When you hire a babysitter to take care of your children, you are truly trusting them with the health and safety of your precious kiddos. Even if you know the sitter quite well and are confident that he or she can handle a number of situations that might pop up, it’s still a good idea to be sure your sitter is knowledgeable about a variety of safety-related topics and has the tools necessary to deal with any issues.
With this in mind, the following tips can help keep everyone happy, healthy and safe while you are out of the home.
3 Tips to Help Keep Your Babysitter & Your Kids Safe
Go Over Your Door Locks and Windows
Many houses have smart locks that require the use of a code or are run through a smartphone. If this is the case for your home, spend some time showing the sitter how to unlock and lock all of the doors and windows. Make sure to get extra keys from a fast key cutting company so that even your babysitter can have a spare for emergency situations.
This way, if you have given the babysitter permission to take your children to walk to the neighborhood park or out to the backyard to play, he or she will know how to get in and out of the home.
Invest in a Security Camera System
Another effective way to keep your children and their sitter as safe and secure as possible is to invest in a home security camera system. By installing the cameras around main entry points, you can rest assured that the camera system will help to keep an eye on your property, and if someone is sneaking around your home while you are out, you can review the footage and turn it over to the police.
If you are concerned about learning how to use a complicated security camera system, take heed – many of today’s home surveillance systems are typically easy to install and are very user-friendly.
Place a couple in popular rooms of the home and check that everyone is safe while you are away and that the sitter is playing with the kids and not spending the entire evening on her phone.
Go Over an Emergency Plan
While you do not want to freak out your babysitter by talking about potential emergencies, you do want to ensure that he or she will know what to do in case something happens.
As Care.com notes, point out where you store important supplies like a first-aid kit, the fire extinguisher and flashlights. Let him know how he can reach you while you are away and post your phone number in an obvious spot.
You should also post the phone number of Poison Control, your pediatrician and, if you have pets, your veterinarian on the fridge along with your full address.
You can also check in with a trusted neighbor to see if she will be around while you are gone; if so, introduce the person to the sitter and assure her that she can call or text her as well if there is a problem.
Again, you don’t want to spook your sitter so much that he doesn’t want to work for you; at the same time, you definitely want to ensure that he and your kids are safe while you are gone.
By going over the tips in a calm way and assuring the sitter that you know she will have a great time with your kids, along with making sure the home security system is up and running, you will help make sure that your kids are in good hands while you are away and that the sitter can handle any emergency.
Identity Magazine is all about guiding women to discover their powers of Self-Acceptance, Appreciation, and Personal Achievement.
We ask that every contributor and expert answer the Identity questions in keeping with our theme. Their answers can be random and in the moment or they can be aligned with the current article they have written. In that way, and as a team, we hope to encourage and motivate each other, thus inspiring you to Get All A’s.
1. What have you accepted within your life, physically and/or mentally? Additionally, what are you still working on accepting? Now, we’re not talking about resignation, rather stepping into, embraced, and owned.
I’ve accepted that for the foreseeable future, I will probably never have a home that will be featured in a Martha Stewart magazine–with kids, a hubby and 5 pets we have a lot of “stuff” in our home. I’m still working on accepting that my kids are getting older and some day they will move out….which means maybe I will get a shot at that Martha Stewart photo shoot one day!
2. Appreciation is everything. What have you learned to appreciate about yourself and/or within your life, physically and mentally? On the other hand OR in contrast, are there elements of who you are that you’re still working on appreciating?
I have learned to appreciate that I’m a good friend to people and that I’m always there for them when I need them. I think I’m still working on appreciating how stepping on Legos at 2 a.m. in bare feet just means you have happy kids in the home who enjoy playing with their toys.
3. Share with us one of your most rewarding achievements in life? Tell us not only what makes YOU most proud but also share the goals and dreams that you still have.
My most rewarding achievement by far is being a mom. My two sons make me so proud and I love being with them. As for goals and dreams, I would love to rent an RV one day and drive around the country with my family.
