There are different reasons as to why your babysitter would ask for a letter of recommendation. They could be asking for it to show other parents they apply to in the future, they can show it to future employers in a different field, or they can even use it for a school application to show their work ethics.
Whatever the reason may be, you owe it to your babysitter to make an honest account of your experience with their quality of service and who they are as a person. If you’re having a hard time writing one for your babysitter, here are some things to consider.
The main contents of a letter of recommendation should include the babysitter’s quality of service, duration of employment, limitations, and relationship with you. After the necessary details have been included, you can end the letter with your opinion and your contact detail. You should also pay attention to the style of the letter you’re writing depending on where the letter of recommendation will be used.
This article will discuss a few things to consider when writing a letter of recommendation for your babysitter. Samples will also be provided to help inspire you to write your own.
How to Write a Letter of Recommendation for Babysitter
A letter of recommendation is ultimately for informing the reader about someone’s work performance. Thus, there are some key considerations for making an effective letter of recommendation for your babysitter.
Duration of Service
It’s always good to mention how long your babysitter has worked with your kids. This gives readers an insight as to how credible your words are regarding the babysitter. If you’ve only had the babysitter for a couple of months, then the readers might not value your words as much since you’ve only seen the babysitter’s work performance for a couple of months. However, if you’ve had the babysitter for a couple of years, then the readers would give your words more weight as a couple of years is a good amount of time to get to know them.
Good Qualities
Think of the good qualities your babysitter has and put them in writing. These are the words that can help recommend them to other potential employers. For example, do your children enjoy the company of your babysitter? Is the babysitter good with kids? Are they dependable? Does the babysitter always arrive on time? Are they respectful to you and the children? Simply think of all the good qualities they’ve shown you that you’ve enjoyed throughout your time together.
Limitations
While you should write about the good qualities, that doesn’t mean you should keep quiet about the things you think they can improve on. This helps future employers see what qualities they should look out for as well if they do decide to hire the babysitter. For example, you can mention that the babysitter was a bit late a few times – but you have to be fair when making these types of statements. Being late a handful of times throughout a couple of years is not the same as being late once a month.
Relationship
You should also mention your relationship with the babysitter. This also helps readers get an insight into how you speak of the babysitter. For example, you might write a stellar letter of recommendation, but then it’s because you’re actually the babysitter’s aunt or another relative. If that’s the case, then that should be included in the letter for the readers to take into consideration as well. It is typically assumed that a better judge of character is one that is less personally connected with the babysitter such as a neighbor for example.
Your Opinion
After you’ve written down everything about the babysitter, you can also add a little sentence or two regarding your own opinion about the babysitter. This makes the letter of recommendation quite personal and more relatable.
Contact Details
Lastly, you should include your contact details at the end of the letter of recommendation. Anyone can write a letter of recommendation for themselves, but by adding your contact details, readers can then have a choice to reach out to you for verification or to simply ask for more details that may not have been included in your letter.
Sample Letters of Recommendation
1. Sample Letter of Recommendation for Parents
To whom it may concern:
I am writing this letter to recommend [name of babysitter] as a babysitter. They are my neighbor and they have looked after my children, ages 5 and 7, for a little over a year now. They currently babysit for us twice a week.
They have exhibited the utmost professionalism throughout their time with us. They always arrive five minutes before the agreed-upon time which always makes me feel assured. They always follow our instructions (e.g., putting the kids to bed on time, updating us on an hourly basis, etc.). Our children enjoy (name of babysitter)’s company every time because they really interact with them instead of just staying on their phone or watching TV. Despite their friendliness, they can also assume the responsibility of being an authority figure in making the kids do what they have to do.
I highly recommend (name of babysitter) as a babysitter. As parents, we’ve personally gone through a number of babysitters in the area before we found one we really like. Above everything, we appreciate their trustworthiness the most.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
2. Sample Letter of Recommendation for Parents
To whom it may concern:
It is with great pleasure that I recommend [name of babysitter]. They have watched over my 4-year-old for almost two years now. They come over three times a week and watch over my child for about two hours every time.
I first found out about [name of babysitter] from a neighbor who also had them as a babysitter before. They always arrive at the house on time and always have a pleasant personality. My child is always excited when they arrive at the house because that means they play games together. It also gives us quite the reassurance that [name of babysitter] is certified for first aid and CPR in case anything bad happens.
Although they are free to babysit for us most of the time, there are times that she is unfortunately unavailable due to her multiple jobs. However, that is completely understandable from our perspective.
If you want a dedicated babysitter with tons of experience, I highly recommend you give [name of babysitter] a shot. Not only does she have high praise from me, but also from my neighbor who recommended her to me in the first place.
Feel free to give me a call if you have any further questions about [name of babysitter].
