Babysitting

When you baby-sit, parents are entrusting you with their children's lives. Your most important responsibility is to care of the children's needs and keep them safe. This means that parents look for certain things in a babysitter:

If you feel you have many of these qualities and you have permission from your parents, you are ready to move forward into the world of babysitting!

Remember that once you have accepted the responsibility for babysitting you become civilly and legally responsible.

It's a smart idea for you to set limits for yourself. You (with the help of your parents) will need to think about what you will and won't be able to handle. This means knowing which hours you can work, and what days you are available. For example, deciding that you will only take care of one child at a time, or only children age 3 and up.

By 'setting your limits', you can feel confident that you will provide excellent childcare services.

St. John's Ambulance Canada also offers babysitting courses. The cost is $30 for eight hours of instructions, including a certificate when you pass the course. To find out where courses are held in your area, you can call 1-888-373-0000. The St. John's Ambulance Society also has babysitter's page on their web site.

For those of you with previous babysitting experience, the next step is to prepare a simple résumé and references. Here is an example. This a great way to show your future employers what your capabilities are, and that you are 'professional' and organized.

Next, you need to do a little bit of research. You need to find out what babysitters are getting paid per hour in your neighborhood. Parents may ask you what you charge and you should be prepared to tell them a rate per hour that is similar to what other people are being paid. Your research can be done by asking friends who baby-sit (and parents who hire babysitters) what a typical rate is.

Find a rate and stick to it. It is up to you to tell your employer how much you want not the other way around.

Keep in mind that if you have little or no experience, working as many opportunities as possible will help you build your résumé and experience.

If the parents do not ask what you charge, you may politely ask them what they will be paying per hour. It's up to you to decide if you are comfortable working for that amount of pay or not, then accept or politely decline the opportunity.

The final step to getting started is actually finding work. There are few ways to do this, always keeping safety in mind (you don't want your personal information to get to the wrong person).

1. Spread the word Tell people you or your parents know that you are available to baby-sit.

2. Word-of-mouth Once you have babysat for a few different families, you'll be surprised at how much your business will start picking up. Word-of-mouth tends to be the most common way that a babysitter finds work.

Safety tip: If a new family that you do not know calls, ask who recommended you. Get in touch with that person to make sure they did recommend you. Always do your best at each job as it may earn you a new client!

3. Speak to teachers Later, after you get experience, you may want to speak to the kindergarten and lower grade teachers at school or church. Students' parents often let the teachers know if they are looking for a babysitter. You can let them know you are looking for families to baby-sit for.

4. Don't post flyers Posting flyers at a supermarket or on the street is NOT a good idea as you may receive some unwelcome responses. The same thing goes for classified ads listed in newspapers. Answering them might not be safe.

Your efforts to find babysitting opportunities will pay off and the next thing you know, someone will hire you!

You've just been called to baby-sit tonight, but you have a soccer game! Rather than let you employer down, it's nice to have a substitute list handy. A sub list is a good way to refer other responsible boys and girls who you know that are looking for work as babysitters.

Find out which of your friends baby-sit (and hopefully have taken a training course) and put everybody's names (including yours) and telephone numbers on a list. Make copies for each person. When one of you gets a call for a job that you can't take, you can suggest a few names and numbers are substitutes for the parents to call. What a neat way to impress your employer and help out some responsible friends!

You are hired to baby-sit. You know (Pay, How many children, How long, ride to and from).

- A great babysitter will plan to meet new parents and children (and pets!) to get acquainted before the day they have to work. This is something you should suggest to the parents when they first hire you. This shows you are very 'professional' and caring, and also makes the start of the job much easier. When you arrive for the job, the kids have already met you and won't be so nervous about being left with a stranger. It's a good idea for you too, as it can show you what to expect for the job. It also reassures the parents, since they've spent a little bit of time with you, that they can trust you with their children.

This is a good time to get some information about the job, the children, and their home and safety issues. Here are some checklists for you to print out with all the important questions you will want to ask.

Use your Babysitter's General Information Checklist to ask the parents questions regarding safety and other issues. Suggest that the parents give you a tour of the home to best answer these questions.

