Preparing for a Babysitter

While many people may not realize it, there is more to preparing for a babysitter than simply choosing someone that you trust to watch your children. Without a doubt, that is an important and vital step, but what do you do once you have accomplished that? Not only do you need to prepare your home, but you also need to prepare yourself and your children for a babysitter. Here are a few things that you should consider and take into account when you are ready to go out.

• Basic information you should have. There should always be a list of basic information that you have on hand for your babysitter to reference. This list will include things like simple house rules that your children are to follow while you are gone, as well as homework and chores requirements. We all know from personal experience, and from careful reading of Calvin and Hobbes, just how often young children try to get one over on the "new guys." This basic information can help your babysitter, and your children, have an infinitely better time than if they didn't have it.
• Do you have pets? Just as you do with your children, you should also have a list of basic information about any and all pets that you may have. This list should include things like times when the dog should go out, locations of pet items (like leashes, kitty litter, dog treats, etc.), and whose job, or turn, it is to take care of the pets. For example, is it little Johnny's turn to take Skippy out on a walk? If so, write it down for the babysitter.
• Emergency information. Make an itemized list of all emergency information that can be helpful to your babysitter. For example make sure that you have a fully stocked first aid kit, and that you have it listed where that kit is. Write down any fire plan that your family has, as well as a list of emergency contact numbers. One of the numbers that you have listed down should always be where you will be at, so that the baby sitter can contact you if something happens.
• Important, or special, information. An often overlooked part of preparing for a babysitter is to create another list that contains important, or special, information that your babysitter needs to have. This list should include things like medication doses, and instructions, that your pets or children may need to take. Another example is what your sitter can, and cannot do; numbers of trusted or preferred delivery restaurants, and so on.