Babysitter Tips From a Mom of Those Having Been Sat and Those Now Sitting

Having been through it for twenty years, I feel it coming. The kids have been home from school for over a week. Their discarded presents scattered in boxes with the sides caved in from being trampled. New clothes, still with the tags, lie in a pile on the floor of their rooms, unhung. The new movies have all been watched, the candy eaten. They seem to sing "I'm bored" on the hour and off-key. It is just before that wonderful time of year when parents have had their fill and need a night out. If we can just hang on 'til NEW YEAR'S EVE!!

If you have children old enough to babysit, there are a few things to keep in mind when you allow them to accept a job.
Babysitters:
You are there for the primary reason to keep the children safe. Do not check you instagram and twitter every five minutes to see what you are missing. Do not post pictures of the kids you are babysitting, the address of the house, or any of its items within its walls while on duty. Do not invite your friends over or talk to them on the phone (this includes texting) while the children are awake. 
When accepting the job, you need to know:
*the hours you are expected to stay (no one comes home right at midnight)
*how many children you will be watching (most houses have at least one extra friend spending the night)
*if you don't drive, ask if they will pick you up or if you need to find a ride (plan now to get a ride home--you don't want to depend on tipsy parents to get you home safely)
Now you need to set a fee and tell the parents up front.

It is going to be a long night. Plan age-appropriate activities for the kids: bring any old dress-up dresses for girls if they are nine years old or under and music to have a "Dance" (do NOT teach them to twerk); teach them card games; bring refrigerated cookie dough, frosting, and silver sprinkles to decorate them with the kids. Don't lie around and watch movie after movie. This is a special night for them, too.

Make sure you have both of the parents' cell phone numbers and an emergency number for an adult they trust. Write down:
*what allergies the kids have
*specific dinner instructions
*special bed times for each one
*behavioral expectations and consequences

After the kids are asleep, you should always clean up any dishes, pots, and pans you used to feed them, toys, blankets, etc... The last thing parents want to do when they get up in the morning after a long night out is face a messy house.

Now, if you are the parent of kiddos needing a babysitter, keep the following in mind: college kids are broke. This is the one night they really are "giving up" to make money. If she tells you she charge 5.00 per kid per hour, pay it and give her a tip if your house is cleaner than you left it.

If your child hits or your niece bites, warn your sitter! Tell her how to handle any bad behavior--if your kids act that way for you, you can be sure that they will bump it up a notch with a ton of other kids in the house and a young adult in charge.

Do not run off to your party without buying food and expecting the sitter to just find something to feed your kids. If you expect her to feed them a meal, make it and leave specific directions. Ordering pizza? Do it yourself and have it there before she arrives or be certain to leave enough cash to pay for it and the tip.

Call once during the night to make sure that there have not been any major problems.
 
If you tell her that you will be home by 12:30am, don't show up at 2am. Call at 11:30, ask  her if she doesn't mind if you stay out later and then pay her the additional amount with a giant Thank You!

If you have told her that you will be driving her home Never EVER drive if you have been drinking. Period. She is someone's baby who has been loved for twice as long as you have loved your own. Have her call her parents and hand them a bottle of wine for getting out of their warm bed to do your job.

End of lecture. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to us all!