I am starting work next Friday. I'm starting to get a little anxious about it, and I couldn't sleep cause I was up thinking about it (that and Brizzy kept waking up, trying to poop). My OCD came out and I started to put together a "Babysitter Binder," with all of the information I felt like a babysitter would need to know to take care of Brizzy. If this doesn't make me a big enough nerd, I spent a good hour creating a beautiful, perfectly laid out schedule for Briz, color coded and everything.
I have left Briz quite a bit before, but its always been with a family member, a cousin, or sister, or grandparent. So I have two questions that I need help with:
1. Is there anything important that I should let the babysitter know?
2. What should I look for in a good babysitter?
I'm slightly paranoid because its my first child, and also because I feel like I've heard a lot of horror stories (I may also use these tips for when Nick watches her alone :) )
Thanks for your tips!
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7 comments:
Why Babysitter? I work fom home, Briz can play with charlie all day.
You made you a color coded binder aye Monica!!! I say good for you!! I'd do the same thing. Just make sure the babysitter keeps on your schedule so you don't have to undo things when you get home, like a babysitter that holds her all day long, then she'll want you too. Also, I would try to find someone that knows about choking and CPR! Lastly, keep that poison control number posted somewhere for all to see! I have it programmed into my phone. So mainly these safety tips i'd feel more comfortable having them know. Just make sure you tell them all health problems or habits little briz has so they know what to except and how to deal with it, I'm sure you've got that one covered! I would feel it necessary to tell someone that when Will eats, he likes to continue to keep shoving food in his mouth over and over again until his mouth is super full, this is not ok! So, they'd need to watch him while he was eating! Sometimes he chokes. You get the point and like I said, i'm sure you've got it covered! Good luck at work and finding a babysitter!!! I can't believe you're starting school already. That went fast.
Oh, we all get controlling when it comes to the care of our kids! No one could love them or worry about them as much as we do.
Just trust your "gut". That mother's intuition thing is pretty amazing!
My advice would be to only hire someone 25 years or older :)
(And I love so much that you made a color coded schedule and have a binder. That is one of the big reasons we are friends!)
Here's my one tip: Leave her with auntie Julia. :)
Not to make you panic, but make sure you have a release form in case something does happen.
In case they can't get a hold of you, it's good to give them a letter signed by you and your husband stating that whoever your sitter is has your express permission to seek medical care for your child in your absence until you can be reached.
Leave a detailed medical history for her and a packet with "just in case" phone numbers and information should they be needed at a moment's notice.
If it's for a night-time date night thing, ask for references from other clients. If it's a during-the-day kind of thing, I've noticed that things are a lot less likely to go wrong if the person is already a parent themselves. I left my daughter with my husband's sister overnight and when I came back, she had a rash, hadn't slept and hadn't stuck to her feeding schedule and was starving because my sister-in-law didn't think that my instructions had any merit because she could do it better.
Trust your gut. The CPR thing is really important; ask them if they know how to help a choking baby.
There's nothing wrong with color-coding. At all.
I know this isn't helpful...
but thank you
MONICA.
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