Your privileges as the babysitter are determined by your employer. You must think of yourself as a guest in the house even though you are temporarily in charge. You should never assume that something is OK unless the employer specifically mentions it. Bringing your friends along on the job or eating a few cookies may seem harmless to you, but it may cause your employer to question your judgment. Parents of young children are used to being in control of all of their children's activities, including when and how many cookies are eaten, whether a friend can be invited over and whether they go to the park. Ask for specific permission each time you babysit for any privilege that is important to you.

It's very important to be able to count on times that employers give you. If you find that one employer is particularly bad at being punctual, it may be that they underestimate the time it takes them to do things. You may need to ask the employer to give you times that allow extra time in case they are delayed. If you need to be somewhere else, explain that you need to know the time they expect to return and the latest they would return without you calling for help. The idea that anyone will be disturbed if they are late will probably be enough to get them home on time. If necessary, have your parent explain the problem of not knowing when you will return or your curfew.  

Entertaining children for long periods of time can be very challenging. Lots of factors can make a difference - like the season of the year, the weather, the number and ages of the children you are babysitting, and the home or apartment where you are babysitting. To have a fun and safe babysitting job, it's important to follow these entertainment tips:

1. Be prepared. Before the babysitting job, think about how you will spend time. Keep in mind the time of day of the job, the ages of the children, and the personalities/interests of the children. Ask the parent about the usual routine. You may even want to make a list of ideas to take with you.
2. Be flexible. Remember to take the child's lead in when to play actively, play quietly, play together, or allow "down time" for the child to do his or her own thing alone. Fixed schedules don't work with children.
3. Be creative. Look around for new ways to play and new things to play with. A scavenger hunt to find a leaf, feather, etc. may be a good "spur of the moment" way to have fun. Playing grocery with a few canned foods can be fun. (Remember to put things back where you found them.)
4. Be ready to shift gears. Children get bored by too much of any one kind of activity. It's good to alternate quiet play with active play, inside with outside play, playing together with playing alone.
5. Be safe. Choose toys and activities that are safe - keep the age of the child in mid. Toys should always be at least as big as the child's fist. All activities should be as risk-free as possible. If in doubt, don't do it!

Come prepared!  Here are some tips of things to do:

• Work on your homework.
• Read a book or look at magazines.
• Play a hand-held electronic game.
• Check on sleeping children at least once an hour!

Since you need to listen for the children, here are some tips of thing NOT to do:

• Don't turn the volume up on the TV.
• Don't listen to music using your earbuds.
• Don't assume you can use the parents' computer - ask BEFORE using their things.
• Don't call your friends or invite them over.

 

Parents don't hire you to entertain them.  They hire you to keep their child safe and happy!  Here are 3 ways for you to act in a way that convinces them you are a good choice:

1. Smile - at the parent and the children!
2. Speak so you can be heard and understood.  When talking with a child or adult, look at them and make it clear you are paying attention.
3. Pay attention to the children - you are there for them!  If you concentrate on making the child comfortable, you'll make yourself comfortable.

4 tips when talking to parents

1. Ask a question about what the child is doing.
2. Ask about any activities going on in the room.
3. Compliment something you truly like.
4. If you are a Safe Sitter® graduate, fill in your Help Sheet!

 

Parents are interested in hearing how things went while they were gone. If the child is not yet talking, you are the only one who can provide that information.

Be sure to tell the parent about:

• How meals or snacks went
• How bedtime or naps went
• Smile Makers (funny, cute, or smart things their child did)
• How you entertained the child (games played, books read, crafts made, movies or TV shows watched)