23. Once the sitter has left your home after babysitting each time, take notice how the children are acting after she leaves and you are home again. Are they withdrawn or sad? Do they appear to be very hungry? Do they seem scared? If an infant is involved, is the baby clean and dry? Does the baby seem in distress? If older children are involved, be sure to ask them for a report of how the day or evening went. It goes without saying that new bruises on the children need to be investigated.
24. Do not ignore things that you see which may indicate that the sitter did not follow one of your house rules. Some of them would be difficult to know, but a neighbor may be able to tell you if the sitter had visitors coming to the house. If you suspect internet use after you have told her not to use it, there are histories to check. This may seem sneaky, but keep in mind that if the caretaker of the children is spending a lot of time on the internet or entertaining friends, she isn't really caring for the children at all, so it is important to be sure you know what is going on when you are not in the house.