How to Describe Baby-sitting Responsibilities

Avoid conflict by carefully describing responsibilities for your baby sitters.

Although all baby sitters share basic responsibilities, such as caring for children, providing entertaining activities and attending to the needs of the children, different parents and families may have their own expectations of their baby sitters. Help your baby sitter understand what your expectations are and what her responsibilities will be when watching your children by clearly describing her duties. By clearly defining the baby sitter's role for the person you hire, you will help both yourself, your children and your baby sitter have the best experience possible.

Instructions

1. Schedule a meet and greet with your baby sitter before her first day caring for your children. After giving the baby sitter time to introduce herself to your children, communicate with her about her role as a baby sitter. Discuss simple things such as rate of pay, bedtime routines and television policies first.

2. Communicate with your baby sitter about tasks that you feel she should complete as a part of her job responsibilities. For example, some parents prefer the baby sitter to make lunches and dinners for the children, while other parents prepare meals before leaving. Let her know whether it's OK to take your children for outings to the park, an ice cream shop or on bike rides.

3. Develop a baby-sitting checklist that your baby sitter can refer to when you are gone, especially if you have a lot of rules and responsibilities for her to abide by. Remember that getting used to another family's routine may be overwhelming at first, so developing a checklist for your baby sitter of tasks to accomplish while you're gone can be a huge help.

4. Remind your children about the rules of the house and ask them to remind your baby sitter if any of the rules are broken. For example, make sure that your children understand that they are not to watch television while the baby sitter is over if that is your rule. Ask them to remind her if she turns on the television out of habit.

References

• Babysitters 4 Hire: Babysitter Responsibilities
• eBabysitters: Writing Out Your Babysitter Checklist