INTRODUCTION
Babysitting is becoming increasingly popular, owing to the fast pace of life. As a result, more and more parents feel the need to entrust their children with a babysitter for a variety of reasons.
Babysitting is an arrangement for temporary childcare on behalf of the legal guardians or parents of the child. And usually, babysitters are hired at times when the parents are unable to attend to their children.
Babysitting is looked upon as an odd job typically performed by teenagers for some extra ‘pocket’ money. Though babysitters are usually girls, it is not necessarily so. Babysitters could be boys too, though not many young boys prefer to take care of children!
Babysitting is considered as a lucrative career in some countries. And teenagers babysitting for young couples is quite common in such cultures.
However, the pay offered for babysitters depends on the degree of affluence of these societies. According to Runzheimer International's Mobility Report, the average rate per hour for an American babysitter is $6.04.
Babysitters are typically employed on weeknights when parents wish to socialize without their children. A babysitter is however, different from a nanny and the distinguishable element is the terms of employment. A nanny is formally hired to look after the child or children, and traditionally required to live with their employers.
Modern nannies may live with or without the families just like ordinary domestic help. The conditions of employment and her relationship with the employer may influence her decision in choosing between living in and living out. The traditional nanny was a domestic help in a large household and took care of the children of the entire family.
Babysitters, on the other hand, are usually ' retainers' and are employed on a daily basis as childcare help. Retainers usually work for ‘on hire’ basis and represent a form of contracting relationship between the employer and the employee.
In the retainer system of employment, what the buyer or the employer purchases, is the seller’s time. Thus, babysitting is more of an ' odd job’, which is a specific work that needs to be done as a duty for a specific fee. Usually, odd jobs are associated with household chores.
The term "baby-sit" was coined in 1937, and "sitter" was derived as a short form. The term has its origin in the fact that the babysitter usually ' sits with' the baby or the child in one room while the parents are busy in some other room.
The American Red Cross conducts a babysitters' safety course that teaches safe babysitting tips to its students. This course includes crucial safety issues like choking and fire safety.
At the end of the course duration, the student is given a certificate of completion. Babysitting thus is almost regarded as a ' part time profession' in the modern world.
WHERE TO LOOK FOR BABYSITTERS
The most important question that parents are faced with is whether they would find a right sitter for their baby. Many parents who require the services of a sitter are professionals in their chosen fields or careers, and hence, are willing to spend good money for the well being of their child. However, the availability of a reliable babysitter is always a cause of concern for such parents.
A good way of finding a babysitter is through your social network. You may have some family friends whose teenagers may wish to work for some pocket money. The advantage of such an arrangement is that you know the babysitter well, so you would feel at ease while leaving your child in the sitter's company.
However, before hiring the sitter, you may wish to ask around to find out if the teenager is well behaved and safe company for your child. A study has revealed that babysitters commit about 4.2% of the crimes against children.
A second option is to hire the services of a professional baby-sitting service. Such service providers will provide you with sitters who have experience in handling young children. These sitters are trained to perform their jobs and their background is vouched for via verification and letters of reference, most often.
The service providers many times perform a routine background check that includes checking for any criminal records, ensuring attendance at a babysitting and first aid course, etc. Hiring a babysitter through such agencies will offer you peace of mind. And using the services of such agencies also has numerous other benefits, as well:
These service providers will offer you last minute help with attending to your kids.
If your child is ill and thus cannot attend school, these agencies can provide you with sitters who will work during the daytime so that you do not need to take leave from work.
In case the current babysitter is absent, they will provide you with a replacement immediately.
You are not under any obligation to use their sitters; you may wish to hire a friend at certain times.
The rates for baby-sitting are pre-mediated so that there are no hassles over issues like payment, time and manner of payment, etc.
HOW MUCH ARE YOU READY TO SPEND ON A BABYSITTER?
One of the biggest advantages of hiring a babysitter through a professional agency is that the rates are fixed before hand. Such rates are commensurate with the standard rates as defined per region. Many regions are classified as affluent and if you happen to be a resident of such an area, you should be ready to pay more.
For those of you who have hired help on your own, you must make it a point to ask the sitter what she charges. If the decision is left to you, then there are a number of things that you must consider.
To begin with, you must have an idea as to what is the average rate of pay for your area. It is important that you pay the sitter standard rates if you wish to expect her to be a dedicated caretaker of your child.
Any sitter who is willing to offer her services for rates less than the standard prescribed rate is probably not a good sitter at all, and you must refrain from hiring such a person. Newspaper advertisements or a visit to the local babysitting agency will shed light on the ' going rates' of your area.
The number of children and their ages is another important consideration in deciding the rates for a sitter. There should be a significant difference in caring for a nine year old and caring for four nine year olds. Usually, the rates for sitters also depend on the number of children, so you may wish to check the local rates for every additional child to be taken care of.
If you go out for a night with another couple who have children as well, taking care of the other couple's children should not be expected as a favor from your children's sitter. The sitter deserves compensation for taking care of those children as well!
If you plan to lengthen the duration of your stay away from home, it is wise to inform your sitter beforehand. If you are pregnant or adopting a child, you must make it a point to increase the rates that you may offer to your babysitter. What is vital is that you treat your sitter with respect and consideration
Do not take her services for granted. While fixing the rates for your sitter, it is essential to consider her experience in caring for children. You cannot pay the same rates to a teenager and a professional sitter who has to her credits several courses in first aid and babysitting.
Before fixing the rates, it is appropriate to ask for the sitter's approval. You may wish to consider her suggestions as well. If you have retained the services of the same sitter for a long time, a periodic increase in her pay would ensure that she stays happy and satisfied with the terms of her employment.
ARE PROFESSIONAL BABYSITTING REFERAL SERVICES RELIABLE?
