If you’re looking for nanny jobs or babysitting jobs is good to understand what parents look for when hiring childcare.
To help you decide if this is the right career for you, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 traits the best babysitters have:
1. Excellent communication skills
It’s critical that you’re comfortable communicating openly and honestly with parents at all times.
2. A passion for play & early education
One of the advantages of hiring a babysitter or nanny is the fresh injection of energy and creativity caregivers bring with them. Share your best activity ideas with parents for keeping their children engaged and entertained.
3. Kindness, respect & patience
Share some examples of how you’ve handled tough situations in the past with children that you have cared for, and how you employ kindness, patience and respect in caring for them.
4. Confidence
Everyone has a different style when it comes to discipline, but one trait is key to successful childminding: confidence. When responding to and correcting bad behaviour it’s important to be confident in your response and no matter how hard it is to see a child disappointed or upset, to stick with your chosen course of action.
5. Experience
Make sure you describe your experience and skill level in detail and where necessary show documentation. To help parents understand your skills and experience, upload certificates and documents to demonstrate your trustworthiness and qualifications. Documents and certificates can include a first aid certificate, a driver’s license, a background check, a CPR certificate, reference letters and more.
6. Chemistry & personality fit
Having a good chemistry and personality fit with the children and also with the parents is important to make sure you will enjoy your job, and feel welcome in the family’s home. It’s a good idea to prepare some questions you’d like to ask the family in an interview to make sure you will feel comfortable working for them.
7. Time management & organization
It’s important that you respect your employer’s time and arrive organized and prepared for the day.
8. Safety knowledge
Most babysitters and nannies have completed a first aid course. You should make sure you complete one before starting your job.
9. Flexibility
Having some degree of flexibility is important to make sure you can help out when the unexpected happens.
10. Creativity
Creativity is a good trait to have in any situation as a caregiver, whether it’s dealing with a tantrum-fuelled child or planning activities with new and fresh ideas.
Have we missed anything on this list?
Tweet the most important trait or post your advice on our Facebook page. Include the hash tag #caretips and cc @caredotcomca, so that we can share your advice with the rest of our community. We’d love to hear from you!
