Help me interview a summer babysitter

[Anonymous]

DD is usually in daycare so I’ve never done this before. What should I ask? I am interviewing people from care.com. Also, please help me thread the needle as far as what to ask on social distancing. We do not live in the DC area. Things are a big more relaxed where we are because there are fewer cases but I still don’t want someone who is doing things that seem reckless to me. Of course, what MY family is doing might seem reckless to HER. The touchiest one seems like church. Can I ask if she’s attending an indoor church? That seems risky to me. It also seems risky if she’s babysitting for other families. Am I allowed to ask her these things? I’m not offering full time hours so it’s completely reasonable for her to be doing some other paid work. I just prefer to find someone who is spending the rest of their day in online school or something rather than babysitting.

[Anonymous]

Just ask her her personal rules on social distancing and virus-prevention. Be prepared to give an honest assessment of your own family protocols.

Decide where your comfort level is.

[Anonymous]

You can ask about church and other babysitting gigs. If she says no, you can ask her to let you know if that changes in the future.

You can’t forbid her from those things, but you can let her know your comfort level around risk.

[Anonymous]

If you want a part-time employee to agree to not work extra hours, you need to advertise for a live-in arrangement for a student in online school or offer more hours/higher rate. People have bills that didn’t go down due to covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want a part-time employee to agree to not work extra hours, you need to advertise for a live-in arrangement for a student in online school or offer more hours/higher rate. People have bills that didn’t go down due to covid.

Not always, PP. Some sitters are in school full time and just need some additional income.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want a part-time employee to agree to not work extra hours, you need to advertise for a live-in arrangement for a student in online school or offer more hours/higher rate. People have bills that didn’t go down due to covid.

What? No. PT babysitters are a thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want a part-time employee to agree to not work extra hours, you need to advertise for a live-in arrangement for a student in online school or offer more hours/higher rate. People have bills that didn’t go down due to covid.

This is OP. Also, I’m not in DC. All sorts of things are a thing once you’re outside of DC, I have found. Maybe they were a thing in DC too but people convinced me I’d never find them. I’m not sure about that. But anyway, there are definitely part time sitters where I am.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want a part-time employee to agree to not work extra hours, you need to advertise for a live-in arrangement for a student in online school or offer more hours/higher rate. People have bills that didn’t go down due to covid.

This is OP. Also, I’m not in DC. All sorts of things are a thing once you’re outside of DC, I have found. Maybe they were a thing in DC too but people convinced me I’d never find them. I’m not sure about that. But anyway, there are definitely part time sitters where I am.

My hey can live on just the hours and rate you’re offering? Are you positive?

I know plenty of nannies who have pt jobs. But they have to have at least two to cobble together enough hours.

If you think you can find someone who will social distance with just pt hours, kudos. Normally it wouldn’t matter. But covid isn’t normal.