Babysitting Tips and Tricks

Any new sitters? Or having trouble during a job, but don't want to take a course? Well I did and there was so much time wasted! So here are some tips and tricks to help you out. In this instructable I will cover entertainment, teething, tantrums, emergencies and choking. This will ensure your job will go as smooth as possible and you'll be prepared for any complications that cross your path.

A kid to babysit

First aid kit

Phone

Cucumber

Backpack

Extra T-shirt

Crayons

paper and\or markers

Flash light

Favourite book

Hair tie

Your homework

You never know what's going to happen so before you even leave your house, grab an old backpack, never one you like because kids are curious and one time a kid took my backpack and hid it for an hour! Once you’ve chosen your backpack fill it with the items listed above. Okay so now you have arrived at the house, the first thing you always do is meet the parents and ask them questions, here are all the ones you need to ask: Any allergies? When is nap time if there is one? Can you use the kitchen to feed the kids or have they already eaten? Are there any off limit rooms for you or the kids if so which one(s)? Where is the fire escape spot? Lastly this one sounds weird but is very important. Any words with different meanings the kids use. Like when my sister was young dub meant thanks and and one kid kept saying he wanted la (later I found out that that was his stuffed bear).

When the parents leave the house the kid might be sad and through a fit. What you need to do is stay calm, keep your voice slow and soft to show the child that they can trust you. Once they have calmed down pull the crayons and paper or ask them to show you their toys. Then you want to have fun, get down on their level and do what they want to do. But when you have siblings it's a different story. They might have totally different interests and fight over what to do. Here is when you need to break the fight, raise your voice a little bit but don't scare them. Once they have calmed down, do something compromised if one kid wants to play with a ball and the other a doll, ask them to draw you a picture of the toy they want to play with. Or if they are fighting about what room to play in tell one kid that you will play in that room but tell the other they get to do what they want in that room. Lastly and most importantly give them equal attention or they might do something like through a fit or something dangerous to get your attention over their sibling(s).

Now is when the cucumber comes in, if you freeze a cucumber and give it to the kid to chew on in will relieve their pain and give them a healthy snack and is less of a choking hazard as a commonly used carrot. You may ask, why not just use a binkie or a toy made for the situation? But you're double tasking, now you don't have to feed them later and the cold or frozen sensation helps numb their gums and gives them the nutrients they need without them even knowing it.

This step will cover everything you're scared of. STAY CALM! If you freak out you will terrify the kids and you won't be able to concentrate and make a responsible decision. Here is a list of things to do in different situations:

Fire: The first thing you do is gather up the kids. They will be very scared by the loud fire alarm and you need to help them. Hopefully depending on their age their parents would have taught them what to do in a fire if not this step is even more crucial. You should grab your backpack if you can. Then you leave the house and if you're not holding a baby crawl on your knees and instruct the child to do so as well. Now calmly walk to the fire escape zone which you should know from step one. Lastly get your phone out of your backpack and call the fire department. If you weren't able to get your bag go and ask the nabors or any people around to use their phone or call for you.

Break in or suspicious person in aria: This is my worst fear and is the scariest thing to think about but you need to know what to do. Firstly you have to get your backpack in this situation you will most definitely need it. Grab the kids and close all the windows and lock all the doors. Now run to the most closed room in the house and lock yourselves inside. Take a flashlight out of your bag, don't use your phone if it dies you will be in trouble. Give the kid some coloring or the book and call the police. They will deal with it and just stay in the room until they let you out.

Choking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gi-BIfkFLyI

The kids are having fun but someone falls and you don't know what to hear. Here is a list of injuries that are most likely to occur.

Broken bone: You can't do anything about this all you need to do is comfort the child until the ambulance comes. Don't put ice on it right away swelling and bruising will protect the bone.

Twisted ankle or wrist: First thing is get an ice pack and cover it in a towel and place it on the injury then place the kid on a bed or couch and call their parents they will know best what their child will need.

Cut: If the child gets a deep cut you will need to wash it right away! Then call 911 and their parents. If it's not super deep just pull out your first aid kit, wash the cut and slap a bandaid on it.

If a child starts to feel sick here is a list of things to do for a cold, fever, cough, or stomach ache. Firstly determine what the kid is feeling and locate the pain. Once you have, do something to counter it, example: Cold: Give them some orange juice and lay them in bed. Just do what makes you feel better when you have that same pain. Once they are comfortable, call their parents to tell them and ask for any advice they have for their child. But if you don’t know what to do and panic, always feel free to call 811. 811 is a help number that reaches a bunch of nurses who can give you advice on what to do. It's free and is a great help.

If it’s a nice day and the parents let you leave the house you might want to take the kids to the park or for a walk or out to play in the snow! It will be so much fun and would get all their energy out but just make sure you ask the parents.

If you’re sitting a toddler who is potty training you should ask the parents what their strategy is for it because if the child is used to being taught a certain way and you teach them a different way they might get overwhelmed and go back to square one.

If you're at the house late at night or during their nap time pull out your homework and get it done. There is no better time to do it, there are no distractions and your double tasking!

Okay so now that you’ve learnt some tricks and hopefully conquered your fears by knowing what to do you should be ready for your job with those kiddos. If you have any suggestions or tricks of your own please leave a comment down below. And always remember you are doing this for a reason, You love those kids and you are doing what you love. Just have fun; Try not to think about the scary stuff because it probably won't happen. If you have fun with the kids and become a child for a bit they will want you back and you’ll have some fun yourself.