Baby Sitting World

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.