How to Train your Babysitter To Be the Best Ever

When you have young children a reliable babysitter is a must. Most babysitters are usually ages 12 to 16 because by 16 they can be employed elsewhere. Girls (usually babysitters are girls) between 12 and 16 may have some natural tendencies regarding children, but really good babysitters are not discovered, they are trained.

Don’t assume that they know what to do with your children. Just because your babysitter is a few years older than your children, doesn’t mean she remembers what she enjoyed to do when she was that age. Show her where your children’s toys are, what they can and can’t play with and tell her that anything she gets out must be put back before you get home.

Television or computers. Don’t pay someone to sit with your children while they watch TV or play on computers, tell her that to earn her money she must entertain your children. Young children love playing board games with someone just older than themselves, and pre-teens are still childish enough to enjoy playing games.

Where are you? Have one place that you always leave emergency phone numbers, your cell phone number, and the phone number where you will be. It is a good idea to have a notebook with everything you want your babysitter to know, and then keep that book in the same place so she can always find it.

House rules. Make sure your babysitter is fully informed about your house rules, what you allow and what you don’t.

Food. Have your children already eaten? Are they allowed a snack before bedtime? Can the babysitter help herself to food, or is some food off limits.

Bedtimes. Tell your babysitter if your rule of bedtimes is strict or flexible. Tell her what time you want your children going to bed and explain the bedtime routine, write it down if possible.

Condition of the house. Tell your babysitter that you expect her to leave the house as tidy or more tidy than when she arrived, don’t get into the habit of picking up after your babysitter.

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Give your babysitter power. Talk to your babysitter in front of your children. Say, “If there is anything else I have forgotten, then my children are to obey anything you say.” This will cut out the arguing of “Mommy always lets us do this” when really you don’t.

Pay your babysitter higher than the going average, that way she will always be very willing to work for you. If you pay her less than other people, she will prefer to work for others and may let you down at the last minute.

If your house is dirty or messy, tell the babysitter that if the house gets vacuumed or the toys get picked up by the time you come home, then you’ll give her extra money