All My Children

While it is vitally important to be diligent regarding the choice of a long-term caregiver for your child, it is also important to be careful about your choice of baby-sitters, even though the time your child spends in their care may be considerably shorter. During the first six months of your child’s life, it is best to leave her in the hands of experienced relatives or other adults. As your child grows older, however, younger baby-sitters can be utilized. Indeed, some of the best baby-sitters you may find will be students in high school or middle school. (Most states require that a baby-sitter be at least twelve years old if he or she is going to be unsupervised. Check your local statutes.) In many communities, hospitals or other organizations offer short courses (including CPR training) for baby-sitters, and those who have completed such a program could be excellent candidates for you to consider.

It is best to build a roster of trustworthy baby-sitters before you actually need one. Ask other mothers of young children whom they recommend and why. Responsibility, experience, and good rapport with young children are important qualities to seek. You might find some excellent sitters and have a chance to see them in action in the church nursery or Sunday school.

Once you have potential candidates, it is helpful to spend time with each one in your home. If possible, have him or her watch your child while you do some other work at home. This will give you a chance to observe how the sitter interacts with your child; it will also allow your child time to become familiar with the baby-sitter, thus reducing separation anxiety (if the child is old enough to manifest it) when you leave.

When you leave your child with a sitter, always leave the address and phone anumber of the location(s) where you can be reached, along with the number of your doctor, the local hospital, and another relative or friend who will be home in case you can’t be reached. You might want to invest in a pager to allow you more geographical flexibility. Let the baby-sitter know when you expect to be home and what you expect to happen while you’re gone—including feeding, bathing, and bedtime routines. If a child needs medication, make sure the baby-sitter knows exactly how much and when to give it. The sitter should also know any other family rules, such as those applying to TV or video watching, as well as any reliable ways to comfort your child when you leave. The baby-sitter should allow no visitors into your home unless you have made prior arrangements. If it helps you feel comfortable, check in with the sitter by phone after you’ve been gone awhile to find out how things are going.

Make sure that your pay rate is clear from the start. Ask a friend what the going rate is for each age-group and don’t hesitate to offer more for the best sitter on your list. If you would like the sitter to clean up dishes or straighten up elsewhere in the home, offer to pay a little extra.

If your child is old enough to understand, tell her that you are leaving and you will be back. Don’t sneak out when she isn’t looking, and don’t be pulled into a long, emotional parting scene. Your child will survive and, with rare exception, will calm down shortly after you leave. Enjoy the night out!

A FINAL NOTE: WHO WILL PROVIDE CARE IF YOU ARE GONE . . . FOR GOOD?

Planning for a disaster is never enjoyable. But an accident during even the most routine errand might unexpectedly leave your child(ren) without one or both parents. If such a tragedy were to take place, who would care for your children, and how would their material needs be met?

All parents must consider this possibility, carefully decide whom they would want to care for their children—along with a number of other financial, practical, and spiritual considerations—and then express their desires in a legally binding document. The specific steps involved in the preparation of a will or a living trust are beyond and should be reviewed with an attorney who is well versed in estate plat sing.

What matters most is that parents not succumb to the notion that “it can’t happen to me/us” but instead take the proper measures to provide for their children should the unthinkable happen.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)
Have a Caring BABY-SITTERS?

• Avoiding Conflict When the new Baby Comes Home
• Other people in your baby's life
• A new baby's skin Care
• Crybabies: What Happens When The Tears Won’t Stop? Part 2
• Where should your baby sleep?
• Crybabies: What Happens When The Tears Won’t Stop? Part 1
• And then there was one part 1
• What about sleeping through the night?
• Crybabies: What Happens When The Tears Won’t Stop? Part 3
• Safe Sleep: Reducing the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Trackback URI | Comments RSS