One of the easiest ways of hiring a sitter is to approach a professional babysitting agency. These agencies will refer you to reliable sitters who have several years of experience in babysitting. In addition, these agencies perform a routine background check on the sitters.
This includes checking their driving records, checking for any criminal records, checking for any addiction problems that may be uncovered, etc. These agencies will ensure that the sitters they recommend are certified professionals with a sizable experience in childcare. Thus, hiring them is one way of seeing to it that your child gets the best care in your absence.
Another advantage of using a referral service agency is that they also provide you with sitters for an entire weekend or at times, even for an entire week! These agencies recommend sitters who look at babysitting as a serious profession and not a part time money making activity.
Thus, they are willing to spend long periods of time taking care of your kids. This means that your child can have an uninterrupted routine while you may go on a much-needed vacation with your better half!
The professional sitter’s referral agencies conduct personal interviews before enlisting any sitter. Thus, if you approach them, they can search for a sitter who best matches your style of living. If you provide them with details like the fact that your child is undisciplined, they may even send a stiff and strict sitter to take care of your child!
Thus, it is advisable to hire the services of such an agency. However, you may wish to inquire about the reputation that such an agency holds beforehand. You could ask your friends for advice on choosing the right agency. You must bear in mind that a good agency will charge a decent fee, so if you come across agencies who promise to do more for less, it is better to stay away from them.
HOW TO ENSURE QUALITY CHILDCARE AT ECONOMICAL RATES
It is imperative that you choose the right babysitter for your child. In choosing the right sitter, you must be prepared to shell out a considerable amount of money.
In such a case, an annual subscription to babysitting agencies would be a waste of money. You may not be even able to afford the services of a professional sitter. You may wish to consider approaching a babysitting co-op local to your area. If there is no such service in your area, then consider starting one!
Babysitting co-ops are generally formed because a considerable section of the society may be facing similar problems with regards to childcare. Mothers of children, especially infants, who are in need of a sitter’s service themselves usually organize these co-ops.
At times, women may even consider it as an entrepreneurial venture. Of course, men may play an active part in organizing activities of such outfits as well!
Co-ops are a gathering of parents who have children and are busy, but do not have enough money to pay a sitter in their absence. Such parents come together and form groups:
• One of them is generally appointed a secretary who holds that position for a pre-decided time period.
• A secretary’s main duty is to keep track of the number of hours for which each family needs the services of a sitter and the number of points earned by each family in tending to children of other families.
• These points may be on an hourly basis or may depend on the number of children in each family. Thus, each member of the co-op helps by attending to the children of the other families free of cost.
Thus, such co-ops are an excellent way of providing for reliable childcare service free of cost! If no such co-op exists in your area, you may consider starting one. All you need is a bunch of willing people and an efficient record keeping system to track the activities of every individual member. You may affix more points for night duty or for activities like feeding or bathing a child.
One wise idea is to allow families that have children of similar ages to perform the sitting duties for each other. Before you begin work as a co-op, it is necessary that you establish some ground rules to avoid confusions and misunderstandings. A co-op is an excellent way of providing for childcare by trustworthy members at no cost at all!
QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED WHILE HIRING A BABYSITTER
Do you really know the sitter?
This should be one of the first questions that you ask. Professional referral agencies are usually through with their jobs; they perform the routine background check before recommending a sitter to you. Therefore, you would have all the necessary biographic and other necessary details about your sitter.
In case you have hired one through personal referrals, you must be especially careful. Do make it a point to ask the sitter for her complete address and her full name. You may want to visit the sitter once in order to test the authenticity of the information that she provides to you.
What is your sitter's status?
You will get this bit of information from the bio data that the sitter agency or sitter should furnish you (like via a resume). However, you must make it a point to ask her that during the interview. If she is married, you may not need to worry much.
Your real worry should be a babysitter who has a record of inviting her friends or boyfriends to her employer’s place. You can never know what goes around in your house once you leave it in the hands of your babysitter. If she does call her friends, they might use or damage your expensive household items or they may even consume expensive liquor and food that you might have saved for your anniversary.
This is clearly an invasion of your privacy, and allowing this will only compromise your child’s safety. It is absolutely a bad idea for your kids to remain in the house with strangers. Besides, you have hired the babysitter to look after your child, and not for entertaining her guests at your expense.
Does your sitter have experience?
Professional referral agencies ensure that the sitters they send to your place are experienced and reliable. Usually, these sitters may even have some certificate attesting them to be qualified professionals when it comes to babysitting. While hiring a sitter on your own, inquire about the experience she has had.
You can always ask the sitter to jot down references so that you can confirm the actual numbers of years she has worked with children. Do make it a point to ask her about the ages of the children she has mostly watched. This is a very important bit of information since children of different age groups have different needs.
For example, in one recent case, a couple hired a sitter who claimed to have nearly three years of experience in taking care of toddlers. They left their infant son in her care. Once they left, the infant started to cry and appeared to be in constant discomfort, yet the sitter was unable to help the child. She was unable to identify the reason why the baby kept on crying. Later, it was discovered that the baby was suffering from simple case of nappy rash.
It would be best to ask your sitter whether she is comfortable when it comes to taking care of kids of different age groups. If you have a newborn, then it is absolutely vital for her to be comfortable when it comes to taking care of infants.
Is your sitter reliable?
You must know whether your sitter is indeed a person worth your trust. Do make it a point to talk to her about her personal goals and her background. The idea is to get an estimation about the sort of a person she is. You must be very observant and careful while conducting a personal interview with her.
Though professional agencies ensure that the sitter is sufficiently reliable, you may wish to double check on that bit of information. Ask her questions on her life and about the work, she has done in the past.
