Here are a few safety tips to keep in mind when you’re babysitting:

• Always lock the doors after the parents leave.  Locking all windows, at least on the first floor, is a good idea as well.  Ask parents to leave a key if you are planning on taking the children outside.
• Do not open the door for anyone unless the parents have told you to specifically.  For example, they may have told you Aunt Sara was coming by to pick up the cake in the refrigerator for a bake sale, or a family friend named “Tim” will be over at 6:00 to pick up Bobby for hockey practice.
• Ask the parents if it’s alright to let their answering machine pick up calls so you don’t have to let callers know you are there alone.  If the parents need to get in touch with you and you don’t have a cell phone, ask them to call the house, let the phone ring once, then hang up and call back so you know it’s okay to answer.
• Before settling down to play with the children, check the house for safety hazards.  Just because the parents haven’t corrected a safety issue, doesn’t mean it’s safe!
• If you need to use the stove to prepare food for the children, be sure not to let any pot handles protrude over the front of the stove.  Turn all handles to the side. Use back burners whenever possible.
• If you take the children outside to play, be sure that their shoes are tied and laces are not dragging.
• In houses where “baby gates” are used, try to remember to open them correctly as opposed to stepping over them.  Though stepping over them may not be a hazard for you, children may try to imitate you and can get seriously injured trying to climb over a gate especially if it is on a stairway.
• Keep volume on televisions and radios turned to the lowest comfortable setting so you can still hear what is going on in other parts of the house.
• Be sure you know where the emergency phone numbers are located.

When working as a babysitter, keeping the children safe is your main duty.  Following these simple safety tips should help you to excel in this position.  Best of luck, and stay safe!

Lisa McLellan

Child Care Expert

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Any time I find myself in this situation, I always give the same response.  I say to the child, “maybe your parents DO allow you to do that/watch that/eat that etc., but they didn’t let me know that it was okay.  So just for tonight, you need to do something else/watch something more age appropriate/eat something healthier for snack.  When your parents get home, I’ll check with them and make sure it’s okay.  If they say yes, then you can definitely do that/watch that/eat that the next time I come over.”  Then I immediately distract them.

You will be amazed at some things that kids have permission to do because perhaps you were not allowed to do the same things at their age.  But, it is their parent’s who make the decisions for their children and you need to respect that.

Once when I was babysitting a 6-year old boy and his little sister, his mom said they could have either yogurt, fruit, or peanut butter crackers before bed.  When bedtime came, the little boy pulled a chair over to the counter and began climbing up to reach candy in the cabinet.  When I told him that candy was not an option for snack, he told me he was going to rip my head off and stuff it down my throat!  I guess you could say that was a bit of a variation of “but my parents always let me.”

He once again headed for the candy shelf and once again I calmly took him down and told him that candy was not one of his options.  I explained that I would check with his mom when she got home and if she said it was okay, then the next time I babysat he could have it.  This was one time when that technique didn’t work. When he attempted to get the candy one more time, I told him in a much more stern voice that candy was not an option for snack and that he could have yogurt, fruit, or peanut butter crackers, or he could go to bed without any snack.  He chose yogurt!

Lisa McLellan

Child Care Expert

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In order to get a baby to stop crying, you need to know the reasons why a baby might be crying.  Below is a list of circumstances that may be the cause of a baby’s tears.  For more details on this list, please see my complete article at http://www.babysittingworld.com/cryingbaby.html .

• Baby is hungry
• Baby is tired
• Baby’s diaper needs to be changed
• Baby has gas/baby needs to burp
• Baby just wants to be held
• Baby is teething
• Baby is over stimulated
• Baby is bored
• Baby is uncomfortable

So once you’ve tried picking the baby up, giving her a bottle, pacifier or teething ring, changing her diaper, and playing with her  to no avail, what next?  Sometimes just simply picking the baby up isn’t enough, but she may quiet down if you walk around with her and bounce her very gently and maybe even sing quietly or whisper to her.  If she is old enough to hold her head up on her own, try holding her facing outward with her back against your chest.  Put one arm around her torso and the other through her legs supporting her bottom .  Babies are very curious and like to look around.

On the other hand, if baby has had too much stimulation, she may need to be rocked in a room with dim lights and perhaps a white noise machine or fan running on a low setting just for the sound.

Check to see if baby is uncomfortable by touching the back of her neck to see if she is too hot or too cold.  Try taking off all of her clothes including her diaper to see if any of them may be too tight or irritating her skin.  If baby is still crying and you have experience bathing babies, try a warm bath.

Newborns often like to be swaddled.  Being wrapped snugly in a blanket makes them feel secure and may calm them down.  On the other hand, some babies hate feeling confined and may need blankets or clothing loosened up.

Try a ride in the car or a walk in the stroller.  Most babies love the motion and quiet down shortly after you start moving.

If all else fails and you are feeling overwhelmed or getting extremely irritated, put the baby in her crib and go to another room so you can still hear her faintly through the walls or through a monitor but so you can relax for a moment and regain your composure.  If you are a babysitter, you can try calling the parents to see if they have any other suggestions.  NEVER shake a baby, no matter how frustrated you feel.  Shaking a baby can cause harm or even death.

