I never asked so many questions in my life until I became a mom. What kind of baby shampoo should I use? How many ounces should my baby take at each feeding? When should the belly button scab come off? As my babies have grown, so have my questions. We’ve moved from feeding questions to potty-training questions to kindergarten-readiness questions. So of course, I also had LOTS of questions when it came to hiring a babysitter.
Fortunately, I’m not the only one. Most moms want to ask all the questions when it comes to hiring childcare, and the Birmingham Moms Blog team was so happy to collaborate on what we’d most like to know from a seasoned Wyndy. Read on for what we asked and how a local college student with close to 100 Wyndy jobs under her belt answered.
Does it matter to you if my home is a bit messy?
I am not particular about a messy house. I get it. Life is busy when you have kids and sometimes it is hard to find the time to make the house spotless. I will try my hardest to pick up toys and clean up our mess from any meal we made.
What’s something I can do that you’d find helpful?
I would love to know the “house rules.” Do your kids have limited screen time? What allergies do they have or are there certain foods (like candy) your kids do not eat? Are there any specific bedtime routines that your child follows?
My child has begun slinging a few bad words. Are you judging me?
Not at all! Children are sponges. I will make sure to tell them, “We don’t say that word here,” and redirect them to a new activity.
Is it rude to leave a tentative schedule of what a general day is like for our sitter?
Definitely not. I love when parents leave this for me. Kids like routine, and I love to stick to it. This also helps me understand your expectations for the day.
I generally order pizza for my child and my sitter. Is it okay to make a meal or just say, Have a go at whatever you see in the fridge?
I appreciate any and all meals that parents provide if the job is happening during lunch or dinner time. Sometimes it can be a bit awkward if it is the first time I am sitting for a parent, and they tell me to go into their fridge. I prefer for something specific to be listed or pre-made.
Can you drive?
Yes! All Wyndy sitters are required to have reliable transportation. The sitter’s profile will allow you to see if the sitter is comfortable driving your children.
What experience do you have with babysitting?
I have been babysitting since I was a teenager, but I have been on the Wyndy app for 2 years. When I applied to be a Wyndy sitter, I had to give my years of experience for each age group. They also had me answer a few questions for a video interview regarding my experience with children.
What does a regular/experienced Wyndy have to say to someone who’s hesitant to use the service?
Wyndy has been a great experience for me to meet amazing families. Using an app may be a big leap of faith at the beginning, 
but Wyndy makes it easy to trust each sitter. All sitters have passed a mandatory background check and attend a four-year university. Sitters are also rated by the families they babysit for. Wyndy also has a feature called “Parent Connections” that you can use to see the sitters that your friends use and what they have rated each sitter. Trust is built into the app!
How would you handle discipline situations or instances where my children are challenging? For example, if my son hit his sister, how would you handle it?
I would let the child know that what he or she did was not kind, have them apologize to the other sibling, and move onto another activity. When the parent arrives home, I would be sure to fill the parent in on the situation and explain to them how I handled it.
Likewise, how would you handle an emergency? For example, my son dives off of the coffee table and cracks his head open. What would you do?
I would remain calm and call 911. Emergency contacts are listed within the app so I would be sure to contact the emergency contact the parent gave out as well as reach out to the parent.
If you have questions not covered here, Wyndy is just an email or phone call away. The friendly folks at Wyndy are happy to assist you and answer any further questions!
