| When you
arrive at a babysitting job, the house may be calm with
the children already in bed or it may be
chaos!
Even if the kids are in bed, Mom will probably be
in a hurry to finish getting herself ready to go
out. She may have rushed home from work, fed and
bathed the kids and got them into bed – no
easy feat if they’re hyped up over the event.
When you walk in, she won’t have the time (or
energy) to spend ages telling you every important
detail about the kids.
If the house is in uproar, it’s even less
likely that you will get any really helpful information.
You will need to pitch in immediately and take the
pressure off Mom so that she can be ready in time
to get out of the door!
This is where initial groundwork really pays off.
When you are initially contacted for a babysitting
job, make sure you ask all the right questions that
will make everyone’s life easier on the night – especially
yours!
If you baby-sit regularly and work for different
families, it’s a good idea to write out a check
sheet of questions. Make lots of copies of the sheet
so that you can quickly pull one out and fill it
in while you have the parent on the phone, or while
you’re making a visit prior to the job.
What do I need to know?
Routine is a godsend for babysitters. You need to
know if the kids have an evening and bedtime routine…and
if they don’t! If there is no usual routine,
your job will be more difficult. It helps to know
this ahead of time so that you can work out what
you’re going to do to keep them amused and
how you’re going to get them into bed.
Will you be expected to feed the children and if
so, what? Will Mom leave food or do you need to prepare
it?
It’s worth having a question about toileting
habits on your question sheet. For example, the child
may usually be taken to the toilet a couple of hours
after bedtime. This may be something that parents
do so routinely that they may forget to tell you.
This simple act can save a wet bed and the ensuing
upset. It’s worth knowing where clean nightwear
and sheets are kept!
Is the child on any regular medications, such as
an asthma inhaler? If so, where are they kept and
are the parents happy for you to administer them
if necessary. If they are, make sure they show you
how to use any form of medication correctly and safely
so that you are all happy for this to happen.
Has the child been sat for before and was it a happy
experience? If not, make a couple of short visits
to get to know the child and parents.
What are the child’s usual sleep patterns?
Do they sleep well or are they prone to night terrors
or sleepwalking?
Essentials!
Make sure you have a cell phone number. If both
parents have a cell phone, get both numbers.
You must know where the parents will be for the
evening. If they are likely to change venues, i.e.
from the movies to a restaurant, make sure you have
the land line phone numbers of both places. Ask the
parents to ring and let you know once they have arrived
at a different venue.
Ask approximately what time they expect to be back.
Write down the address and telephone number of the
home that you are in and keep it by the phone. In
the extremely unlikely event of having to call 911,
you will have the necessary information to hand.
It’s often helpful to ask the parents for
the phone number of a helpful neighbour, just in
case a situation arises in which you need help or
support. It’s highly unlikely that you’ll
need to call them, but it’s useful and comforting
to know that you have backup close by.
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