It is important that you speak to her previous employers; they will be in a better position to give you better information about the sitter. You must be on your guard even after you hire the sitter, you can even opt for nanny cams to record your sitter’s activities when she is left with your kids.
You can trust your children if you would want to verify the trustworthiness of the sitter. Ask your children what they did in your absence, whether they were happy with the sitter or whether they felt intimidated or mistreated by her.
Children usually record events with unusual clarity; it is for you to deduce conclusions out of them. It is your responsibility to ensure your child’s safety every time you leave him or her with the babysitter.
Does your sitter smoke or drink?
If you are a smoker, you may not find this question especially relevant or important. Being a responsible parent, you must have some idea about your sitter's habits. If the babysitter smokes in front of your kids, she is clearly a bad influence!
Children are highly impressionable; smoking in a child's presence may prompt the child to try it too. You would not want to come home to see your child trying his or her hand at smoking! Secondly, the ills of passive smoking have often raised ill will amongst the non-smoking population. So hiring a sitter who smokes is probably not a very good idea!
If your child suffers from asthma or allergies then he/she is especially vulnerable to respiratory ailments; if this is the case, then directly ask the sitter to never smoke in front of your kids.
Also having a simple glass of beer may seem an innocent activity for adults, but when your babysitter boozes in front of your kids, it is anything but innocent! Moreover, if the sitter drinks on her job, then she might neglect your children, or worse, even turn hostile towards them.
In case of emergencies, such as fire, break ins or medical emergencies, if your sitter is drunk then she might not be in a stable state of mind to take decisions and assist your children in escaping from harm.
Hence it is best to keep all the liquor, beer and cigarettes in a cupboard with a lock. And take the keys with you when you leave your kids with the sitter.
Does the sitter drive?
This question is easy to ask, and you will also get a straightforward answer. Ask the sitter at the time of her interview whether she drives to confirm how she plans to way to commute to your place.
As you are her employer, it is your responsibility to see to it that she reaches home safe after work. If the sitter drives, you can ask her to call you upon reaching home to vouch for her safe journey.
If she stays in the vicinity of your home, you must see to it that she is escorted home safely. Check her driving license and inquire about the possibility of any traffic offense she any have committed.
If your sitter drives, you may allow her to take your children to get pizza or ice cream by car. This again depends on the level of trust you lay upon her. Many parents prefer to have their sitters walk their children to nearby parks and gardens instead of trusting them with their kids in a car.
Does you sitter have a cell phone?
Always ask your sitter if she owns a cell phone. This sounds like an ordinary question, but it serves the most important purpose of ensuring the safety of your child as well as the sitter in case of any mishap.
To begin with, it is simple to reach your sitter while you are away from home. At times, it may so happen that you may not be able to reach the sitter on your land line. Most people prefer to use an answering machine, so their call may get transferred to the answering machine automatically.
The ease of reaching a person on the cell phone is essential in case of any emergency. Similarly, the sitter will be able to contact you if she faces any difficulty.
It is also necessary to leave a list of important phone numbers with the sitter. Amongst them should be your pediatrician’s contact number, emergency numbers for fire and poison control as well as the number of your closest relative or friend.
In case of any mishap, the sitter will be able to reach for help even in your absence. However, do make it a point to ask your sitter whether she would be comfortable being contacted on her cell phone.
Has your babysitter undergone training to deal with sudden medical emergencies?
If your babysitter is trained in dealing with medical emergencies, then she probably is the best option you will have when it come to leaving your kids with a sitter.
The American Red Cross offers a certification course in babysitting. If you have a regular babysitter for your kids, ask her to get certified by undergoing such a course.
This course introduces the students to various aspects of baby-sitting and includes a thorough training to deal with medical emergency cases and first aid application.
These students are taught the basics of first aid and also taught how to deal with choking, poisoning, smoke inhalation and other such hazards that you child may face. Hence, it is imperative that you have a trained sitter to take care of your child in your absence.
A house has enough places and objects that may pose some harm to a naive and innocent child. A sitter should know how to deal with such situations and must be able to administer first aid before medical help arrives.
Does your sitter have any time restrictions?
You must know when your sitter is available to take care of your children. She may have some limit on time that she may be allowed to spend outside home. If your sitter is a teenager who is tending to your kids for some pocket money, you should verify whether night timings are convenient for her. You may even to talk to her parents for the same. If a sitter works till late night for you, it is your responsibility to drop her off at home, safe and sound.
Even a professional sitter may have some restrictions on the amount of time she can devote to your children. The chances of double employment are high with this, since babysitting is not a full time occupation. Remember that sometimes you may have to pay extra to avail your sitter’s services for longer durations (especially at night).
Plus note that since your sitter may be working elsewhere at the same time, it is important that you know the amount of time that she can commit to taking care of your children. The idea is to allow your sitter to know that she is valued and that her presence will not be taken for granted.
Does your sitter love children?
This should be the first question that you may put forth at the time you interview a babysitter. Of course, you are bound to get an affirmative answer! Therefore, you need to observe your sitter carefully. Observe how she is around your kids and how well your children connect with her.
You may even ask your children if the sitter ' plays nice games' or ' tells them stories' or ' makes nice sandwiches' for them.
The answers to such questions are indicative of the extent to which a sitter likes children. Many times, babysitting is viewed as a profession for making quick money without any real love for looking after children.
Such sitters are bound to be methodical about their activities and may not take any real interest when it comes to bonding with your child. Children need to feel comfortable when they are left with the sitter, thus it is essential they bond with her. If the sitter is really a very friendly and warm person, then you can leave your kids with her knowing that they are being cared for and loved even in your absence.
Does your sitter have a clean background?
Hiring a sitter through a professional agency would ensure that your sitter indeed has a clean background. Most reputed agencies will vouch for the fact that the babysitters they recommend not only have experience but also are quite reliable.