Ask the parents to have the Child Safety Checklist filled out in time for the job. This will provide all the extremely important information you need wile working there.

Whether this information is filled out days before the babysitting job or just before you begin, it is VERY IMPORTANT that you get it. It will help you in all kinds of situations.

*What time will the parents will return?*
*Will a ride or escort be provided to get me home?*	*YES or NO*
*Visitors allowed?*	*YES or NO*
*Where are the emergency exits?*
*Where is the smoke alarm and extinguisher?*
*Where is the First Aid Kit?*
*Where is the fuse box?*
*How do I work the door and window locks? (Have them show me and be sure I know how to work them)*
*How shall I handle incoming phone calls?*
*What if someone comes to the door?*
*Do you mind if I take the children out of the house (to play in the yard, or elsewhere)?*	*YES or NO*
*Is there a house key for me to use? Where?*	*YES or NO*
*Do the children have a password they share with you for emergencies?*	*YES or NO*

*Parents' First and Last Names*	*MOM- DAD-*
*Work Phone Numbers*	*MOM- DAD-*
*Children's First and Last Names, Ages*
*Home Address*
*Home Phone Number*
*Nearest Cross Streets*
*Where Parents will be Phone Number to Contact them*
*Neighbors' Names and Phone Numbers to Contact for Help*
*Name and Phone Number of Children's Doctor*
*Name and Number of preferred hospital*
*Police Phone Number*
*Fire Department Phone Number*
*Poison Control Centre Phone Number*
*Do the Children take Medication?*	*What? When?*
*Food (what can eat or can't eat, favorite snack, food rules)*
*Do the Children have any Allergies?*	*What?*
*Nightlight?*	*YES or NO*
*Routines to Follow-*
*Rules and Restrictions*
*Pets' Names*
*Other Special Instructions*

It's making sure kids are safe and happy! This doesn't usually happen without trying. You do have to play with the kids. Unless you want to be stuck playing with the same toys all night, you had better go prepared with some fun ideas for activities. You may even want to prepare a babysitting kit to take with you for activity ideas and materials.

Check out our To Do List. Printing this out will help you with the things you need to remember for the job.

We've also got a great list of CHILDREN'S BOOKS and CHILDREN'S SONGS to help you to prepare.

1. Make sure I have some activities planned and/or a 'babysitting fun kit' prepared before leaving for the job.

2. Let my parents know the name, address and telephone number of where I'll be babysitting, and tell them what time my employers expect to be home.

3. At the house, have the Safety and Child Information form filled out bye the parents, if not already filled out.

4. Fill out my own General Info form with the parents (house tour if needed).

6. Check for pen and paper by the phone in case I'm required to take messages.

7. If taking the children out (including the yard), make sure I have a house key, double check doors and windows are locked.

8. Let the kids' parents know how things went at the end of the job, any problems or injuries. Be truthful and tell exactly how it went.

9. Call home when leaving, let them know I'm on my way (ask them to pick me up if a ride is needed or employers seem intoxicated).

Arriving a little early before your job starts give you time to go over important details. If the parents are picking you up, ask them if they can come early and explain why. They will be happy to spend extra time going over things.

Take a To Do List with you. This will make sure you don't forget anything important. Try to follow the steps on the list. Before the parents actually leave you alone with the children, you should have all your information checklists filled out, have a tour of the home, and check through other steps on your To Do List. This will all come naturally after you have gone through it a few times at a few jobs.

Once the parents leave, you are in charge. You are responsible for the children's safety, health, and happiness. Having safe fun with the kids and making sure they are safe will mean that you could become the kids' favorite babysitter! By following all of the babysitting information, you will be thoroughly prepared. Now you can feel confident that the kids are in good hands -- yours!

Like anything else in life, things don't always go as planned. Accidents can happen...especially when you are dealing with small children.

Trying to prevent accidents from happening means being on the look out at all times. You have to be alert and know where the children are at all times. Leaving them alone, even for a second, can be dangerous. Keep your eyes peeled for problems-in-the-making -- like toys on the stairs, sharp objects, swimming pools (or bathtubs), medicine, poisonous substances, electrical outlets, and more.

