Finding a trustworthy babysitter is a task in itself. Training the babysitter and explaining everything she needs to do and what your baby needs and wants would be another task. Wouldn’t it be great to have a checklist to go over when she arrives and leave with her, so she has a handy reference to everything she needs to know?
Having a babysitter checklist is the perfect way to ensure your sitter has all the information she’ll need at her fingertips. Here’s some vital information she should familiarize with before you leave your baby in her care:
- The easiest way to calm your baby. This can be a song, a particular way of rocking, a ride in the sling, or anything which calms your baby.
- Your baby’s favorite toy/s.
- Which way your baby should sleep. Either on their back, with no pillows, positioners, blankets, soft toys, or comforters, or whichever way your baby is accustomed to.
- How your baby is best burped.
- Which way do you prefer your baby to be cleaned and put in the diaper, as well as where the supplies are kept.
- Where the baby clothes, sheets, and towels are stored and kept
- How to feed your baby. If bottle-fed or will be getting a supplement of formula or expressed milk
- What your baby can and can’t eat or drink (make sure that no food, drink, or medicine should be given without your okay or the doctors)
- The setup of your kitchen, the baby’s room, and so on, and any other needed facts about your house or apartment
- Any habit or characteristic that your baby has that the sitter might not expect (if your baby spits up a lot, poops frequently, cries when wet, falls asleep only with a light on or when being rocked)
- Any habit/s of pet/s you may have that the babysitter should know about, and rules concerning your baby and your pet/s.
- Baby safety rule (if any)
- Who is allowed to visit when you are not at home and what is your policy on visitors?
- Where the first-aid kit (or any important thing) is located
- What to do if the fire alarm goes off, smoke or fire is observed, or if someone who hasn’t been cleared by you rings the doorbell.
You should also leave the following for the babysitter:
- Significant phone numbers (whoever you deem necessary, like the baby’s doctor, your in-laws, a neighbor, local family members, the hospital emergency department, the building superintendent, or a handyman)
- The address of the nearest hospital and the best way to get there
- A signed consent form authorizing medical care within specific limits if you can’t be reached (this should be discussed in advance with the baby’s doctor)
It would be helpful to put all this necessary information into writing and be held in one place, so it’s easier to get hold of. You can also customize this list to your needs and preference, but these are some ideas to get you started.