You can demand to see all records of different sitter from such agencies, which can include details regarding their criminal records, traffic violation records, rehabilitation due to addictions etc. If you hire a sitter through personal referral, so make sure that he or she has a clean record.
You can also verify the same by inquiring about the sitter's conduct with her former employers. What you need to watch out for is if the sitter has any inclination towards child abuse whether sexual, physical or verbal.
Remember: a recent survey suggested that sitters commit about 4.2% of the crimes against children. So, be extra careful while hiring a sitter; you have to ensure that your child remains safe even in your absence.
Is your sitter from a good family?
It is vital for you to remain at peace when you leave your child with the sitter. A mere assurance of the fact that the sitter has a clean record cannot be satisfactory. You need to know whether the sitter comes from a good family and has been brought up whilst being imparted with the right values. In your absence, your child is going to spend a good deal of time with the sitter, and it is vital that he/she learns something good from her.
If your sitter comes from a dysfunctional family, then there is a chance that she might be resentful, hostile or even negligent towards your children. This will set forth a bad example in front of your child as he or she may pick up the wrong things from the sitter.
Children are very impressionable at a young age, age and the also pick up things quickly by observing their surroundings. So, see to it that the surroundings you provide for your child are good!
What sort of extra work is the sitter willing to do?
You might want to put forth this question after you make up your decision to hire the sitter. Ask her if she has any special talents or skills that she may wish to teach your child. For example, the sitter may be good at cooking.
You may request her to teach the same to your child during her work hours. Remember that for every extra bit of work, you must pay your sitter more. A sitter is essentially supposed to take care of your children and perform all the routine duties that you might do for your child.
She is not hired to play governess to your children, so she should not act as a disciplinarian. Make sure that your sitter knows exactly what is expected out of her, disciplining kids is your privilege. You can also fix the pay scale of your babysitter according to the activities she does.
Is your sitter too cheap?
By cheap, we mean the charges that your sitter may expect out of you. Usually, the charges for babysitting are fixed area or location-wise. When you hire a sitter, she must ask for standard rates. If her rates are cheaper than what are generally accepted as ' going rates’, you have sufficient cause to be suspicious.
The chances of her being unfit for a babysitting job are high and hence, she may be asking for lesser pay. You need to be wary of such ' cheap sitters'; it is wiser to pay good money and hire a standard and trustworthy sitter. If you choose to cut costs and hire an inexpensive help, the possibility that you may need to face troubles are pretty high.
INSTRUCTIONS THAT NEED TO BE GIVEN TO YOUR BABYSITTER
You need to exercise extra precaution while hiring a sitter. After you make a choice, it is your responsibility to get the sitter well acquainted with your house and your lifestyle. This means she has to know the physical settings in your house as well as some norms that you have created in your household. It is necessary that the sitter work within these physical and normative settings.
Room by room safety tips
You must take your sitter on a ' walk' through the entire house. Show her how your house is decorated or where the major rooms are. The aim is to familiarize her with the way your house is designed. You can even make her familiar with emergency exits that you may have in your home.
She must be able to know about the ' danger zones' of your house. For example, a deep bathtub could be dangerous for very young children since there can be incidents of drowning.
The new sitter should have a clear idea about vital details like fire safety information.
Write down this address and hand it over to your sitter. Ensure that your phone has a 9-1-1 sticker on it. Let the sitter explore your house under your supervision.
She must know where your children sleep along with the location of their playrooms. Most importantly, she must know all the possible exits from the house in case of emergencies like fire or break-ins.
You must have adequate smoke detectors and fire exits in case of any such emergencies. Teach your sitter how to operate the fire extinguisher in case of a fire outburst.
A place that has many potential sources of danger for your child is the kitchen. Instruct your sitter to keep all sharp objects away from your child. Children are often attracted to sources of fire such as hot ovens, stoves and easily accessible microwaves, so instruct your sitter to keep children away from such things.
If your young toddler has a tendency to get attracted towards lit candles, see to it that you instruct the sitter hides them. Plus if the sitter is going to take your children's help for lighting emergency candles or cooking (where you light a pilot or other starter tool), make sure that she supervises all their activities.
Every year, at least one case of a child drowning is attributed to recklessness on part of a babysitter. Sometimes the babysitter may become so busy watching the television or speaking on the phone with friends that she might not notice the cries of a toddler who is drowning in the family bathtub.
Such mishaps usually occur as a result of ignorance or negligence on part of the babysitter. Introduce the sitter to the many probabilities of danger within the home surroundings and ask her to be especially careful.
Toy safety tips
Taking your child to play is one of the most important parts of a babysitter's job. Instruct her to keep kids from playing on the staircase and do not leave any objects like toys on the stairs. If your child is particularly active and runs here and there see to it that, your child does not play around glass doors.
Ask the sitter to keep a vigilant watch since young children sometimes might run into these glass door or windows! While buying toys for your child, read the labels that will indicate what age group the toy has been designed for.
Toys are designed taking into account the analytical skills required for a child to play with the toy. Thus check each toy’s guidelines that should come packages with the purchase, to decide whether a toy is safe for your child's age.
Keep the toys meant for older children away from your young child. Ask your sitter to keep a watch on what toys your child plays with. Many times, toys designed for older children may pose a poisoning or a choking risk for your younger child.
All the packaging material should be removed before the toy is given to young children. Hazards caused by packaging include cases of suffocation from plastic bags, choking on small cardboard or plastic pieces etc.
Tell your sitter to watch what the child plays with. No sharp object or any painted paper should be left with young children. It may cause mishaps like choking, poisoning or some serious injury to your child.