It seems like you have to watch them like a hawk, but really, you can never be too safe. Visit the Babysitting Safety sites on the Internet. There are a lot out there.

If an accident does happen, this is when your training comes in handy. You need to be prepared to know what to do the instant something goes wrong. Minor things such as a scrape on knee involve simple common sense: a trusty Band-Aid, and comforting of the child.

More serious accidents are handled by staying calm, calling your emergency numbers and using the training you've received in a babysitting course. That's why these courses are so important.

Always make sure to let the parents know if ANYTHING happens, no matter how big or small it seems. Find out whether they want you to call them right away, or wait until they get home.

Walk through the home to familiarize yourself with the locations of all rooms. Determine which bedrooms children will be sleeping in and make sure there are two exits from each. Locate all exits from the home.

Each year, at least one drowning in Phoenix can be attributed to a babysitter who answered the telephone or spoke with friends while a toddler slipped into the family swimming pool, toilet, bathtub, dog bowl, etc.

Injuries may occur to children when the babysitter's attention is elsewhere. A toddler may fall or pull a hot pot off the stove when the babysitter isn't watching. An unnoticed child may take the opportunity to play with matches when the parents have left.

Although children need you in case of emergency like fire, injuries, or sickness, they need you for play, too. The good babysitter is a good player. Here are some things children play at and dangers to watch for.

The infant is discovering his body. He likes to throw, hold, drop, tear, grab, roll. Some dangers - put things in the mouth, helpless in the water, and can easily smother.

Toddlers are getting into everything. The toddler likes to bang, push, pull, put in, take out, jump, draw, color. Some dangers - swallowing things, falling, matches and lighters, heaters, poisons, the stove.

From the age of three on, children like active physical games, arts and crafts, blocks, pretend, games of skill, reading. Some dangers- street dangers, falls, stoves, heaters, matches, and lighters.

Bring some things to play with like a notebook, magazines, colored paper, color makers, tape, flashlight. Surprises for the children will make the job easy for you and fun for them. Make a game of putting things back in their place.

Never leave children alone. When they are alone, they can have unintentional injuries with matches, gasoline, the stove, water, poisons, falls, drowning.

Move portable heater away from play areas. Keep the heater away from curtains and furniture, too.

Keep children away as well. Contact burns are common for toddlers, especially if they fall against hot surfaces like space heaters.

Supervise children when they are in the kitchen. This is the place for injuries with fire and hot liquids. You and the children should wear tight sleeves during meal preparation. Loose-fitting clothes can catch fire. Turn pot handles inward on the stove so children can't pull them down. Smother a pan fire with a lid. Never use water. Roll up appliance cords so they can't pulled down. Put the baby in the playpen if you have hot pot or drink in hand, so she/he can't get burned.

Check smoke detectors. Plan ahead. Know how to get children out of the bedrooms if the front or back doors are blocked by smoke or fire. Make sure you know in advance what all your escape options are. Smoke kills. Shut doors to stop it from advancing. Show children how to crawl under smoke to get better air near the floor. If there's a fire, get everybody out and then call 9-1-1 from a neighbor's house. Don't go back to the burning house. Many people are killed returning to a burning building.

For emergency help, call 9-1-1. Call the parents if you have questions about lesser emergencies. Notify the parents about small injuries when they return.

For minor cuts, stop bleeding by applying gentle pressure with a clean cloth. Wash the wound and apply a bandage.

Learn CPR. There are number of emergencies where your knowledge of CPR could arise and be needed.

If the child swallows something poisonous, call 9-1-1. Have the container ready so you can read it to fire department on the phone.

Show children how to stop, drop and roll in case their clothes catch on fire. Rolling smothers the flames. Use a blanket or rug if one is on hand. Call 9-1-1.

Put cool water on a burn. This slows skin damage. If the skin is already blistered, dead white, brown, or charred, you need emergency help. Call 9-1-1.

Don't be shy to call the police, if something doesn't feel right is probably because it is not.

Phone calls - never say that you are home alone. Don't stay on the phone with friends.

Never invite friends without employers permission. If something get broken or stolen, you are responsible.