1. Payment, obviously what they charge and when/how they would like to receive payment.


2. Do they charge extra if you are running late getting home?

3. If the little one is sick..and to what degree(runny nose, cough, fever) will they watch them?

4. Names and phone numbers of people who can recommend/have used their services in the past (be sure to actually contact these people, of course).

5. Discipline issues - how they handle certain scenarios, how you would like them to handle disobedience (and how receptive they seem to be if you want a time-out vs. spanking, etc.). I wouldn’t assume that they wouldn’t spank them and so forth, I’d make it very clear up front.
6. CPR and other first aid training - how recent their training was and if they have taken refresher courses. It’s one thing to have taken a class ten years ago, but an entirely different thing to be able to apply it in an emergency today.

7. Your expectations for them - what you allow them to do, TV/phone/computer rules, etc. - some people assume using all your things is fair game, while others won’t touch the TV without permission. It’s nice for them to know how you feel about your child(ren) watching TV, as well as if it is ok for them to watch TV after the children are in bed if applicable.

8. Having them come and just play with your child while you are there, so that you can watch them interact and see how they handle things. It’s also helpful for them to see how you handle your child, as everyone does things differently.