hire Them

A babysitter interview doesn't need to feel like a job interview. Fifteen or twenty minutes — in person or on a video call, with your kids nearby — is usually enough. What you're listening for isn't perfect answers; it's whether someone thinks ahead, admits what they don't know, and talks about children like people rather than tasks.

Experience and background

1. How long have you been babysitting, and what ages have you cared for?
2. Tell me about a family you sat for regularly — what did a typical night look like?
3. Have you cared for a child the age of mine before?
4. Do you have CPR or first aid training? When did you last renew it?
5. Have you cared for a child with allergies, asthma, or other medical needs?
6. Can you share two families I can call as references?

Safety and judgment scenarios

These are the most useful questions in the whole list. You're not testing for the textbook answer — you're testing for calm.

1. My toddler falls and there's a cut that won't stop bleeding. Walk me through what you'd do.
2. A child refuses to go to bed and is screaming. What's your approach?
3. Someone you don't recognize knocks at the door. What do you do?
4. The power goes out and you can't reach me right away. What's your plan?
5. One child hits the other. How do you handle it in the moment?
6. What would make you call 911 rather than call me first?

Style and boundaries

1. How do you handle discipline? What have you seen work well?
2. What do you like to do with kids when there's nothing scheduled?
3. How do you feel about screen time rules that are stricter than you're used to?
4. Are you comfortable making dinner, doing a bath, and running bedtime?
5. How much do you use your phone while you're sitting?
6. Would you be comfortable following a written routine I leave for you?

Logistics

1. What's your general availability, and how far ahead do you like to be booked?
2. How do you get here — do you drive, and would you ever drive my kids?
3. What's your hourly rate, and does it change for more kids or later nights?
4. How do you prefer to be paid?
5. What happens if you get sick the day of — do you have a backup you'd recommend?
6. How quickly do you usually reply to messages?
7. Is there anything you'd rather not be asked to do?

Green flags

• They ask you questions back — about routines, allergies, house rules, or what your kids are into.
• They talk about your children specifically after meeting them, not children in general.
• They say "I'd call you" or "I'd call 911" without hesitating in a scenario question.
• They're honest about gaps: "I haven't done infants, but I'd want to shadow you first."
• They confirm details in writing afterward.

Red flags

• Vague or shifting answers about past families, or references they can't produce.
• No interest in your kids during the meeting.
• Pressure to book immediately, or to be paid up front.
• Dismissiveness about your rules — screen time, food, bedtime.
• Anything that makes your gut uneasy. You don't owe anyone an explanation.

Do the trial run

Before a full evening out, book a paid hour or two while you're home doing something else. You'll learn more from watching a sitter make a snack than from any answer on this page — and your kids get to meet them without the pressure of you walking out the door.

One shortcut through all of this: start with someone another local parent already vouched for in writing. Every sitter on RecommendedSitters got here that way.