Babysitters Guide to Survival

When I completed my Safe Sitter® class about five years ago, I started babysitting immediately. Don’t get me wrong, Safe Sitter® absolutely prepared me to be a babysitter, but there are a few things that you learn from experience. If you’re new to babysitting, you need to watch this video and learn from my mistakes.

One of my most regrettable mistakes was wearing a brand-new shirt to a babysitting job. I appreciate fashion and I honestly just couldn’t wait to wear it (you know the feeling!). Unfortunately, I never wore that shirt again because the child I was babysitting just had to have ketchup on his ham sandwich. It sounds harmless, right? It’s not so harmless when the bottle of ketchup erupts like a volcano and ends up all over my new shirt. Ruined forever!

Don’t make my mistakes; learn from them!

Welcome new babysitters! If you’re just starting out babysitting, then this episode is for you. I’m here to share some secrets for survival.

I thought you said they were secrets for success.

Same thing!

First, do your prep work. Talk with the employer before the job about what the kid’s bedtime routines are, what to feed them for meals or snacks, or what the kids like to play, including the electronics they’re allowed to play with. And finally, the all-important info about toileting.

Toileting? What do you mean toileting?

For example, are they still in diapers? Are they potty training or will they need help using the bathroom? (And watch my video on diaper changing if you need some practice with diapering before the job.)

Second, dress for the part. And by that, I mean wear something comfortable. You’re probably going to spend a lot of time playing with kids on the floor and maybe even outside in the yard. Also, don’t wear anything really nice that you don’t want to get stained, because it will get stained.

You mean from spit up?

Oh yeah, spit up. That’s what I was thinking of, and other bodily fluids.

Also, don’t carry anything with you in your purse or backpack that would be dangerous for kids. That lip gloss that smells like strawberries to you also smells like strawberries to two-year-old’s and at my last job, he ate mine.

However, you do want to bring a water bottle and a healthy snack in case your employer hasn’t gone to the store in a while. Otherwise, you might get stuck eating whatever the kids are eating.

If it’s your first time babysitting for a family, show up early so that the kids can get used to you while the parents get ready to leave. Get down on their level and introduce yourself.

What if the kids don’t like me?

Well, if the kids seem awkward or shy, it’s probably because they just don’t know you. Try asking them to show you their favorite toy or game, that usually breaks the ice.

This is sounding pretty easy! I think I’ve got it.

Great! Now sometimes things will go wrong on the job like tantrums, bloody noses, diaper explosions.

You’re scaring me!

Not to worry. The best thing to do is be prepared. Take a babysitting class like Safe Sitter®. Go to safesitter.org to find a class in your area. Also, check out my videos on when things go wrong. We cover a lot of common babysitting situations.

Got it. Anything else?

Have fun! What other job can you get paid to play games and watch movies with kids? Relax and enjoy it. Because if you’re having fun, the kids will too!