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Present the family that you'll be baby sitting for with a list of concise and current references, but before you do, check in with those you've baby sat for in the past. Ask them if they mind receiving calls from your new employers, and ask them to be candid in the answers they provide.
Ask your new or prospective clients to call any or all of your references so they will feel more secure leaving their children in your care.
Update credentials like Red Cross Infant and Children's CPR certification frequently. Find classes by calling your local chapter of the Red Cross. If there isn't a chapter in your immediate vicinity, call your local hospital and ask about similar classes. Most parents feel good about leaving their children with a baby sitter who is properly trained in such emergency procedures.
Ask the parents for a list of potential medical concerns like food allergies, choking issues or any medications you'll be administering in their absence. -
Show both your employers and the children in your care that you have planned activities to occupy the kids during your time with them. Bring a baby sitter bag with fun surprises for both indoor and outdoor activities. For example, you might bring a recipe for a treat the children might enjoy; along with the ingredients, for a fun baking project on a rainy day. Bring a planned scavenger hunt, including the necessary objects to hide, for an outdoor activity that is educational as well.
Parents like to see that the baby sitter they hired won't simply stick their children in front of the television for the duration of their stay. -
Have a frank discussion with the children's parents about how they'd like you to discipline their children, and make it clear that you need to feel free to address both the parents and children should disciplinary concerns arise.
Do not consent to striking a child--no matter how benign the strike may be--as a means of discipline. Certainly some parents believe that a soft pat on the behind is an effective means of discipline, but if you take part in such a disciplinary measure you could possibly find yourself accused of harming the child at a later date. Make this absolutely clear at the onset of the relationship with both the parents and the children.
