In our town, we had a babysitting class. It lasted for two hours. It was really nice of Officer Smith and Officer Lindsay to donate their time to inform us about babysitting do’s and don’t’s. I learned a lot. It was really fun.
What to do when you first walk in
When you are entering a house that you are going to babysit you should look around the room and eliminate all the dangerous things. That way there is a less of a chance that the baby/child wouldn’t get hurt. A good tool to have is always keep the house the way it looked before when you got there. It shows that you are trustworthy and responsible. Beforehand, ask the parents where the first aid kit is just in case of a scratch or scrape. You should also ask beforehand if the child has any allergies. It is important to know this so that you can be aware. For example, if the child was allergic to bees and she/he got stung by one you would have to call an ambulance immediately and then call their parents after. In scary situations, you should always stay calm. You should also ask if they have any rubber bands to put across the cabinets so that the baby/child wouldn’t get into anything. You should also ask if they could call you when they are home so that you can start getting ready to go.
What not to do while you are alone with the baby
You shouldn’t text or play on your electronics when you are babysitting, you should always keep a close watch on the child. Unless you have permission don’t invite your friends over because you might get distracted and lose focus. Also bring a flashlight and put it beside you in case the power goes out.
What to do
If you are playing outside and the child/baby get a bee sting and you can see the stinger, then just get any card or coin and just drag it over the stinger. I wouldn’t recommend tweezers or your fingers because the poison that was in the stinger might go into her/his arm. If the child gets a tick then use tweezers or your hand. If you can pick off the tick with your hand and it’s stuck then it’s been there a while.
Have you ever babysat someone before?
If you haven’t, would you like to babysit someday?
For those of you who do babysit, do you have any advice or stories you would like to share?