At home, you hire a sitter through a friend of a friend. You know her mother. You know where she lives.

Abroad, you have a profile photo, a WhatsApp thread, and four days until your flight. There is no shared network to vouch for anyone, and no instinct to fall back on — your instincts were built for a different country.

So you need a substitute for instinct. Knowing what to ask before hiring a babysitter abroad is that substitute. The questions below are the ones I would use myself, in any country, as a parent.

Why the Answer Matters More Than the Answer’s Content

Before the list, one thing worth understanding: you are not looking for perfect answers. You are looking for specific ones.

A carer with real experience answers in detail, quickly, and admits the gaps. A carer without it answers in reassurance — lovely words, no substance. The difference is audible within two questions.

The 10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Babysitter Abroad

1. How many years have you worked with children, and which ages? Look for: a number, and a preference. Most experienced carers are honest that newborns and nine-year-olds are different jobs.

2. Have you worked with foreign families before? Different food, different bedtimes, different rules about screens and snacks. Someone who has done this will describe an actual family, not a category.

3. Can I speak with you on the phone before booking? This is the single most useful question. Ten minutes on a call tells you what a profile cannot — see why in our guide to English-speaking babysitting in Ho Chi Minh City.

4. Can you provide references from previous clients? Look for: a yes, without hesitation, and ideally references from travelling families rather than long-term employers.

5. What first-aid training do you have, and when did you last update it? The second half matters. Also fair to ask what she would do if a child began choking, or had a fever at 2am.

6. What is our emergency plan tonight? A good career will already have thought about it: which hospital, how she reaches you, what happens if your phone has no signal. If this question surprises her, that is information.

7. How will you handle my child’s allergy or medication? Give her a real detail and ask her to repeat it back. Anyone who cannot restate your instruction in her own words did not absorb it.

8. What will you actually do for those hours? Look for: something concrete — books, drawing, a walk, a bedtime routine. Not “play with him.”

9. What happens if my child cries and will not settle? The best answer includes “I will tell you.” Carers who promise your child will never cry are promising something nobody can.

10. What are the booking terms — deposit, overtime, cancellation? Everything about rates and terms is covered in detail in our babysitter cost guide for Ho Chi Minh City. Ask it before you send money, never after.

Red Flags When Hiring a Sitter Overseas

• “Don’t worry, everything will be fine.” Reassurance offered in place of a specific answer is a red flag, not a comfort.
• Refusing a phone or video call before the booking. There is no good reason for this.
• Vagueness about who is arriving. If you cannot get a name in advance, you have booked a company, not a person.

A Family Who Asked Me All Ten

A Dutch mother once worked through a list almost identical to this one, on a video call, while her toddler climbed on her shoulders. It took eighteen minutes. She apologised twice for being “difficult.”

She was not difficult. She was doing exactly what I would want a parent to do before leaving a child with me — and when I arrived three days later, she already trusted me, because nothing I said at the door contradicted anything I had said on the call.

Consistency between the call and the doorstep is the real test. Ask early, so you have something to compare against.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it rude to ask all of this? No. Any carer who is offended by safety questions has just answered the most important one.

What if I am booking last minute and have no time? Then prioritise questions 3, 6 and 7 — the call, the emergency plan, and the medical detail. Those three cover the most risk in the least time.

Should I ask for ID? Yes, and a serious carer will offer it without being asked. Photographing an ID before you leave is normal practice, not an insult.

Do I need a written agreement? For a short holiday booking, a clear message thread confirming hours, rate and terms is usually enough — as long as it is in writing somewhere.

Ask Me These Questions Today

If you are hiring in Saigon, use this list on me. Call me, ask all ten, and see whether the answers are specific.

Send me your dates and your children’s ages to start. For the wider picture, our complete guide to hiring a babysitter in Ho Chi Minh City and our hotel babysitting page cover how a booking actually works.

Message Anna today — and bring the hard questions.