Door Chimes: Articles
Safe at Home: Babysitter Safety
http://www.safety.com/articles/safe-at-home-babysitter-safety.html
You and your spouse bought tickets to the broadway show months
in advance. You made reservations at a five-star restaurant. As
the event draws near, you look to hire a babysitter. Selection must
be approached with the same forethought. After all, you’re
asking a relatively young individual to assume the enormous responsibility
of caring for your child.
Finding a Babysitter
Whenever possible, select a sitter that your children know and like.
But sometimes you simply don't have the option of asking close friends
and relatives. When you go outside your own circle, you need to
take special care -- for your child’s sake and sitter's.
Your first responsibility is finding the right source for babysitting
leads. Ask only people you know and trust for names. Sometimes,
the local YMCA or other well-established and respected youth organizations
can provide good leads.
Whatever your source, a sitter should come with high recommendations.
Ask for references and then check those references. Your babysitter
should have experience, especially if your child is quite young.
Is the Babysitter Qualified?
An experienced sitter is smart enough to balance how to make your
children happy and how to keep them in line. Those sitters will
be forceful enough to make your children behave and go to bed when
told. At the same time, those sitters won't come across as strict
authority figures. A good sitter knows how to keep children happy
and entertained, how to comfort children when they're unhappy, and
most importantly how to be level-headed in an emergency.
It's wise to choose a babysitter who is 16 or older. If your babysitter
is younger, you could be charged with neglect if something would
happen to the babysitter or your children while you are gone.
Laying Down the Rules
You should establish rules to make sure your child and the sitter
stay safe. From the start, you should clearly define what your babysitter
can or cannot do, like not allowing smoking or alcohol. You may
want to make it understood that no boyfriends or girlfriends of
the babysitter will be allowed in the house while you’re gone,
and that the sitter's focus should only be on the children.
Make your phone-call policy clear. If you allow the sitter to use
the phone, make sure you have call-waiting available and your sitter
knows how to use it. You'll want to be able to get through if something
important should arise.
In addition, communicate any restrictions about play, television
viewing, and your sitter and your children are allowed to eat and
drink. Let your children know that while you are gone, the sitter
is in charge of everything.
Emergency Preparedness
Before you leave, take the sitter on a tour of the house, pointing
out rooms, nightlights, phones, and any special equipment, like
sterilizers for babies. For safety's sake, make sure the sitter
knows about your home emergency exits, the smoke detectors, burglar
alarm, first-aid supplies, flashlights and the fuse box.
Make sure that both sitter and your children know how to use the
9-1-1 system. Keep vital information close to the phone including:
- Your child's name, age, blood type and any other vital medical
information (e.g., allergies)
- Address of and directions to your house
- Where you can be reached (all phone numbers)
- Phone numbers of friends, relatives and family physician
- Before you leave for the evening, review with the sitter and
your child what to do in emergency situations. Make sure both
understand.
Caring for the Babysitter
Parental responsibility extends to the sitter as well as your child.
After all, the babysitter is a young person -- someone else's child.
Their safety is your legal and moral concern. If you're not taking
them home yourself, make sure they're leaving in the care of a responsible
adult.
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