Sitter Tales

As I’ve chitchatted with various babysitters, I’ve heard grumblings about what it’s like to babysit for “problem” parents. Curious about what the most common gripes are, I asked two excellent sitters I know to come up a list of babysitting “dos” and “don’ts “ for moms and dads. I was surprised to learn how simple their requests are–and that even I’ve been guilty of a few transgressions from time to time (i.e. cancelling at the last minute and forgetting to arrange for dinner). But mostly I was pleased to learn that their biggest concern above all is ensuring the best experience for the kids in their care. “Most of all, we want our time with them to be special and go smoothly,” said one of the sitters. With that in mind, here are 10 tips for ensuring you take good care of your sitter, so they can take great care of your child.

Reported by Ariel Schachter and Kimberly Habasinki

DO…

Be honest about your schedule. If you’re going to be late and know it, let us know. For instance, if you sense your appointment is going to run late, it’s respectful to give us a heads up. If you happen to just get caught up in something last-minute, sending a text message would be appreciated. Sitters also have schedules and obligations and need to plan accordingly!

Leave notes and instructions on caring for your child. It takes time for a sitter to get to know your child and the best way to care for them. Some parents have particular routines, schedules, etc. which they like their child to follow. Especially if it’s a sitter‘s first time caring for your child, providing a written list of instructions can cut out any misunderstandings and make it easier for the sitter to follow your routine as best as possible.

Have your child’s favorite items readily available. For instance, if your child won’t nap without his blanket, make sure the sitter knows where it is before you leave the house. This eliminates stressing out both the sitter and child!

Offer food and drink to the babysitter if they are there for more than two hours. It is best to assume that if your sitter is there for meal times–such as feeding your child lunch or dinner–then they too will be hungry. A sitter should not expect you to arrange a three-course meal, but should feel welcome to eat meals with the children or help themselves to snacks you have on hand.

Cover transportation expenses. If you’re asking the sitter to take your child somewhere, make sure to reimburse for travel costs.

DON’T…

Underpay or round down when paying by the hour. There are no IOU’s in babysitting. If you arrange with your sitter to work for 5.5 hours, then they are expecting a 5.5 hour paycheck. If you choose to pay in cash, exact change is essential. You should not expect the sitter to have this change; this puts the sitter in an uncomfortable place.

Cancel at the last minute unless it’s necessary. It is not fair to cancel last-minute if it’s not necessary. The sitter may be dependent on the hours/income. Also, they may have been able to work for a different family or arrange other plans for themselves, and last-minute cancellations do not give them this opportunity.

Expect us to take care of a sick child without alerting us beforehand. This is most important for two reasons. First, a sitter may not want to face the same cold or virus that your child is fighting and second, the sitter may not feel they are able to provide the best care to your child when they are sick and fussy and/or cranky!

Regularly arrive home before scheduled. We want all hours promised to us!

Expect extra services such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, or pet care. Unless, of course, these services have been previously arranged for and compensated accordingly.