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Checklist for Babysitters

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Having a babysitter checklist is the perfect way to make sure your sitter has all the information they’ll need at their fingertips. When taking care of children—knowledge is power. What and when should they eat? When is bedtime? How much screen time is appropriate and who should be called in an emergency? You know how long it took you to learn what works, and it’s important to pass this on to caretakers to have peace of mind that your kids are safe and having fun while you’re out.

A comprehensive and helpful checklist will give you something to go through with the babysitter when he or she arrives. Whether you are leaving your kids for an evening or a long weekend, you can use this checklist to make sure everything is set in place while you are away:

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the following list of information should always be left with a babysitter:

  1. Parents phone numbers
  2. Neighbors phone numbers
  3. Pediatrician
  4. Fire/Rescue
  5. Police
  6. Poison Help Line (1-800-222-1222)
  7. Home phone
  8. Home address

Checklist for Parents:

  • Meet the sitter and check references and training in advance.
  • Be certain the sitter has had first aid training and knows CPR.
  • Be sure the babysitter is at least 13 years old and mature enough to handle common emergencies.
  • Have the sitter spend time with you before babysitting to meet the children and learn their routines.
  • Show the sitter around the house.
  • Point out fire escape routes and potential problem areas. Instruct the sitter to leave the house right away in case of fire and to call the fire department from a neighbor’s house or cell phone.
  • Discuss feeding, bathing, and sleeping arrangements for your children.
  • Tell your sitter of any allergies or specific needs your children have. Leave a note with your children’s dates of birth and approximate weights in case these are needed by medical professionals.
  • Have emergency supplies available including a flashlight, first aid chart, and first aid supplies.
  • Tell the sitter where you will be and when you will return.
  • Be sure any guns are stored unloaded in a locked cabinet, and lock and store the ammunition in a separate place..

Provide and install appropriate car safety seats and booster seats if the sitter will need to drive the children in a car.

Checklist for Babysitters:

  • Be prepared for an emergency.
  • Always call or text for help if there are any problems or questions.
  • Never open the door to strangers.
  • Never leave the children alone in the house – even for a minute.
  • Never give the children any medicine or food unless instructed to do so by the parents.
  • Be patient with a child who is unhappy or who cries when the parents leave. Try a different activity, read a book to the child, or suggest playing in the yard. 
  • If a baby is crying and cannot be soothed, it is OK to put the baby in a safe place, like a crib, and walk away for a few minutes.

More Checklist Tips:

Contact information for you and your partner

Have your sitter put your and your partner’s cell phone numbers in his or her phone. If you’re a single parent, provide your sitter with the phone number of someone trusted and local who they can call if you can’t be reached. If you don’t text, let your sitters know so they don’t send you messages and then wonder why you don’t respond.

Emergency contact information

Post a list somewhere obvious – like on the fridge or by your landline phone, if you have one – with fire, police, doctor, poison control, and hospital numbers. If your children have specific medical insurance numbers, provide those as well. If you’re going out of town or won’t be accessible, it’s smart to designate one or two neighbors, friends, or relatives as local contacts. Leave their names, numbers, and addresses. That way your sitter has someone to turn to in case of minor mishaps, such as a pet that gets loose or a power outage. Also, leave your street address (including floor and unit, if you’re in an apartment) to give to fire, police, or medical personnel in an emergency.

A mapped escape route

In case of fire or some other crisis that requires hasty evacuation, your sitter should be aware of all the possible exits from your house. Also make sure she knows where to find the fire extinguisher, the first-aid kit, the circuit breaker, the water shutoff, and a flashlight.

Medical information about your baby

If your child has any allergies or other medical conditions or needs to take medication, tell your sitter about it in advance. Also spell out any additional health problems – such as a bad case of diaper rash or a tendency to spit up food. Also, just in case you or your contact person can’t be found in an emergency, leave a healthcare authorization form that allows your babysitter or childcare provider to get medical attention for your child.

