OT: Babysitting "Audition"

[spilled_milk]

I'm earning money to go on my freshman class trip to New York, so I've put up some babysitting signs. I haven't done much babysitting, but i do take care of kids in an in-school daycare twice a week. Anyway, I got a call today from a new mother about her daughter. It's her firt kid (2 years old) and she's only had her relatives babysit so i'm her first "unknown" babysitter. She wants me to come over tomorrow and meet her and her daughter, and I'm really nervous. Do you have any tips or hints so that i could make a good impression??? I'm kind of a stage-frightish person, like I can't act natural with pressure on me.


<3 Anya--

[rock_on]

Hey Anya,
Congrats on your first "audition"! I know they can be really nerve-
racking(sp?). The first thing you have to do is CALM DOWN! Babysitting is
a very easy job, and one two-year old girl sounds like heaven (I was the
regular babysitter for two different families from hell for several years!)
The woman will be looking for someone who she can trust. That's the
most important thing. It'll take the kid a little while to get used to you,
but just be nice, try to be her friend, she has to trust you too. So just be
calm, be yourself, and I'm sure you'll do great!
Good luck!

[kentuckygalrk]

At 22 I've done more than my fair share of babysitting... I hope these little tips help for when you meet the anxious mom.


A few things to ask, you could start out by saying that as a babysitter there are certain things that you feel it's necessary you know so that you can be prepared tohandle all situations. Some of them may sound a bit crazy to ask and some you may choose to leave out, but they do a lot in earning a parents trust and many things they tend to forget when leaving a child with family.
The first are the three most important things that EVERY babysitter should ask...
- Make sure you ask that the parent place a list of all emergency numbers (house address, cell phone #'s, the phone # of a close relative, neighbor's #,pediatrician's #, poison control, etc...)
- Does the child have any medical conditions/allergies that you should know about and if so are there emergency instructions for ifsomething should occur. Is the child on any medications(perscription or over the counter) andhow should you deal with those. (Note * NEVER give a child medicine without parental consent and or knowledge of it...I know you'reprobably not going to do this, but my aunt's sitter gave my cousin motrin for a feverwithout asking firstor telling them after, or even telling them she'd had a fever,and they only found out becausemy cousin told her mom the next day. It seems harmless, but it's not something to mess with)
- Lastly, ask if you can have a tour of the house, while on the tour ask if the family has any emergency exit plans in case of fires, a basement or special room in case of natural disasters... hopefully they won't ever be neccesary, but a responsible babysitter would want to know.

All the rest of the questions, concerning house rules, discipline, feeding, changing, and bedtime, etc...you can ask now or if you'd rather and they don't tell you ahead of time, askafter you get the job.


One thing that I always tell the parent(s) before babysitting the first time... as a parent, you can never call too many times, or ask too many questions. The parents are putting their child in your hands and you want them to trust you as much as absolutely possible. You want to do your best to make the transition as easy as possible... and FUN! Because it will be. The bonds that good babysitters form with the kids they care for are incredible and unbreakable. It's a wonderful experience working with many kids, but working one on one is even better )


Most of all... relax and have fun... it's abig responsibilitybut a really great job!
Good Luck... You'll do GREAT!
~Rachel