School’s about to be out for summer, and odds are your kid has something planned—camp, a summer job, sports, and/or a tutoring gig lined up. But no matter where they’ll be spending most of their time off from school, and whether you work outside the home or are a SAHP (stay-at-home parent), you may consider hiring a sitter to help out during this busy time of year.

The good news about summer sitters? There are generally more high school and college kids available now than there are during the school year, so the pool of applicants is likely larger—and these youngin’s are eager to gain some experience and make a few bucks. The con to this, though, is that you’ll probably only find a student sitter in the summer since full-time nannies want full-time hours all year round. 

Consider asking your interviewees the following questions—an in-person interview is recommended to get a feel for the potential sitter and vice-versa—to make sure you’re both on the same page:

• How much experience do you have with babysitting? Asking about a sitter’s background isn’t unique to summer, but it’s still a must-know. Right off the bat, you’ll want to know what experience your potential sitter has with kids, in what setting, if they’ve worked with siblings before, and with what ages. Babysitting an 8-year-old is very different from an infant or toddler! You may also want to ask if, say, they’re first aid or CPR-certified, have lifeguarding experience, or are an undergrad studying early childhood or education; all earn bonus points! 

• Do you have any references? You can search for a sitter through word-of-mouth (literally or on a local parenting group) or via a caregiver search site like Urbansitter.com. But either way, references are key. You don’t want to find out when it’s too late that your high-school babysitter spends more time on TikTok than she does with your kids when she’s working. Also, it’s ok to ask the candidate to provide references if you can’t get in touch with their previous employer directly on social media.

• Can you take the kids to/from activities (and entertain them too)? Nothing is worse than kids complaining that they’re bored; a sitter with access to a car may just be the cure for this. Having someone who’s able to drive the kids after hours to play dates or fun, warm weather activities like a museum, park, zoo, or pool isn’t a must for all parents, but is certainly something to consider (and could be a reason to hire a sitter that’s ages 16+). You also might want to ask him or her what activities they enjoy and if they like the outdoors; hopefully their interests match up somewhat with your child’s, and that they’d oblige when the kid wants to sharpen their soccer skills or go for a bike ride.

• How much do you charge? Of course, you and your sitter need to agree on how much they’re going to get paid. Ask if they have an hourly minimum, or, if you’re not sure where to start, ask friends what they pay or use an online calculator like this one from Care.com to help you figure out a fair rate based on where you live. Another thing to consider that’s unique to summer is vacation—if your family has a trip planned, will you pay your sitter to come with you, or pay them a PTO of sorts while you’re gone?

Once you agree on a number, make sure you have it in writing (even via email or text is okay) so there’s no confusion down the line.

• What are your expectations of this role? Once you think you’ve found your person, it’s important to write out an unofficial “job description” so you can make sure you two are aligned on the most important things. For example, you’ll want to make sure your candidate has availability and no conflicts during the hours you need them and agrees with you in regards to responsibilities like carpooling, travel, meal prep, and more. Set any restrictions out in writing—for example, ‘don’t open the door to strangers’ is an oldie but a goodie. Lastly, try to find out when they’re returning to school for the fall or if they’re going on a family vacation in, say, early August, so you can plan accordingly. 

What’d we miss? What else is important to know before hiring help for the summer?

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