See to it that your sitter is shown all the toys that your child likes to play with. It is also wise to see to it that the toys you buy are ' safe' even upon being chewed or put in the mouth.
Pet safety tips
If you have pets, you should inform the sitter about this at the time of the interview especially if you are conducting the interview in a place where your pets are not allowed to access. The potential sitter could have a phobia of dogs or cats and may not wish to undertake the responsibility of looking after your kids just because she might not feel comfortable around pets.
This is perfectly normal, as many people suffer from allergies due to pets. For example, your sitter may suffer from itchy eyes or asthma that may be triggered due to the presence of dog hair or dander.
The presence of a pet could make the sitter come down with a serious allergy while caring for your child. Parents mostly worry about the safety and well-being of their children, but very few of them think about what will happen if the babysitter falls sick while attending to children.
Many allergic reactions can cause a person's eyes to itch, or may manifest itself in the form of frequent sneezing or a scratchy throat. At times, the allergic attacks can even result in serious asthma attacks requiring immediate hospitalization.
If your sitter is fond of animals, you may wish to leave a few instructions about pet care with her. For example, if you have a cat, you may want the sitter to know that it is not to be let out of the door. If you have a dog, you can instruct your sitter to not fed him at odd hours or not allow him to sit on the couch.
If your pet is allowed outside and has a signal that indicates that he may need to relieve himself, you should inform your sitter about that. Children often enjoy being in charge of their pet and sometimes may end up harassing your pet. In such case, tell your sitter to instruct your child in a gentle yet firm manner to prevent him or her from troubling your pet. This will ensure your child's safety as well as your pet's well-being.
Appliances safety tips
You are bound to have many electronic and kitchen appliances in your house. You have to decide in advance about what kind of responsibilities your sitter should be able to handle when it comes to letting her handle such appliances.
Electronic appliances that may be placed in your kitchen could be handled if at all your sitter may wish to cook. Inform her about crucial safety tips and what needs to be done in case of emergencies.
The most important point of consideration is whether the sitter should be allowed to watch television while attending to your children. If you have an adult sitter then you can chalk out rules about appropriate television viewing in your absence.
If you have installed a satellite TV system where you have access to hundreds of stations, then you may need to establish some limits on what should be viewed and what should not be. You can even lock certain adult channels by means of passwords. As a compromise, you can instruct your sitter to watch ' family' channels in the children's presence and leave her free to choose the channel she likes when the kids sleep.
If you have a pay per view option for either of the channels, inform your sitter of the same. After all, you do not want to pay for some adult viewing that the sitter may be indulging in!
Decide whether you would want your children to watch television in the presence of the sitter. Instruct the sitter to keep a watch on what they watch and for how long they watch it.
You may even instruct your children that late night television in your absence would not be allowed. Keep a control on the children's access to the computer.
Realize that the Internet is an open source for potential pedophiles and other criminals who may target your child. Ask your sitter to keep a watch on the websites they access and also ask to maintain a time limit to their internet usage.
You may wish to keep a check on the extent to which you sitter accesses the Internet. Many viruses travel through email and may get lodged into your system due to frequent Internet access. In addition, ad ware and spy ware may attach itself to your computer as Trojan horses.
Therefore, you need to keep a limit on the amount of time the sitter spends on line. You may allow her to use your network connection if she brings along her laptop.
This way, your system will remain protected from any apparent danger. Make sure that you set some limits on the amount of time the sitter can access the Internet at your cost.
Remember, what you allow as liberty for your sitter could be misused. In any case, it is wise to allow some bit of freedom to your sitter while ensuring that it is not being misused in any way. At the same time, you may even wish to instruct her about the safety tips to deal with emergencies.
For example, in case of a fire due to electronic appliances, instruct your sitter to use a fire extinguisher to douse the fire. In any case, you must leave the sitter with some authority over your household. It is not a wise idea to restrain the sitter from using any of the appliances at home.
This will give a general sense of dissatisfaction and the sitter will not take enough interest in your job. The crux of the matter is to make the sitter feel at home while seeing to it that she does not take any undue advantage of the liberties bestowed upon her.
Diet Tips
One of the most important tips that you must leave for your sitter is about the dietary and nutritional requirements of your children. A sitter should take care of all the diet requirements of your children just as you would do. In an effort the child's trust, sitters may often pamper your child with goodies or chocolates, which is a bad idea, if at all you never give such things to your kids.
You must instruct the sitter to refrain from doing this. Your child should be all meals on designated time by your sitter.
If your sitter plans to cook for your children do inform the sitter of any special instructions that you may want her to follow. For example, cutting a sandwich diagonally or removing the crust from the bread.
Your sitter should also know whether your child still uses 'sippy cups' or glass goblets for drinking milk. Get her acquainted with other details to help her understand whether the child expected to eat and drink, whether having meals is allowed wile watching a TV etc. you might as well tell the sitter whether your child needs to be fed or whether he or she can eat independently.
What is important is that the sitter should know about your child's eating habits very well. Do let her know about any specific ' must haves' in your child's diet such as nuts, fruits or candies. For example, a glass of milk after dinner could be necessary if you have established rules for the same.
Let your babysitter know about any food allergies that your child might suffer from and the help that he or she may require in event of such an allergy. Kids sometimes can be highly allergic to peanuts, coconut or even certain fragrances.
Intimating your sitter about your child's habits will help avoid conflicts that she might face while feeding your child. Let the sitter also know about the food items that your child is allowed to eat. Make it a point to ask her to be firm and not relent to your child's tantrums. You would not be too pleased to have your child tell you that the sitter is 'nicer' than you are!
Out and About safety tips
One of the most interesting tasks for your sitter during her course of duty would be to take your child out to play. She can be allowed to take them to nearby parks or gardens. If your child is particularly grumpy, an outing to the nearby park may put him in a good mood.
