How To Choose A Good Babysitter?

Finland has a functioning day care system, and young children usually spend time in day care or pre-school while their parents are at work. Sometimes, however, parents choose a private babysitter instead of day care to spend time with the child at home. Babysitting services are also widely used in the evenings and on weekends outside of day care. Since these individuals spend a lot of time with the child and are a big part of this upbringing, it is very important to choose a good babysitter.

Especially if the services of a babysitter are used regularly, the caregiver becomes a very important and close person to the child. A babysitter is a person with whom a child shares their daily life. He listens and calms the child and provides him with security and emotional support. In addition, he feeds the baby, heals the wounds and sometimes also sows the baby and puts him to sleep.

The bond between the child and the babysitter can be very strong and beneficial to the child. Healthy emotional ties improve a child’s self-esteem and help him or her grow into a social young adult and adult — in addition to making it easier for a child to tolerate parental absence when accompanied by another important adult.

How to choose a good babysitter?

Given the importance of the role of the caregiver, it is appropriate for parents to consider what qualities are expected of the caregiver. This person has an important place in the life of the child and a big role in the upbringing of the child.

Sometimes families hire a person as a babysitter who can do housework in addition to caring for the child. This usually means that the person in question does not have a special qualification in childcare. This may not be a problem, but in the case of a full-time babysitter, it is advisable to try to find a person who is trained in psychology, pedagogy, or early childhood education.

The person responsible for the child should have adequate knowledge and understanding of the early childhood education of the children, especially in the case of a young child or a child with special needs. Ideally, the babysitter understands the child’s developmental stages and is able to support this in the best possible way at each stage.

Shared values ​​of parents and babysitter

It is also very important for the babysitter to share the values ​​of the parents of the family and the vision of how the children should be raised. And if that is not the case, he must at least respect the wishes of the family and follow the instructions of the parents.

Diplomacy and democracy

It is also important for the babysitter to give the child the opportunity to make decisions. He must have the ability to negotiate so that things can be agreed upon without coercion.

Empathy

Empathy is one of the most important features of a babysitter. She needs to be committed to the child and be able to see things from this perspective as well. The job of a babysitter is to make the child feel valued, understood and loved.

Positivity

The child should always be approached with a positive attitude, telling what he or she should do, rather than telling what should not be done. “Please keep your toys in their own place,” is a better exhortation than “Don’t leave your toys in the middle of the floor.”

When an instruction or instruction is accompanied by an explanation of why a child is expected to behave in a certain way, it is easier for the child to understand the situation, and he or she obeys merely for the sake of obedience. For example, a child can be explained that “If the toys are on the floor, someone can step on them and break them.”

Self-control

Calmness and patience are essential qualities when working with children and spending time. You need a babysitter who will not lose your temper in the face of even the worst outburst of child abuse. A person who gives the child space to express himself and knows how to calm this with respect without raising his voice.