Ask friends, neighbors, and coworkers to suggest a reliable sitter.
Ask your child's doctor, your local recreation center, or an American Red
Cross chapter for suggestions.
You may want to interview the person before you hire him. Find out if he
has experience with children, if he knows infant and child CPR, and if he
has other qualifications that are important to you (able to provide transportation,
cook, etc.)
Invite the sitter to your home so you and your children can get to know
him. Watch how he talks and plays with your children. How do your children
respond to him?
What should my babysitter know?
Give the sitter a brief tour of your house.
Explain your family's full emergency plan for fire, weather, and first aid
emergencies.
Show the sitter where he can find first aid and other emergency supplies
(fire extinguishers, candles, first aid, etc.).
Let the sitter know of any special problems that your child has, such as
allergies or wetting the bed.
Tell the sitter any special rules you have for the children (TV time, bed
times, snacks, having friends over, etc.)
What should your sitter do if your child breaks a rule? (Time out, to bed
early, etc.)
Where and when can you be reached? By what name?
Should the sitter answer your phone? How? Should he take messages?
Make your expectations clear. If you do not want the sitter to have friends
over, tell him. Can the sitter leave the house with the children? Drive the
children? Use the phone to call friends?
What are some general rules to follow?
Make sure the sitter knows a few general safety rules:
Do not give your child any medicine without your permission.
Do not leave your child, alone, even for a minute.
Be alert when your child is near water or taking a bath. Children can drown
in only a few inches of water if they are not watched carefully.
Do not feed your child under 4 years old large pieces of solid food. Cut
food like grapes and hotdogs into small pieces. Do not give your child nuts,
popcorn, hard candy, raw carrots, or other hard, smooth foods.
Do not let your child play with plastic bags, latex balloons, coins, or
other small objects. These are all choking hazards.
Keep your child away from electrical outlets, stairs, and stoves.
What information should I leave?
Where you will be at all times and phone numbers where you can be reached.
Leave an emergency phone list by the phone, including numbers for: poison
control, police, fire, ambulance, doctor, and hospital.
Leave a phone list of neighbors, friends, and family members who can be
contacted in case of emergency.
Write down your home phone number, address, and general directions to your
house.
If your child needs to be given medication, write down specific instructions
for the sitter.
Leave a medical release for emergency care.
Use the checklist to make sure you covered
everything.
How did things go?
When you return home, ask the sitter how things went. Were there any problems?
Any questions? How did the children behave?
After the sitter leaves, ask your children the same questions. Did they
enjoy the sitter?
Quick Answers
Ask friends, neighbors, and coworkers to suggest a reliable sitter.
Give the sitter important information about your children, house, rules,
emergency plans, safety instructions, etc.
Go over general safety rules with your sitter.
Write down and leave important phone numbers and information with your sitter.
Use the checklist on the following page to help you.
When you return home, ask the children and the sitter how things went. Were
there any problems? Any questions? How did the children behave?
Rutherford, K. Choosing and Instructing a Babysitter. KidsHealth. 2001 May
(cited 2001 October 12). URL: http://www.kidshealth.org/PageManager.jsp?dn=KidsHealth&lic=1&ps=107&cat_id=article_set=21708
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