8 Things Your Babysitter Wishes You Knew
Get the inside scoop on how to make leaving your kids for a night easier for everyone.
It's date night — finally! Your hair is done up, your makeup looks good, your date is looking dapper and you can almost taste dinner at that fancy restaurant. You meet the babysitter at the door and you're eager to rush out before the kids have even noticed you left.
But not so fast! There are a few things to do before you bolt out the door and your babysitter is secretly hoping you will.
Invite the babysitter to get better acquainted with you (and your kids). After you've met your babysitter at the door, given her the 5-minute tour and a run-down of house rules, you're tempted to run out the door, right? Babysitters would prefer you have them get to your house at least 45 minutes before you have to leave the home. During this time, don't rush through the details. Take the time to tell her about your kids' favorite foods, where the emergency contact list it, which toothpaste they use and when they should get ready for bed time. These little details are important to your babysitter. Another reason why you should invite the babysitter over early is so the kids can meet her. This is simple, but kids deserve to feel safe and secure with the person who will be watching them when you leave.
Establish the house rules. Babysitters hate it when a house has no rules or when the kids try and take advantage of them because they don't know the rules. So be clear with your babysitter about the rules as well as the consequences for them being broken. Your babysitter doesn't want to be the bad guy telling the kids not to jump on the couch like they do in gymnastics, if that's the norm in your household. (Yes, some parents are okay with this.) Keep reading ...
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Write everything down. It's not always easy to remember everything you say and a note really helps. Better yet, type everything out. Your babysitter doesn't want to have to call you asking what rule number five says because she can't read it. Your babysitter hates to interrupt you when you are out. Speaking of interrupting you, your babysitter will want to know when to interrupt you. If your kids miss you, should she call you so they can hear your voice? Or should your babysitter only call you if there is an emergency? Should your babysitter text you about questions? Be clear on how and when your babysitter should be contacting you.
Negotiate the hourly fee upfront. Your babysitter is here to help, but she is also there to get paid. Get that out of the way before you even hire your babysitter so there are no last minute issues. At the same time, let your babysitter know what you expect of her in terms of services. Is your babysitter supposed to wash the dishes while you are gone? At the same time, know that she is your babysitter, not your maid.
Say goodbye to your kids before you go. Yes, your children may be sad, but it teaches them to trust you. They won't go looking for you aimlessly and it leaves your babysitter with a less fussy child too! When you leave to avoid the crying, all you're doing is forcing your babysitter to hear it amplified longer ... unnecessarily.
Don't make your babysitter drive your kids in his/her car. You know this firsthand: kids are messy. If your babysitter is going to drive your kids around, she would prefer to use your family vehicle since it has the car seats properly installed anyway. If you absolutely must make him/her drive your kids in her car, compensate the babysitter for mileage. It's only fair.
Don't micromanage. If you're texting every 10 minutes, it makes it hard for your babysitter to focus on your kids. Your babysitter loves when you check in, but not when you're bombarding him/her with calls and texts. Be respectful to your babysitter and your kids will usually mimic your actions.
Give feedback. When your kids tell you they loved the babysitter, share that with her! Your babysitter takes a lot of pride in what she does and that is the best "thank you" she can ask for!