Food and drink list

Don’t leave this to chance. Your sitter may not be aware of foods that pose choking hazards. Leave specific instructions outlining what your baby can and can’t eat and drink. And if the sitter will be preparing formula or giving your baby expressed breast milk, explain exactly how to do it.

Activity schedule

Your baby will feel more comfortable sticking to his usual routine, so let your sitter know what time he eats his meals, when he goes to bed, and how his bedtime routine works. If you usually read to him from a particular book, for example, let them know and leave it out where it’s easy to find.

Finally, it’s wise to let your sitter know about any special words for favorite toys or security objects.



stressed out mom with young kids

Calling All Moms – Are You Okay?

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stressed out mom with young kids

 

It’s not just you – the pandemic has raised stress for all parents and anxiety is at an all-time high. Varying levels of social distancing orders are still in place, which has resulted in closed daycares, new back to school challenges and virtual workplaces. 

Parents now have to find ways to keep their kids entertained, manage a new reality of distance learning and try to find balance when kids are always around – a.k.a. no break! Throw in COVID-19 and the family all together under the same roof 24/7, and you have a recipe for a perfect storm. 

Whether you’re a professional mom, a seasoned mom of multiples or expecting your first baby, prioritizing your emotional care isn’t easy. We rounded up a list of mama lifelines to help you survive when all the odds are against you. 

Set Boundaries To Protect Your Mental Health 

Now is the time to lower the bar and give yourself grace when you simply cannot make one more meal, get through your child’s schoolwork or attend another Zoom meeting. For some moms, this may be uncharted territory. 

However, the pressure to be the perfect mom at this unprecedented stressful time could absolutely break you. Instead, pick a few important tasks to complete each day, and let the rest go! Also, here are ways to engage your child so you can catch some “alone” time:

  • Lovevery provides stage-based early learning and play essentials, up to age 3.
  • Raddish Kids is a fun cooking club for kids.
  • Flexable offers interactive, virtual childcare.

Join Forces With Other Moms 

Stay at home moms have historically been pitted against working moms. Today, parents are also at odds with teachers, who are overwhelmingly women, struggling with the very same issues, while we debate how and if school should open. 

Don’t miss the bigger picture. Moms should be sharing resources and working together to fight for expanded sick leave, fund the childcare industry and protect working parents’ livelihood. If you’re looking for communities of moms who get it, check these out: 

  • MotherNation creates spaces for Mothers to care for themselves and each other by gathering circles based on location, age of children and shared experience.
  • Mother Honestly is an online community, with resources and support for working mothers.
  • Chairman Mom is a private network of badass working women.

Ask Daddy To Step It Up

Not all households have a mom and dad, but when they do, responsibilities still fall unevenly on moms in 2020. Today, childcare and home duties have only increased, moms are picking up the slack and it’s stealing your Zen. However, couples can divvy up the work more fairly with these tools:

  • Modern Village builds the “Family Operating System” as a central place that isn’t mom’s brain to be the single source of all things family.
  • Fair Play helps couples divide up household tasks fairly, based on their needs.
  • Persistiny allows parents to track, value, and share the unpaid work to care for their families.

If you’re reading this daddy, here are some things you can do proactively to show mama how much you value her: 

  • Take on more housework. Even if it feels like you are doing your fair share, pick up one or two more tasks a day.
  • Ask her how she feels. Is she drowning? To avoid adding to her already overflowing mental load, come to the conversation with two ideas for how you could help.
  • Take the kids out of the house to give her some time to just reset.
  • Here’s a big one – say thank you! Say thank you for the things you see her doing and even the things you don’t … the empty sink, the clean laundry and the uninterrupted business call. Make it your goal to show continual gratitude.

We know this just scratches the surface. There is no silver bullet solution to such a complex situation. But, when everyone pitches in to help, moms will make it through this stronger, and our children will reap the benefits.

girl virtual learning

2020 Back to School: New Challenges for Parents

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girl virtual learning

While summer is still coming to a close in some parts of the country, many states are already gearing up for a new school year. Back to school can be stressful at the best of times, but after a spring of remote learning amid the Covid-19 spread, sending our little ones back to the classroom – online, in-person or a hybrid of the two – is daunting. 

