Write an article based on this "Prepare answers to a few typical questions. Arrive a few minutes early. Ask a parent, guardian, or a trusted friend to come with you. Talk about your experience and provide references. Be confident, polite, and mature. Ask a few questions about their kids. Be honest about your availability. Ask for a reasonable rate."
The family will want to know a little about you, and will definitely ask what kind of experience you have with kids. They might get into more specific questions, too, like how you'd respond if their kid was crying or throwing a fit. Using your prior experience, come up with some good answers to these kinds of questions so you come to the interview confident and prepared. You want to show the parents that you're punctual. They don't want to hire a babysitter that will show up 15 minutes late to the job and make them miss their dinner reservations. You can ask to bring your parent or guardian inside for the interview, telling the family that your parents wanted to meet them before you watch their kids. You can also ask your parent or guardian to give you a ride and have them wait outside in the car. This is an especially important safety tip if you don't know the family and are meeting at their house. You could also ask to meet in a public place, like a coffee shop. Talk about ways you'll keep their kids entertained and safe. Mention your experience doing typical babysitter jobs, like giving kids baths, cooking for them, and putting them to bed. Give the family the phone numbers of a few families you've babysat for in the past, and invite them to call to get an idea of your skills. Remember to confirm with your references before you give out their contact information. Introduce yourself and shake the parents' hands. If their kid(s) are there, bend down and say hi to them too. Sit up straight, make eye contact, and smile during the interview. Show that you're eager for this job and can handle yourself like an adult. Ask them what a typical day in their house looks like, and what kind of things you'd be expected to do as their babysitter. You want to make sure your expectations are in line before you both agree to the job. You could ask, for example, "Will I be cooking for Jimmy when you're out?" or "Will you need me to stay past 11 pm very often?" Tell them if you have sports practice, play rehearsals, or other activities on certain days of the week. Although it might feel awkward to do this in your very first meeting, it's important that they know what your schedule is before they start asking you to come over on days where you have prior commitments. For example, you could say, "I want you to know upfront that I have soccer practices on Mondays and Wednesdays, so I probably won't be able to babysit on those days." If this is your first babysitting job, ask for $8-$10/hour. If you have references or extra qualifications, like CPR or first aid training, ask for a few dollars more. If you're taking care of multiple kids at once, you can also ask for a little more, around $10-$15 per hour. You can base your rate on the area you live in. If you live in an expensive city, it's completely acceptable to charge higher rates. If people in your area typically have lower incomes, you'll likely need to charge less.