Sibling sitters:  Training and ground rules make a tough job easier for all.

By: Tina King

     "Sibling sitting is really the hardest baby-sitting of all," said Dr. Patricia Keener, and Indianapolis pediatrician and founder of Safe Sitter®.  The nonprofit organization has helped to educate more than 300,000 baby sitters nationwide in the past 21 years.

     Sometimes parents don't put as much work into helping built-in sitters succeed, Keener said, but parents need to do some the same things they would do for an outside sitter.

     Whether or not to pay the sitter is a family choice, but it should always be clear how much the service is appreciated, she said.  And before parents leave, it should be clear who is in charge.

Excerpt from The Indianapolis Star article Sibling sitters on October, 29, 2001