The Responsibilities of Babysitting
You have said good-bye to the parents. You watch them go out of the driveway and into the street in their car for a date night. The kid is in your arms, waving bye-bye to them. The question may run through your mind, "Okay, now what?" You know you need to keep the child safe and entertained, but you might be a little fuzzy on what that exactly means.
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Safety
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So many different safety hazards are present in homes and in yards that it would take a book or two to list them and how to deal with them. The most important element for keeping a child safe while he is in your care is to keep your eye on him. Listen for him if he is playing just out of your line of sight for a minute while you prepare dinner. If it is too quiet, go check on him right then. Look around in the environment in which the child is playing for things that could hurt him. Electrical plugs, heavy objects on end tables within reach, cabinet doors with chemicals on the other side of them, a road with cars outside and other hazards are usually easily spotted. Also ask the parents before they leave what specific hazards you should note in the house. Ask parents to leave you their cell phone numbers, the number of an emergency contact (such as a grandparent) and a number for the doctor or nearest hospital. Also have the parents' address handy in case you need to call 911. Poison control is another good number to have on-hand. Also, do not answer the door for anyone you do not know.
Rules
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Stick to the parents' rules about bedtime, routines and activities the child is allowed to do while they are gone. Maintaining a consistent routine is important to the security and happiness of the child. If you let the child stay up an hour or more past his bedtime, that means his parents have to deal with a cranky child the next day when they have to get him up to go to school. The parents have good reasons for the rules they have set, and your job as a babysitter is to follow them to the letter. If you are unsure of whether an activity is allowed by parents, tell the child no, and ask the parents about it for the future. If the parent can be contacted, call and ask instead of taking the child's word it is okay.
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Interaction
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Interact with the child you are babysitting. Children enjoy playing with the adults who are caring for them most of the time, and a babysitter is someone new and novel, making it even more fun. Even if you are not actively involved in what the child is doing for the duration of your time babysitting, talk to him and let him know what he is doing is important to you.
Other Tips
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Bring your own food and drinks to the house at which you will be babysitting. Even if the parents insist that you are welcome to their food or drinks and you are close with the parents, show that you respect their belongings by bringing your own dinner and snacks the first time you babysit. That gesture can go a long way toward getting another babysitting job. Turn off the TV unless the children are asleep. Leave your homework for when they are asleep, too. Stay off the phone with your friend, and pay attention to the child in your care. Also, the parents' house is not a place to invite your friends while you are working. Babysitting is a serious job, and it important that you treat it as such. Take a CPR and first aid course in addition to a babysitting training course from your local community center or hospital to help you be more prepared to babysit.
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References
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