Once you have regained your composure, you can pick the baby back up and start from the top of the list.  By now, baby might be hungry and want that bottle.   The most important thing you can do is to stay calm.  The baby will eventually stop crying.  While there is an exception to just about every rule, I don’t think there has ever been a baby that has cried forever!

Lisa McLellan

Child Care Expert

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If two children are fighting over a toy you can try a couple of different things to end the dispute.  First, you could try letting the child who had the toy first use the toy for 5 – 10 minutes.  Set a timer and let that child know that when the timer goes off it is the other child’s turn.  More often than not, the child using the toy will lose interest long before the timer goes off.  But if not, set the timer for the second child so the first one can have another turn with the toy after.  Go back and forth until they both lose interest.  No matter how special the toy, it isn’t usually long before they have both moved on to something else.

Another resolution would be to offer a reward to the one who gives up the toy and lets the other child use it.  Rewards come in all shapes and sizes.  A reward can be something like letting him pick the bedtime story, putting polish on her fingernails (if it’s okay with the parents), playing a card game with just him, or doing a puzzle with just her.

Though it sounds too simple, distraction is an amazing tool!  It works well for anything from school aged children arguing, to toddlers touching things they aren’t supposed to.  All you need to do is have something interesting to show them or let them touch or use.  Almost all children love flashlights!  Bring a flashlight in your babysitting bag not only to use if the power goes out, but to play shadow games when you need a distraction.  Other items that are great for distracting kids of all ages are tiny crank handle music boxes, kaleidoscopes, balls that light up when you bounce them, bubbles, magnets, and dominoes.

Instead of yelling “NO, NO,” or “Don’t touch that” to a toddler heading for a glass vase, pull out your flashlight or bubbles (etc.) and say “Hey, look at this!”  For older children, intervene by simply saying something like, “Hey do you guys want to make Oobleck?”  (Oobleck is made of just cornstarch and water and it is REALLY COOL!  Look it up on the internet.  It is easy to make and kids love it!)  You can also try asking if they want to play a game like Simon Says, Charades, or I Spy.  Break out the crafts!  You don’t need to spend money on craft supplies, just bring a bag of things like paper towel tubes, string, elastic bands, old greeting cards, all types of small boxes, dry macaroni, drinkable yogurt containers, paper plates, glue, tape, and some crayons.

Lisa McLellan

Child Care Expert

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Life gets a whole lot easier for you and your babysitter when the kids are looking forward to her arrival.  If you have a “special” box of games and toys that you only bring out when the babysitter comes, it will make her visit even more enjoyable.  It doesn’t matter if the toys you stash are new or old.  When children haven’t seen or played with a toy in a while, it suddenly becomes exciting to them all over again.

You can cycle out toys as well.  Depending on how many toys  and games your kids have or how often you use your babysitter’s  services, you may want to switch the “special” toys in the babysitting games and toys box every few months or maybe only once or twice a year.

Babysitters can also bring along their own games and toys in their babysitting bag.  Kids don’t care if the toys are old, they just like to play with toys that are new to them!  Sitters can get really creative and even bring a broken toy; like a dolly whose leg fell off, or a toy truck that is missing a tire.  Let the kids help fix the toy.  It doesn’t need to come out perfect, but it gives them something new to do and helps them to develop problem solving skills while they’re having fun!

When putting together your “Babysitting games and toys box” (or bag), don’t forget that story books can be included as well!

Lisa McLellan

Child Care Expert

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I recently taught a babysitting course in which I had a brother and sister taking the class.  The brother was a very sweet boy and very attentive in the class.  He ended up getting his first babysitting job before his sister.  If he was around back when I needed babysitters, I would definitely have hired him.

A friend of mine had always used nannies since the first of her three boys was born.  When the boys reached the ages of about 6 – 10, she decided to try a “manny” (male nanny) as opposed to the traditional female nanny she had always used.  Her and her husband interviewed several candidates and hired one that had a lot in common with her boys.

Since the manny enjoyed the same sports and activities as her boys, her kids just adored him.  He kept them very active and was a big help with homework as well.  But, his downfall was that he had no interest in the light housekeeping they required or starting dinner.  My friend and her husband spoke to him about it and he came right out and said, “I don’t cook or clean.  I just take care of kids.”  Well, that was the end of the manny.

I would like to hear your opinions and thoughts and know if you would ever consider hiring a male caregiver or if you ever have.

Lisa McLellan
Babysitting Services, Nanny Services, and Nanny agencies

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If you don’t feel you are very creative, give yourself a hand by consulting a family or parenting magazine from your local library or get your own subscription at BlueDolphin.com, America’s Magazine Superstore.  These magazines are usually loaded with crafts and fun food ideas for every holiday or occasion.

If you have a bin for recyclables, this may be a goldmine for simple, fun, and creative crafts for kids of all ages.  Cardboard tubes, plastic drinkable yogurt containers, and tissue boxes are just a few of the common recyclables that kids love using to create decorations, ornaments, and musical instruments.

