Babysitting Safety Tips

By www.streetsmartkidz.ca

As a parent, hiring a babysitter is serious business! After all, the person you hire is going to be responsible for your child and your home! You want someone with maturity and judgement, and someone who likes children and will do fun things with them. Here are some safety tips for parents:

Finding the Babysitter

The best sources of child care information are the recommendations of family, friends, and neighbors. You may also advertise in the newspaper or through your local high school, church or civic organization.

Hiring the Babysitter

Once you have a list of possible sitters, check their references carefully.

Contact past employers, teacher, relatives, friends or neighbors and ask them about the sitter's qualifications for child care. Interview several prospective sitters personally and observe their interaction with your children.

Look for mature and responsible people who listen and respond well to your children and appear relaxed and happy with them.

Outline the duties and responsibilities then discuss an imagined emergency situation and how he/she responds to it.

When you decide on a sitter who meets your standards, discuss the hours and pay. Also write down his/her name, home address and telephone number and , if an adult, their driver's license number.

When the Babysitter Arrives

Ask him/her to arrive at least 15 minutes before you leave.

Take the sitter around the house and show him/her any first aid equipment and all doors and possible exits.

Discuss the rules regarding the television, snacks and bedtime with both the children and the sitter present.

Other potential situations that may place the sitter and the children in an uncomfortable situation (e.g.. neighborhood crime, street situations, a non-custodial parent, an unfriendly pet at home or nearby) should be discussed. 

Babysitter's Specific Information

Phone numbers where the parents are going and a reasonable time of when they will return.

A list of phone numbers for police, fire department, ambulance, and any other important names and numbers beside the phone. Include names and phone numbers of neighbors who may be able to assist in an event of an emergency.

A complete street address of the house and explicit directions of where it is. This is good information to have available should the sitter need to contact the police, fire department or ambulance.

List of any medical problems that may arise and how to deal with them as well as any medicines to give, plus family doctor's name and phone number.

Rules concerning answering the door or other situations that may place your sitter and the children in an uncomfortable situation.(e.g.. neighborhood crime, street situations, a non-custodial parent, an unfriendly pet at home or nearby)

Upon Your Return Home

 Ask the sitter if the children are safe and if anything happened? telephone calls, visitors, etc.

Make sure the sitter is escorted home and wait until he/she is safely inside before you leave.

Do not hesitate to praise your sitter for a job well done. With good pay, good praise and the sitter feeling that they are doing a good job, will help maintain a good relationship with your babysitter.

Important Information:

When the sitter has left, talk to your children about what they did while you were gone such as games they played and other activities. Ask your children if anything happened that made them feel uncomfortable or afraid.

About Street Smart Kidz: The Street Smart Kid'z program provides information for parents free of charge to help keep their children safe. Visit www.streetsmartkidz.ca for a wealth of Free information including tips, articles, resources, a Free children's ID kit and more! Check out the Tip of the Week Library.