Yours truly,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
3. Sample Letter of Recommendation for Parents
To whom it may concern:
I would love to recommend [name of babysitter] for your family’s caretaker needs. They’ve done an excellent job at keeping my children safe, happy, and entertained while they’re on the job. They’ve managed to do all of that remarkably well for the entire time they’ve worked for us, which would be for about [time you’ve known them] and counting.
I first got in touch with [name of babysitter] through a mutual friend that hired them before. They’ve always made it a point to be punctual for their shifts, and consistently show up with a warm, welcoming presence that our children never stopped looking forward to.
[name of babysitter] does a great job at balancing their responsibilities, keeping our children engaged while also ensuring that they eat right, sleep on time, and have lots of fun – enough for them to keep talking about even days after!
There might be times when [name of babysitter] is unavailable, given their existing commitments and other clients they handle. If they promise to show up on a given day, rest assured that they’ll see it through and provide your kids with the best care possible.
[name of babysitter] has our family’s glowing recommendation. If you’re still on the fence about availing of their services, feel free to get in touch with our family to hear it firsthand!
Warm regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
4. Sample Letter of Recommendation for Work
To whom it may concern,
Please allow me to recommend [name of babysitter] for the position they are applying for. They have worked for our family as a babysitter for three years now and they have looked after four children ages 4, 6, 8, and 9.
[Name of babysitter] is an excellent babysitter with a pleasing personality that all my children love. Not only do they arrive on time, but they are also well-spoken and highly respectful in all our interactions. Given that they are able to look after four children at a time, they are quite talented at managing and being an authority figure to the children.
Dealing with children of different ages also shows [name of babysitter]’s ability to adapt and control different situations. While they are playing with the younger ones, they also help the older ones with their homework.
I believe that the qualities they have shown us would translate perfectly to the position they are applying for. I highly recommend them for the job as they exhibit excellent work ethics and much potential for growth.
Best,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
5. Sample Letter of Recommendation for Work
Dear Hiring Manager,
It is my pleasure to recommend our babysitter, [name of babysitter], for the position they are applying for. Though they have worked with us for only a little under a year, they have exhibited an amazing work ethic.
They help us look after our 6-year-old son and they do an amazing job with him. We have them over twice a week for three hours, and our son is always excited to have them around. Unlike the other babysitters we’ve had in the past, [name of babysitter] actively engages with our child throughout most of their time together, instead of just sitting on the couch all night. They play video games together, but [name of babysitter] also makes sure our son does their homework and studies. We often get back home around 9:00 PM and [name of babysitter] always have our son in bed by then.
Although we may not have known them for a long time, we can safely guarantee that they will do an excellent job in their future endeavors as they have exhibited discipline, trustworthiness, and all other qualities that one looks for in an employee.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
6. Sample Letter of Recommendation for College
Dear Application Committee,
I would like to recommend [name of babysitter] to your institution. They have worked with our family as a babysitter for three years now and they present all the qualities that you are looking for in your incoming students.
For three years, they have looked after our 5-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter. During the course of their employment, we have always been satisfied with the quality of their work. Not only have all our instructions been followed meticulously, but they have also been highly dependable whenever we needed them.
Unlike other babysitters we’ve had, [name of babysitter] is the only one with the certifications for safety and first response that we needed for our peace of mind. They are a go-getter and we’ve found that they have an excellent academic record throughout their high school as well.
If their work performance has been any indicator, we highly believe that [name of babysitter] has the necessary competencies for your institute and for the degree program they applied to.
If you have any questions regarding [name of babysitter], we’d be happy to answer them.
Yours truly,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
7. Sample Letter of Recommendation for College
Dear Application Committee,
It would be my pleasure to recommend [name of babysitter] to your prestigious institution. Throughout the time they’ve spent babysitting for our family, I can easily say that they’ve demonstrated good qualities that speak of their responsibility, capability, and compassion.
[name of babysitter] always made it a point to be proactive in their work, asking about our children’s health concerns, dietary needs, and even their favorite activities to best keep them engaged. They handle instructions well, remain cool under pressure, and always prioritize the safety of our children – even when it could make them look worse. Their integrity is without question, and I strongly vouch for both their competencies and character.
Their work performance has been stellar through all [time they’ve worked for you] we’ve known them. Their grades are excellent, but it’s important to share that they’ve never studied while babysitting – [name of babysitter] has always given our children their full attention. They have great time management skills and carry out all their work diligently.
Going off their existing performance, we strongly believe that [name of babysitter] is more than capable of earning the degree they’ve applied for in your prestigious institution.
If the committee needs anything else clarified, don’t hesitate to contact us for more details.
Yours truly,
[Your Name]