In such a case, inform your sitter about the mode of conveyance that you would be comfortable with while she makes such a trip. Many parents prefer the sitter to walk their child to the parks rather than drive them over.
You may even let her know about the places that she could take your child to for the purpose of recreation. If your sitter is a teenager, warn her not to associate with strangers both for her as well as your child's safety.
While in your home, there could be many potential ' danger zones' where your child may innocently wander into. For example, children who have a fascination for water may jump into your swimming pool! Inform your sitter to keep a tight vigil on your child who might wander near the pool.
A safe way out of this probable danger is to ask your babysitter \ not to allow your child into the water in your absence. Similarly, tell her to keep your child away from bathtubs, ponds in the garden, the dog's water bowl etc.
If you have any special equipment in your house, you may wish to keep them away from your child when you are not around. For instance, gardening tools could hurt your child, so locking this type of equipment in the garden shed would be a safe bet. It is vital that you do your level best to ensure your child's safety in your absence. You must realize that accidents are bound to occur, but the intensity and gravity of mishaps can always be controlled.
Medical emergencies
One of the biggest advantages in hiring a professional babysitter is the fact that she would be trained for administering first aid every time your child may get injured while playing or may have a fall down the stairs.
In event of such happenings, your sitter should know how to deal with the situation. Of course, her treatment may not be considered as the ultimate solution, but it would definitely help until further medical help arrives. You may wish to brief her about the illness or allergies your child may be suffering from and the course to take in case of such emergencies.
Parents of infants need to be especially careful. Your baby has specific needs and these may vary from those required by the other. So, inform your sitter about any such special needs your baby may have.
For example, your baby may not take too well to a particular brand of baby food. Give her the mandatory instructions on how to handle a baby; for instance, to hold a baby neck if the baby is less than four months of age.
You need to be especially careful if the babysitter is a teenager who baby-sits for pocket money. Chances are that she may not be adequately trained to handle your child.
Leave the list of all-important numbers with the sitter. These should include the number of your pediatrician, the contact number of a poison control center, the number of your closest relative and of course, your number!
Poison safety
Many mishaps happen due to poisoning in the case of young children. According to an estimate, around 130 children under the age of fourteen die from poisoning in the United States annually. Your child may swallow something or may inhale dangerous fumes. It is imperative to let the sitter know about the probability of such an incident.
Child poison safety could be easily taught to your child; even very young children can be introduced to the basic rules of staying away from harmful substances. Teach your child what is 'good' and what is 'bad'.
Children under the age of five are 'explorers' and they may roam around the whole house to discover new things. You could put all the items and medicines that could be harmful to your child away from his or her own reach. Instruct your baby sitter to keep all types of medication away from your kids.
Instruct your sitter to keep a good watch on what your child eats, chews or swallows. In event of poisoning, instruct your sitter to call the local poison control center as well as your child's pediatrician. You can leave details like your child's age and weight, your address etc with the sitter so that she can provide the authorities at the poison control center with the necessary information.
Danger from strangers
While seeking to ensure that you leave the child in a protected environment, you have to teach your child some basic tips on how to stay away from strangers. You have to let your child know the difference between a ' good stranger' and a ' bad stranger'. If your child is still too young to understand all of this, then instruct your sitter about what to do if threatened by the presence of a stranger in your absence.
Not all people who are unknown to your child are necessarily dangerous and you have to make your child as well as the sitter understand that. Examples of “good” strangers could be police officers, teachers, security guards, etc. Examples of bad strangers could be guys who insist on taking kids out for ice creams or sodas, while trying to separate them from the sitter.
The idea is to make your child aware of the fact that he or she is responsible for his or her own personal safety. You must make it a point to inform your sitter about the many perils of letting a stranger in to your house.
Ask her to refrain from talking to any stranger in a public place and to refuse any goody that a stranger may offer your child. These are important tips especially if you plan to hire a teenager as a babysitter.
In event of any danger, teach your sitter how to call for help or to approach the local police station. If the sitter or the child is manhandled, teach the sitter how to struggle with complete force and use any object that may come to her defense. The motive behind this is to ensure the safety of the sitter as well as your child.
Guest Menace
A point that attracts constant debates is whether you should allow your sitter to bring along her guests into your house. Different people may have different views regarding this issue. Some parents are open to the idea of same sex friends being invited to their place in their absence.
They claim that it makes the job of the sitter easy since more than one person can keep a watch on their child. However, the downside of such a setting is that the sitter may get too engrossed in talking to her fiends any may start neglecting her responsibilities.
You can ask your sitter whether she has a boyfriend or a lover. In event of an affirmative answer, you could ask her not to invite that person over to your house while she is babysitting.
Children are observant and learn a lot from their surroundings. You would not want your child to ask you awkward questions based on his observation of the sitter's behavior towards her lover!
Additionally, the sitter's lover is a stranger to your child and the perils of introducing your child to a stranger are many. You may be in a position to vouch for your sitter's character, but the same cannot be said when it comes to her boyfriend or girlfriend!
Before making up your mind on whether to allow the sitter to call her friend's over, do take some time to judge what sort of a person she is. If you are confident that she is a good person, then you may allow her some liberties. Moreover, you can also have a chat with a few of her friends to find out more about her conduct and tendencies.
Activities guidance
Depending on how old your child is, you may introduce him or her to varied levels of activities. For example, toddlers can be taught games like peek-a-boo, patty cake etc. Children of this age love to make noises and you can ask the babysitter to encourage him or her to sing rhymes.
Similarly, infants may love playing with colorful objects. Older children, typically of the age group of six to eight may be introduced to drawing and craft skills. Make a list of all the activities that your child enjoys and let your sitter know about all of this.
