General Requirement
Ø Good Health: Your overall health is important. If you have a cold or other contagious disease, please inform the management so that you don’t have to babysit.
Ø Be Discreet: Do not discuss the affairs of our client with anybody. Privacy must be respected at all times.
Ø Show good manners: Be pleasant, and act in a courteous manner. This includes respect for the privacy of families by not going through their personal possessions or asking unnecessary questions.
Ø Dependable and Responsible: Dependability is a must. You are responsible for the Childs health and safety. You must be safety conscious at all times.
Ø Be Knowledgeable about children: You need a basic understanding of the stages of child’s development. You must also know the basic techniques of feeding, dressing, diapering, bathing and playing with younger and older children.
Ø Be conscious of what you say around the children you are minding, you are expected to be mindful of your language, conduct and actions at all times.
Ø Stay alert at all times, on no occasion should you leave your charges unattended to, avoid lengthy phone conversations and any other thing that may distract you.
Babysitting Tips
Ø Once your time alone with the children has started, try not to be nervous. Children can easily pick up on this, and they will be tenser as well. Try to have a good time with the children while following the rules the parents have set out for you.
Ø Stay safe: Do not open the door to anyone the parents dint instruct you to open the door for, take messages for the parents without divulging the fact that they are not home.
Ø If you must give the child a meal, be cautious. During meal time, make sure you follow any rules the parents give you. Food allergies are serious, and should not be toyed with. Also do not give small children anything that may be a choking hazard.
Ø If you have to bathe the children, no matter the age, please do not let them out of your sight at all, so as to avoid any occurrence.
Ø Leave the house in good order.
Ø Messages for the parents should be correctly taken. Parents should also receive a brief report about the children’s behavior and unusual happenings.
Information necessary when babysitting
Ø Always make sure that you know where parent are going. Having contact details for a parent will prove invaluable during an emergency situation.
Ø Have emergency numbers on hand, know the address of the house in case you are asked. Also make sure to inquire about the first aid supplies and emergency equipment in the house.
Ø Ask about any allergies/medical conditions of your charges. On arrival, find out their present health status to know if they are fully healthy or sick at the moment. If sick, let the parent leave medication instruction for you.
Ø Ask how to open and safely lock doors.
General Conducts
Ø Be Responsible: Make sure you get all the information you need to keep the child safe and happy. Find out who is the nearest adult neighbor you can turn to incase of an emergency. Ask them their policies on bedtime, TV, homework, computer, games, snacks and chores. Ask them if the child is allergic to anything or taking medications. Ask what the child’s favorite games, toys, stories and TV shows are. Take notes and keep them on file for the next time you babysit for the family.
Ø Be Trustworthy: If the parents say no TV before homework or no snacks, obey. Do not undermine the parent’s authority or make the child think rules don’t count. Even if you swear the child to secrecy, there is a good chance the parents will find out and you will not be looked upon favorably.
Ø Be Vigilant: When you are babysitting, you are not there to your personal work, read a book, talk on the phone, watch TV or have a snack. Your first and foremost responsibility is to care for the child. This means keeping the child safe, performing any necessary tasks (feeding, bathing) in a timely manner, and keeping the child occupied and happy. Any task that will take your attention from the child should be avoided.
If the child is asleep, you can attend to yourself, but you still have to be mindful of the child.
Ø Be Considerate: Remember you are in someone else’s home. Don’t mess it up. If a mess happens, which is possible with children, clean it up. Don’t eat or drink what is not yours, don’t put your legs on their tables or chairs, be careful around breakable and valuable items, don’t ask personal questions. Don’t go into any closed rooms , closets or drawers ,don’t invite anyone to their home .
One good rule of thumb to follow: Don’t do anything you wouldn’t do if the parents were still there with you.
Culled from various online materials