The CDC has released recommendations for schools to reopen with guidelines on social distancing, wearing masks, temperature checks and alternate schedules to reduce classroom sizes. However, balancing safety with continued academic growth can feel like walking a tightrope with so many restrictions. Below are three ways to tackle the new challenges.

Make safety rules fun

You’ve probably spent the entire summer reminding your child about the everyday precautions he or she needs to take to prevent getting sick. As they go back to school, here are some fun ways to reinforce COVID-19 safety rules: 

  • Find your child a comfortable mask and reward them for the time they wear it by doing fun things, such as playing games, coloring, reading books or dancing, while they have it on. Don’t forget to use positive reinforcement when they wear a mask. 
  • You can also make the mask itself fun by having your child decorate it to make it their own. If it’s a paper mask, they can use stickers. If it’s fabric, they can use fabric paint on the outside. Find fabrics that reflect their personality, like their favorite superhero. 
  • Washing hands thoroughly is more important than ever. Tell your child to sing a song, like the ABC’s, when they wash their hands. They can sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” or “Happy Birthday” or another favorite – the main thing is it should be a 20 second long song to get all of the germs off. 

Listen to your child’s concerns

The question all parents are asking is how will COVID-19 impact my child’s mental health? It’s important to keep an eye out for anxiety in your child that could be a result of new protocols, including changes in sleep patterns, continually seeking reassurance despite already receiving an answer and acting out. 

Parents also have a new set of challenges with managing their own stress around the pandemic and trying to remain calm while listening to children’s concerns. In order to help support your child’s mental health about the changes at school as a result of COVID-19, parents can:

  • Encourage conversations about the new school safety rules
  • Practice the new safety rules at home to reinforce success in the classroom
  • Acknowledge and validate your child’s feelings if they are scared or anxious
  • Reassure your child that a lot of adults are working hard to keep everyone safe
  • Maintain sleeping, eating, and general family household routines
  • Facilitate age-appropriate opportunities for children to make choices, giving them a sense of safety and control

Whether your child is concerned about having to wear a mask all day or what might happen if there’s a confirmed case at school, make sure you’re listening intently, empathizing often and helping your child cope with his or her feelings in a reassuring manner.

Let your parental instincts guide you

In a time when almost any activity outside your home comes with a risk, don’t be afraid to lean into your parental instinct. With many schools offering the option of online learning, you may be keeping your kids in 100% online classes this school year or semester. Knowing how important classroom learning and socialization are for your child, you may have decided that you’ve done your homework when it comes to safely sending your child back to school.

No matter what you’ve chosen, trust your own instincts and feel confident that you’ve made the right decision for your child and your family. Try to stay positive, remember that it takes time to acclimate to change and set realistic expectations. Your example is one they are exposed to more than any classroom or teacher. If your child hears you speaking optimistically about the school year, they will adopt that attitude.

Becoming a Parent During COVID-19

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We are surrounded by images of blissful motherhood on social media, TV and in magazines. But many new mothers experience some distressing feelings after giving birth. That’s normal because the responsibilities of being a new parent are both tough … and exhausting. Fathers are also at risk of depression after the birth of a baby, and the risk goes up significantly when the mother experiences depression too. 

New parents need plenty of support during the best of times, but when faced with hospitals overwhelmed with coronavirus patients, new visitation rules for delivery rooms and the general uncertainty about how coronavirus affects our lives, the stakes can feel especially high.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, your plans for support after childbirth from family and friends have probably been changed or may have even been cancelled. Losing your support system can make it harder to figure out a smooth transition to parenting. 

Fortunately, help is available – from family, peers and providers. However, support looks a little different now. Most providers are using telehealth visits for most of their visits, and support groups have moved online. 

Below are resources for providers, support groups and ways that we all can support parents and families during this uncertain time.

These groups and resources can offer the chance to communicate with people who get it. We hope these make the day-to-day challenges, fear and overwhelm a little easier to take.