Finding the best babysitter for your family is a very personal thing. You know your children best and, as such, should always go with your gut when determining what you want from the babysitting experience.

 

That being said, CareFinder has worked with thousands of families and babysitters over the years. And in that time, we've come across some common sticking points that we've found can really limit the amazing benefits of working with a sitter. Often, being open-minded can lead to a wonderful relationship with a great babysitter.

 

That doesn't mean there aren't some things we completely agree should be deal-breakers, though! See our suggestions below for places to consider compromise and where you should stand firm.

 

 

 

Much of CareFinder's appeal is our incredibly diverse community of babysitters. We have sitters from places like Morocco, Spain, Brazil, Vietnam, Ghana, the United States and New Zealand. If you are visiting or have moved to Japan from abroad, you can likely find someone from your home country to babysit your children.

 

But part of the experience in living and traveling abroad is exposure to new cultures. Working with a babysitter from a different background is a great way to introduce your children to new perspectives.

 

CareFinder's community of babysitters represents dozens of different languages. Many of our sitters are bilingual or even multilingual. And that means that many of our babysitters have accents.

 

Communication is absolutely important; you should always be comfortable that you can communicate effectively with your sitter. But demanding "native" language can be pretty limiting. Think about it: a sitter who has taken the time to learn two or three languages in addition to their own likely has a wealth of knowledge to share about each and the process of learning them. Multilingualism is an asset!

 

 

 

While all of CareFinder's babysitters have experience in childcare, whether professionally or in raising their own children, the level and specific skill sets for each will vary. Some of our babysitters are nurses or teachers, others have worked with special needs children. Some have extensive experience with newborns and infants, others are best qualified to care for older kids.

 

We require all of our sitters to be upfront about their experience level and any special skills. When searching for the best babysitter for your family, make sure you are seeking out the person best suited for kid's needs and don't cut corners because you've found someone who charges less.

 

Children should see spending time with your family's babysitter as an enjoyable experience. Maybe babysitter nights mean delivery pizza for dinner or an extra hour until bedtime. But while a babysitter shouldn't feel like punishment to your children, their approach to childcare should still align with your own.

 

CareFinder recommends in-home trial sittings to ensure that the sitter you choose is not only going to get along well with your children but will also manage things in your absence in a way you're comfortable with. Every family operates differently, so it's important that you work with a sitter out-of-the-gate who integrates well into your family's operations. Otherwise, it's likely that problems will arise down the line and you'll need to find someone else anyway.