Instruct her about the kind of activities that are suited for your child and also about the activities that a child should be kept away from. For example, she should not allow your three year old to paint using water colors because such colors can be toxic if consumed.
The behavior guide
One of the most important tips that you must offer to your babysitter is the way you expect your child to behave and how you would like to have any misbehavior checked. All children tend to misbehave; it is a normal part of growing up, but the decision to punish them should be entirely yours.
Tell your sitter as to how well-behaved your child normally is, in case she complains about having a hard time when it comes to dealing with your child’s tantrums. Explain to her the reasons why the child could be misbehaving. You could tell her that your child would only misbehave if
Your child needs a nap.
Your child may be ill.
Your child may be hungry.
Your child may be bored or frustrated.
Your child may be scared of strangers.
Your child needs attention or a sense of power and control.
You can give a list of methods that you may employ to control your child's erratic behavior. Given below are few suggestions that you can offer to your sitter.
Using encouraging words in place of constant reprimands will definitely allow a child to realize his or her mistake.
Being positive and telling your children what they should do rather than what they should not be doing.
Setting limits is a good way to tell a child what is expected. Too many rules may result in your child getting overwhelmed, but a few essential rules may correct erratic behavior.
Offer your child choices in order to let him feel a sense of power. For instance, your sitter could ask your child whether he wants to watch cartoons or play patty cake, thus allowing him the chance to make a choice.
Your sitter may resort to light humor in order to encourage the child to behave well.
Change of environment will make the child 'forget' the misbehavior. For example, if your toddler likes to tear newspapers, keep the newspaper out of his or her reach.
Teach your sitter to give them stern warnings if they refuse to obey. This mostly works and often the child stops misbehaving instantly.
When you hire a helper to look after your children, it is your responsibility to ensure that your children are well behaved when they stay with the babysitter. Of course, every child has his or her bad days and may misbehave on some occasions, so ask your sitter to be patient and understanding.
You must place enough power in your sitter's hands so that she can check such errant behavior. Remember, if your child is too pampered, no sitter would be willing to take care of him/her!
A guide to your child's routine
Every sitter should be provided with a guide to your child's routine. This includes the manner in which your child is fed, bathed, dressed or put to bed. This also includes when and how much your child should play.
Remember to ask your sitter to stick to the daily routine as far as possible when it comes to taking care of your kids, because the basic intention behind hiring a sitter is to see to it that your child's routine remains unperturbed even in your absence. Ask your sitter to refrain from giving in to your child's demands. For instance, your child may seize this opportunity to avail an extra hour of late night TV, in your absence. Remind her that such tantrums are to be ignored and she is to stick to the routine as far as possible.
A guide to your child's likes and dislikes
Each child is a unique person, and thus would have unique whims and fancies. Even an infant has the right to make choices! So, it is necessary that you inform you sitter about your child's preferences. Your child may not like a particular brand of cereal or may not like to play a particular game; so the best policy for your sitter would be to offer them something else or give them a little bribe in the form of treats or activities allowed by you.
Let your sitter know about such little fussy quirks your child may have. The idea is to make your child and the sitter comfortable in each other's company. Your child should not miss his or her parents too much while the sitter is tending to it. Such children may become fretful, irritable, and basically difficult to deal with.
WHAT YOU MUST TELL YOUR BABYSITTER?
Expectations
Your sitter should have a good idea of what you expect out of her. Though babysitting involves taking care of your child, the term itself is very vague. Try telling her what you would like her to do for your child and also inform her about the things you do not expect form her. For instance, you may want her to help your child finish his/her homework, but you might not expect from her to clean up after him/her.
If you expect the sitter to do more jobs than what is normally accepted as a standard task structure, then make sure to fix her pay accordingly. For instance, if you want your sitter to do the laundry while taking care of your child, let her know that you would be more that willing to pay her more for that!
The kind of expectations that you may have out of the sitter would largely depend on the amount of time you wish to spend away form your child. However, it is wise to note that overloading your sitter with other routine tasks would keep her away from her main duty at hand.
Style
As a parent, you definitely follow some 'style' to deal with your child. You could be a stern parent or a rather liberal one. Let your sitter know about your parenting style so that she can adopt the way she would deal with your children accordingly. In your absence, you would want your child to be looked after in a proper manner. Tell your sitter about the rules that you have made form your child and ask her to respect the same.
Personality
Give your sitter an idea of what your child's personality is. For instance, your child could be short tempered or may be mild mannered. It is important to let your sitter know how your child is so that she can orient herself better when it comes to the task of looking after your children. If you talk to her about your child's personality, you will allow her to make up her mind about how to deal with your children.
She could then devise strategies that would allow her to spend a smooth time with your child. Lastly, if your child is a brat, then she has an option to flatly refuse to take care of him/her rather than discovering this situation on her own terms!
Siblings
Often, you may expect the sitter to look after both your children. In such a case, it is important that you tell her how well your children connect and what sort of activities they love to do together. She can even be informed whether there are frequent conflicts between your kids, and over what reasons your children usually fight. You can even tell her who the actual troublemaker really is; after all, you would want to assure yourself that your children would not be squabbling behind your back!
Cultural expectations
It is not necessary that your sitter would belong to the same caste or religion as you do. If you are particularly religious, you may wish to hire a help belonging to the same caste as yours. In case your sitter happens to follow the rituals and teachings of some other religion, here are a few things that you should keep in mind.
The first important thing that what actually sets people of two faiths apart is the food that they eat. There could be special rules about the consumption of food or the manner in which it is to be consumed. Let your sitter know about your expectations and tell her about the type of food your children are allowed to have.
The second issue that needs to be dealt with is prayers. If you and your kids pray in a particular way, or at a particular time; let your sitter know about your routine, but do not make it mandatory for her to join your children in such activities.
