The Safe Sitter® Babysitting Blog

When Your Child Is Afraid To Stay Home Alone

Sooner or later, most tweens (age 10-13) will spend some time home alone, whether out of a busy parent’s necessity or because they’re being gently eased into greater independence. Some need reassurance about assuming what they view as a new and scary responsibility. Here's how to ease them into it.

Staying Home Alone: A Big Step In A Child’s Independence

One of the best ways you can help preteens develop the confidence they’ll need to succeed in life is by teaching them the skills to stay home alone.

What Age Are Kids Ready to Stay Home Alone?

As all parents know, kids mature at their own pace, so there is no magic age when kids are ready to be left home alone. Essentially, age isn’t what determines whether your child can handle the responsibility of staying home alone ─ his stage of development does.

5 Questions To Ask Before You Let Your Kids Stay Home Alone

It can be outright scary to think of your kids home alone, making decisions for themselves without your care and direction. Answering these five questions will help you feel more at ease about letting them care for themselves while you step out.

What You Should Ask Your Babysitter After Every Job

You return home from a night out, pay your teen babysitter, and thank her for looking after your kids. That’s all that’s required, right? Not quite. You should always dedicate a few minutes to get feedback from your sitter.

4 Things to Consider When You Cancel a Sitter

Occasionally things happen that are out of your control. Sometimes, this means a change in plans and the need to cancel a sitter. Every parent has been there. Just keep these four things in mind if you find yourself needing to cancel.

Must-Read Advice If Your Child Is Babysitting Over The Holidays

The holiday season is busy for everyone, including babysitters. If your child babysits, she may be flooded with requests from frazzled parents scrambling to find someone to handle things at home while they enjoy holiday events. Here are tips for dealing with the holiday rush.

Hiring a Babysitter Over the Holidays

For many parents, the holiday season means a desperate search for an available, qualified babysitter who’s responsible enough to handle things at home while they step out for a party or two.

Who Teaches Teens to Be Better Babysitters?

It takes a special person to teach teens the life and safety skills they need to care for themselves and younger kids when adults aren’t around. What type of person teaches these skills and why do they do it?

How to Say Thank You to Your Babysitter

If you’ve found a dependable babysitter that your kids like and that you trust, you want to do what you can to keep that relationship going. Here are ways to thank your sitter for all she does.

Picking the Best Babysitter for the Job

There’s more to babysitting than showing up on time and hanging out with your kids. Your babysitter is being asked to assume responsibility for your child’s life when you’re away. There’s no bigger job than that! Think about what type of job you’re asking your sitter to do, and pick one that’s the right fit.

After Rocky Start, This Safe Sitter® Became A Hero

When teens take a Safe Sitter® class, they learn first aid so they’re prepared for injuries that may happen when home alone, sibling sitting, or babysitting. But injuries can happen anytime and anywhere, and having the skills to deal with them can make all the difference. That’s what Safe Sitter® graduate Rebecca Barnes learned.

The BEST Answer To “I’m Bored” This Summer

No matter how excited your kids were that school was out, it won’t be long until you hear them complain about how bored they are. With a little effort and our seven tips, you can help your kids make the most of summer.

The Makings Of The Best Babysitter [Infographic]

Good babysitters do exist! It's no surprise that the most qualified are highly sought-after. They have certain qualities in common. Make sure you pick the best by knowing what to look for.

10 Tips When Hiring a Summer Sitter

Although parents may want to use young teens, especially siblings, to babysit during long summer days, they need to make sure it’s a good fit for everyone involved. Here are some guidelines when hiring a teenage babysitter this summer.

Managing Behavior: A Parent’s Guide [Infographic]

Managing behavior is often the hardest part of child care. That's what we teach teens who take Safe Sitter®. And it's what parents know from first-hand experience! Try these behavior management tips whenever you find yourself dealing with difficult behavior.

4 Things Parents Should Make Sure Their Teens Know About Choking

Choking rescue skills are a vital part of Safe Sitter’s curriculum. So far, nearly 200 lives have been saved by graduates who knew what to do in an emergency. Here’s what we teach teens about choking and why.

5 Things You Should Do to Keep Kids and Sitters Safe

It’s natural to feel a certain level of anxiety when entrusting a babysitter with your children’s care. There are five easy, but essential, things you should do before you leave that will increase both the safety of your children and your sitter as well as your peace of mind.

