How to find a babysitter-Babysitter Guidelines

How to find a babysitter-Babysitter Guidelines

Finding a babysitter

Babysitters can be found through newspaper ads, agencies, and word of mouth. Sometimes, colleges have lists of students who have an interest in babysitting.

What should I look for in a babysitter?

You should look for:

  • A sitter who is trained in CPR.
  • A sitter who is trained in basic first aid.
  • A sitter who is at least 13 years old.

You may also want to look for a babysitter who has taken a babysitting class.

What should I do before I hire a babysitter?

Before you hire a sitter, consider setting up an interview. During the interview:

  • Try to get to know the sitter.
  • Get a feel for the sitter’s personality.
  • Ask what the sitter would do in certain situations.
  • Have your children spend time with the sitter.
  • If the sitter has experience, ask for the contact information of the families whom the sitter has worked for.

After the interview:

  • Contact the families whom the sitter has worked for and ask if they would recommend him or her.
  • Ask your children how they felt about the sitter.

It may be helpful to start by hiring the sitter to help you with your children while you are at home.

Leaving your children alone with a babysitter

How should I prepare?

Write down important details for the sitter, including:

  • The best way to contact you.
  • The phone number for the person whom the sitter should call if you cannot be reached.
  • The phone number and address of:
    • The nearest police station.
    • The nearest fire station.
    • The nearest poison control agency.
    • The nearest hospital.
    • Your children’s doctor.
    • A neighbor or a relative who lives near you.
  • Information that the sitter may need in the case of an emergency. This includes:
    • Your full name.
    • Your children’s full names, heights, weights, hair colors, and eye colors.
    • Your home address and the closest intersection.

What should I do when the babysitter arrives?

  • Give the sitter a tour of the house. Show the sitter:
    • Where you keep flashlights.
    • Where you keep first-aid supplies, including bandages, a thermometer, and creams for scrapes.
    • How to get out of the house in an emergency.
    • Danger areas, such as hidden steps.
  • Remind the sitter of basic safety rules like these:
    • Never leave the children alone in the house.
    • Always be present if a child is in a stroller or walker.
    • Stay with a child if he or she is in the tub.
    • Do notlet a stranger enter the house.
  • Tell the sitter about any rules that you have, including rules about having visitors, watching TV, smoking, drinking, using the computer, and taking your children outside.
  • Give the sitter information that is specific to your children, including:
    • Routines for mealtime and bedtime.
    • What foods to give your children and which foods should not be eaten.
    • Information about any health issues that your children have.
    • Directions about how to give any needed medicines or treatment.
  • Support the sitter’s authority whenever possible. If you do not, your children may lose respect for the sitter.
  • Review with the sitter what he or she should do in case of an emergency.
  • Make sure the sitter will get medical help right away if:
    • A child is choking.
    • A child is having trouble breathing.
    • A child is unconscious.
    • A child has a seizure.
    • The sitter thinks that a child may have swallowed something that could make him or her sick.
    • A child gets hurt and the injury is causing pain, bad bleeding, or swelling.
  • Go over anything else that you think is important.
  • Ask the sitter if he or she has any questions.
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