The best thing to do is to teach your child to pray at a certain time; expect your sitter to just remind your kids about the need to do the same.
The third thing that matter the most is the issue of clothes. You may expect your children to dress up in a particular manner to suit your religious sentiments. Let the sitter know about it and ask her not to influence your young child in matters related to food, clothes or fashion!
Code of conduct
Establish some ground rules about the way you expect your sitter to behave. For example, you may not want to encourage her to behave frivolously or dress up in a revealing style in front of your children.
Ask her to keep her friends away from your house to keep a check of any untowardly behavior. Ask her not to watch movies or listen to music that has adult content when she is with your children.
Tell your sitter to avoid reading books that may scare of your child thus making it hard for them to fall asleep. Most importantly, tell her to watch her language. You do not want your child using slang words most inappropriate for their age!
Acceptable punishment
Tell your sitter that it is her responsibility to see to it that your children behave well even in your absence. Leave her with the discretion to ' award a punishment' to the child who is ill behaved. However, warn her strictly to never hit or strike a child.
The sitter may adopt strategies like talking patiently to the child, reminding him or her about the rules you have set, setting a good example by ' behaving' right, separating fighting siblings and scolding the one who is at fault, being fair etc. The idea is to let your sitter know what you expect as a form of punishment.
Festival time
There may be times when you may need to go out on Christmas or Halloween's night. Of course, we can assume that such trips where you may need to keep your child at home would only be emergencies! Instruct the sitter and clearly explain to her about what she is expected to do in case such a situation arises.
For instance, tell her to keep away the gift wrapping and ribbons after opening Christmas presents. You may ask her to accompany your child on a trick-or-treat session. It is essential that your child enjoy the festival in your absence while remaining safe.
Reporting rules
Of course, it is a must that the sitter reports to you about your child's behavior. This will allow you to decide how you need to discipline your child or train him to be better behaved. Establish a commonly agreed upon method of reporting. For instance, your sitter could write down the list of activities with your child in your absence.
She could make a special mention of your child's bad behavior. However, as a parent, you must learn to listen to both the sides. Ask your child whether he has behaved in a manner that he should not have. The chances of the sitter reporting your child's misbehavior in order to cover up for the lack of attention on her part are not to be overlooked.
REWARDING YOUR SITTER
Any good job deserves a nice thank you and / or reward, some sort of display of appreciation. You must follow the same practice while dealing with your sitter. Of course, it is not mandatory to offer gifts or bonuses to your sitter. However, you can to do the same thing if you want to show your appreciation for her services.
Do not confuse a bonus for her regular pay, for it is definitely up to you whether to pay her standard rates! Most babysitters do not expect any gift or bonus from you. To offer the same is thus, your personal decision that can be influenced by a number of factors. For example, if your children really love her and have a good time when she is around, yet she follows all the regulations set by you, she definitely deserves a reward.
If you decide to reward her in monetary terms, some good options could be a holiday gift or a gift voucher for her favorite garment store. Take into consideration when she began working with you, how long she has been working you, how satisfactory her job is etc. Another good option for rewarding a good sitter is giving her gifts.
Many of these gifts come under $10.00 and can be given on some special occasions such as Christmas, Thanksgiving or Easter. You could keep in mind the sitter's preference or her background will giving her gifts. A middle-aged sitter may prefer a knitting kit while a book or a nice music CD may impress a teenager.
The idea is to keep her happy so that she can do her job with fair consistency. Believe it or not, babysitting is a tough profession; anybody who pulls through, deserves a lot of appreciation!
IF YOU HAVE A BABY, YOU MUST HAVE A BABYSITTER
Psychotherapists are of the firm opinion that every parent must hire a babysitter to take care of their child. The opinion is a reflection of their analysis of hundreds of couples who have children. As a couple, there are many things you need to do. You need to ensure that your relationship does not grow stale with passing years.
As the years go by, what you will need is time and energy that you can devote to each other. Unfortunately, time is what you would not find in abundance at that stage. Therefore, you would need to find ways to make time for each other out of your hectic schedules. This is where a babysitter will be of great help to you. Babysitters would take care of your children and thus allow you that free time you so crave for. You can use this time to develop as individual or as a couple.
What you need to realize is that you are a person first with your own sense of identity. You must not lead a routine that calls for a constant sense of responsibility from you. To put it in direct terms, you need to have time to spend as a ' role - less' individual rather than assuming a role every time. Try reinventing the magic you felt for the first time as a couple, for instance.
Plan a surprise date for your hubby, or arrange a candlelight dinner together. You could partake in healthy efforts, too, like joining a fitness club to look beautiful for your better half. You may even wish to spend that time visiting your friends or your relatives. The idea is to get that time when you can do things only for yourself.
As years go by, the biggest enemy of monogamy may hit you. The enemy is familiarity—you are so used to your partner that you cannot see him or her as the lovable individual anymore. You only have the memories of the good old days to fall back upon. Your marriage needs some sense of revival, and the best way to do it is to arrange for that free time where you spend time as a couple and not as parents. You can hire that sitter and ask her to look after your children.
A babysitter is essential to shape your children's attitude the right way. If you are always available for your child and may give in to his or her whims and demands, your child will start regarding you as 'easy'. He or she will start taking you for granted and thus, disciplining him or her may become difficult. Your child needs to know that you too are an individual like him, and you need that ' fun time' too.
The best way to make your child realize this is by creating that ' fun time' for your self and entrusting him or her in the hands of a reliable sitter. Finally, when a babysitter takes over your duties, you would sense temporary relief from your mundane duties. You can gain your energy and enthusiasm by that much required break. So, go ahead and hire a sitter. After all, you deserve that break!