The Recipe for Dealing with Picky Eaters

If you’re a mom, chances are that you have at least one picky eater in the house. If you’re struggling with picky eaters, here are four tips that have helped Safe Sitter® moms keep their sanity!

How Did This Safe Sitter® Save A Life?

Renea Pinney knew her 11-year-old daughter, Presly, would not willingly sign up for a babysitting class. So, she made her go. That decision, a case of “mother’s intuition”, helped save the life of her other daughter.

Safe Sitter® and Scout Comes to Mother’s Aid

As a Girl Scout and Safe Sitter® one could say Gabby Bullock was doubly prepared to deal with an emergency. She was excited to babysit and loved being a big sister after being the only child for years. However, she didn’t have to use what she’d learned to help a younger sibling. She actually had to come to her mother’s aid.

6 Ways to Deal with Difficult Behavior When Caring for Kids

One of the most practical things that Safe Sitter® teaches is how to deal with difficult behavior. That’s indispensable information for babysitters and parents alike! Here are some go-to strategies to use when the going gets tough.

Staying Home Alone: Is Your Child Ready? [Infographic]

A child’s age doesn’t always reflect his or her maturity and readiness to stay home alone. Check out our guide to help you decide if your child is ready.

5 Ways To Get Kids Off The Electronics

Do your children spend way too much time on their electronic devices? While technology is helpful and useful in many ways, it’s good to take a break from the electronics and encourage your children to do the same.

5 Things Your Babysitter Secretly Wants You to Know

Babysitting might be the toughest job in the world, and yet young teens go out there and do it every day. So, in the interest of making their lives just a little bit better, here are five things you should do as a responsible employer.

Safe Sitter® Sisters Work Together to Save a Life

Safe Sitter® grads and sisters Elaine and Tiffany Close are true to their name. They’re so close that they worked together to use what they’d learned in class about staying calm to help their younger brother through a severe asthma attack.

8 Great Rainy Day Activities With Kids

When rain forces your children to stay indoors, keeping them entertained can be difficult. Here are some boredom-busting activities to keep them happily occupied on rainy days.

This Sibling Sitter Handled a Serious Situation

Twelve-year-old Becky Martin used the skills she’d learned in Safe Sitter® to retain her composure while handling what could have been a life-threatening situation.

3 Steps to Determine How Much to Pay Your Babysitter

Some sitters are uncomfortable discussing money. You should let them know it’s okay! After all, they’re providing you with a valuable service. Ask yourself these questions to determine what’s fair and reasonable for you to pay.

4 Questions to Ask a Babysitter Before Hiring

When you think about it, a babysitter has the most important job: taking care of your children. Why then would you choose one without first interviewing her? Here's what you need to ask.

safesitter@safesitter.org

Instructor Login

Blog

When Your Child Is Afraid To Stay Home Alone

Staying Home Alone: A Big Step In A Child’s Independence

What Age Are Kids Ready to Stay Home Alone?

5 Questions To Ask Before You Let Your Kids Stay Home Alone

What You Should Ask Your Babysitter After Every Job

4 Things to Consider When You Cancel a Sitter

Must-Read Advice If Your Child Is Babysitting Over The Holidays

Hiring a Babysitter Over the Holidays

Who Teaches Teens to Be Better Babysitters?

How to Say Thank You to Your Babysitter

Picking the Best Babysitter for the Job

After Rocky Start, This Safe Sitter® Became A Hero

The BEST Answer To “I’m Bored” This Summer

The Makings Of The Best Babysitter [Infographic]

10 Tips When Hiring a Summer Sitter

Managing Behavior: A Parent’s Guide [Infographic]

4 Things Parents Should Make Sure Their Teens Know About Choking

5 Things You Should Do to Keep Kids and Sitters Safe

The Recipe for Dealing with Picky Eaters

How Did This Safe Sitter® Save A Life?

Safe Sitter® and Scout Comes to Mother’s Aid

6 Ways to Deal with Difficult Behavior When Caring for Kids

Staying Home Alone: Is Your Child Ready? [Infographic]

5 Ways To Get Kids Off The Electronics

5 Things Your Babysitter Secretly Wants You to Know

Safe Sitter® Sisters Work Together to Save a Life

8 Great Rainy Day Activities With Kids

This Sibling Sitter Handled a Serious Situation

3 Steps to Determine How Much to Pay Your Babysitter

4 Questions to Ask a Babysitter Before Hiring