7 Things that Every New Babysitter Should Know

We recently had a newbie babysitter watching our little love bug while we went out for a class in town.  She had watched him a few times at her house, under the "supervision" of her parents.  We were so excited to help this young lady out as she learned how to babysit.

I have been thinking a lot about my first babysitting experiences lately.  I started babysitting quite young.  When I started babysitting, I had already gained a lot of experience working with kids through my church.  There were a lot of things that I didn't know, though.  Here is a list of 10 things that every new babysitter should know - - from a new mom who started babysitting very young.

#7 - - Just because a child can crawl or walk doesn't mean s/he can get down from the couch or bed
Never leave a very young child unattended on the couch or bed.  If the child sleeps in a bed rather than a crib, you should be good.

#6 - - If you wouldn't call the parents to ask them, don't text them.
Although parents will tell you that you can text or call about anything, they don't want you to unless you really need to.  If you want to text them something positive, that's another story!  Especially if it's your first time babysitting for the family or if you had to pry the child off of mom's leg, text a picture of their child smiling!  Don't text the parents if it's not important enough for you to call them.  You will be interrupting their night out which they are paying you for.

#5 - - Sometimes it takes an hour or more to put a child to bed.
Don't be surprised if your first time babysitting it takes a very long time to get the child to go to sleep.  Try a variety of techniques, and make sure that you know the child's normal routine.  Remember that the first time you put a child to bed will set the stage for the rest of your babysitting visits.  Stand your ground - - bedtime means bedtime.

#4 - - Always clean up after yourself!!
This is a big one.  If you want to disappoint the parent, leave all the dishes in the sink and toys all over the floor.  If you want to impress the parent, do all the dishes and have everything cleaner than it was when you came!  Somewhere in between there is what you should always be doing, though - at least rinse the dishes that you used, and clean up the toys that the kids played with while you were there.

#3 - - Get back to the parents in a timely manner
When the parents text/call/email you, always get back to them as soon as you possibly can.  It's fine to ask your parents before you respond, but do it ASAP.  The parents of the kids that you babysit should never have to ask your parents anything for you.

#2 - - It's okay to tell the parents what you charge per hour
If you're a beginner babysitter, start out around $3/hour.  You can charge a different amount for each family for which you babysit based on how many kids they have and the ages.  Don't go over $5/hour, though.  We pay the babysitter that just started babysitting $3/hr and we pay the more experienced, college-aged babysitter $5/hr to watch our one-year-old son.

...and the #1 thing you need to know...

#1 - - Have fun!!