With Thanksgiving still a few weeks away, you have plenty of time to make most of these low cost or no cost crafts and decorations – http://www.allkidsnetwork.com/crafts/thanksgiving/ . There is so much you can do with just construction paper, scissors, and glue.  Plus, add some dried beans, dry pasta, or cardboard tubes and a holiday masterpiece is sure to appear!  Take a look at all the simple crafts for kids to make for Thanksgiving.

If you are a babysitter and are planning to make crafts at your client’s home, remember to bring a disposable tablecloth or newspaper to cover your work area.  Clean up the entire area when you are done so that nobody would be able to tell you were working there.  This means that no scraps are too small to sweep up or pick up, and glue bottles & paint containers are shut tightly and put away.  This is very important if you want to be asked to babysit for this client again!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lisa McLellan
Babysitting Services, Nanny Services, and Nanny agencies

Photo Credit

Many times when parents hire a new babysitter, they will show them around the house pointing out things like the children’s bedrooms, the list of emergency phone numbers, and where diapers are kept.   Typically parents don’t think of showing the babysitter where the flashlight is in case the power is lost, or where the adhesive bandages are in case one of the children gets hurt.  Flashlights and first aid kits are two very important tools for babysitters to have.

Parents can keep a box of babysitting tools in a closet or cabinet so that everything the babysitter could need would be in one place.  But better yet, the babysitter should bring her own tools along in a tote bag whenever she goes to a babysitting job.  After all, most carpenters don’t show up at their customer’s house expecting the customer to have all the tools they will need!

Other tools for the babysitting bag or box would be things like a bathtub thermometer in case the sitter needs to bathe small children, disposable

gloves for diaper changing or cleaning up vomit, and newspaper or plastic tablecloth to

Babysitting Survival Kit

protect surfaces if the sitter and children paint or make crafts.  Parents might want to add things like sunblock and bug spray to their babysitting box.

Babysitters can also include things like a small blanket for keeping warm when babysitting late at night or using for picnics in the back yard, coloring books and crayons, small toys, travel size games, deck of cards, scissors, glue, craft supplies, extra batteries, and maybe even an appointment book in case the parents ask you to babysit on another night while you are there.

Babysitting “tool bags” or “survival kits” as I like to call them, are available at www.babysittingworld.com/babysittingsurvivalkits.html or you can put one together yourself.  Either way, put together your survival kit and you’ll be prepared for almost anything.

Lisa McLellan

Childcare Expert

First, you need to be aware of all of the child’s “stalling techniques” and head her off at the pass!  If your child or the child you are babysitting for sleeps with a security item like a blanket or stuffed toy, she may burst into tears at bedtime and tell you she simply can’t sleep without it if she can’t find it.  To prevent this situation, look for the security item hours before bedtime and put it in the child’s bed.

If the child usually has a snack between dinner and bedtime, be sure you offer her the snack about an hour before bed.  This will avoid the “I’m hungry” technique often used at bedtime by many children.  Sometimes they will even point the blame at you and tell you they are hungry “because YOU forgot to give them their snack!”

Start bedtime routines about a half an hour before bedtime especially if reading stories is part of the child’s routine.  This should give them enough time to change into pajamas, brush their teeth, listen to a story and anything else they do before bed.

Above all, if a child gets out of bed after lights out, telling you she can’t sleep because she’s not tired, do NOT allow her to stay up.  Gently guide her back to bed and just tell her that you’re sorry but it’s bedtime and she needs to stay in her bed even if she can’t sleep.  Chances are she’ll fall asleep soon after she realizes you won’t let her stay up!

You might want to check with the parents before they leave to see if there is anything that the children need to do before going to bed such as bathing, finishing homework, or doing chores.  You would be amazed at how important these things suddenly become to a child who is looking for any excuse to stay up.  If there are things that the children need to do, tell them they have do these things before you can play with them and it will give them an incentive to get their homework or chores done in a timely fashion.

Lisa McLellan

Child Care Expert

Many parents will ask you if you have experience.  If you have babysat before, make a list of references to give to new parents interviewing you.  Before putting someone’s name and phone number on this list, you need to ask their permission.  Only include families that you are sure were happy with your performance as a babysitter (hopefully this will be all of them).

If a parent tells you that they would rather you don’t give out their telephone number, ask them if they could write you a letter of recommendation.  Explain that it only needs to be a few sentences that say you have done a good job.  Keep letters like this in a binder or folder to bring with you on interviews to show to prospective clients.

It may also be helpful for you to make a resume or flier about yourself and your services.  On the flier, you should include your name, phone number, days of the week you are available and times, how many years experience you have, ages of children you are experienced caring for, and any hobbies you have or clubs you belong to.  Letting parents know your hobbies and interests is not only so they get a better idea of who you are, but also it is often easier to establish rapport with children when you share the same interests.  Also, if you have taken a babysitting course or First Aid class, be sure to include that information.

Be prepared to let parents know why you are applying for a babysitting job and why you are a great babysitter.  Parents may also ask you what you would do in certain scenarios so be sure you brush up on safety precautions, how to deal with negative behavior and sibling rivalry, and emergency response techniques.

Good Luck!

Lisa McLellan

Childcare Expert