Baby Sitting World

With Christmas day right around the corner, it got me thinking about one little reminder for babysitters.  Children stop believing in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, etc. at different ages.  It is never up to the babysitter to tell a child they’re caring for that any or all of those wonderful magical beings don’t exist.   Whether or not it is or was part of the sitter’s own belief system at one time, it is not her duty to divulge the truth even if the child asks her about it. 

Religion plays a huge part in the lives of some people and little or no part in the lives of others.  With the parents permission, it is ok for a babysitter to teach the children she’s caring for about her religion or culture if it differs from theirs.  But, teaching children that their religion or culture is wrong, evil, or inferior is never acceptable. 

The babysitter’s job is to take care of the children, keeping them safe while their parents are out.   If the sitter encounters an issue where a child she is caring for asks a question that she isn’t sure she should answer, the babysitter should either give a neutral answer, avoid actually answering the question directly, or tell the child she needs to think about it and will answer her the next time she babysits.  Then she should discuss it with the parents when they return home and ask them how they would like her to handle it.

Lisa McLellan, Child Care Expert

So many babysitters love and hate bedtime when they are caring for children.  They love it because then the bulk of the work is done and they can relax the rest of the night.  But, they also hate it because most children refuse to go quietly.  They throw fits, beg & plead, try to strike bargains, and sometimes just  flat out refuse to go to bed.

Sitters can greatly improve their chances of having the children go off to bed without much of a fuss by trying these simple ideas.

• Clarify with parents what “bedtime is 8:00″ actually means.  Do they mean you should start the bedtime routine at 8:00 or do they want their children’s heads on their pillows at 8:00?
• Start bedtime routines early.  Find blankies or other security items soon after you arrive and leave them in the child’s bed so that there isn’t an hour of “search and rescue” at bedtime.
• Avoid playing games or engaging in activities right before bed that gets the children’s adrenaline pumping.  Stick to activities like doing puzzles, reading books, or drawing pictures right before bed.
• Remember that going to bed is not an option.  But, what they do before they go to sleep can be.  If the parents want their children’s heads on their pillows at 8:00, they get them into their beds by 7:45 and let them choose what they want to do until 8:00.  Give them the options like read or look at books, play with a doll or stuffed animal, or even listen to music or recorded stories.  Some parents allow handheld games in bed as well.  But you should try to avoid this option because children often have trouble stopping the game when told to do so.  There may be another whole set of objections.  For instance, “I’m right in the middle of a game,” or I need to complete this level,” or “If I stop it now I can’t save my game and I’ll have to start all over again tomorrow.”

Remember that bedtime is not an option, and giving in to pleading to stay up later will just reinforce the behavior of begging to stay up every time you babysit that same child.  Sticking to bedtime routines and times will make getting children off to bed easier and almost effortless each time you babysit.

Most of us have witnessed this scenario before….. a child receives a gift for a birthday, holiday, etc.,  and after ripping off the paper and ribbon, and removing it from the box, the child puts the gift aside and plays with the paper, ribbon, and box!   Children LOVE boxes!

If you have the room to store them, consider saving boxes of all sizes.  Take them out on a rainy day or after children get bored with the toys in their toybox.  They are guaranteed to have a ball playing with them.   Babysitters:  you too can collect boxes and bring them along babysitting to provide hours of fun for the children.  While you probably wouldn’t drag a refrigerator box down the street to your client’s home, you might be able to carry several smaller boxes, especially if they can fit one inside of the other.

• Shirt boxes don’t hold up very well, but they can still be used to cut up for picture frames or other crafts. 
• Small jewelry boxes are great for tiny treasures, especially if they are lined jewelry boxes as opposed to cardboard.  But, kids love the small cardboard ones as well!
• Shoe sized boxes are great for storing crayons and markers and other small toys, but are also great for making dioramas and houses for tiny dolls or stuffed animals. 
• Then, of course, if you have a box large enough for a child to fit in, then the ideas are endless.  Depending on the size of the box, it can be anything from a shipping crate delivering a wild animal to a local zoo, to a club house complete with windows and doors.

The boxes alone are fun enough, but you can also give the children markers or crayons, and any other craft items to decorate them. Let their imaginations run wild transforming the boxes into anything they can dream up!  Let the children decide what to create but offer suggestions to help spark their imaginations if they seem to be at a loss for ideas.

Always assist children if they want holes or flaps cut in the cardboard.  Depending on how thick it is, cardboard can be difficult to cut and a child could easily injure himself.

Parents:  Before you throw away boxes to toys or games, if you won’t be using them for the children to play with, consider whether or not it would make a good storage container for the toy when it is not in use.  Boxes are much easier to stack and store than the toy itself.  It also helps to keep parts, pieces, and instructions all in one place.

Lisa McLellan, Child Care Expert