The Baby Sitter Checklist

The Baby Sitter Checklist

Leaving your children with a baby sitter while you enjoy an evening out can be worry-free, if you keep crucial information at your sitter’s fingertips.

Keep in mind that a good baby sitter is not necessarily one who knows what to do in the ultimate, emergency situation, but one who knows what to do in most situations. You can help the sitter handle most circumstances by creating a guide that clearly conveys information needed for proper care.

Purchase a three-ring notebook, a set of tabbed dividers, three-hole punched lined paper, and a highlighter. Label the tabs and include the following information:

“Now” Information:

Where and how you can be reached. Also, create a telephone directory listing emergency, children’s friends, and other useful telephone numbers.

Name and phone number of who to call if you can’t be reached.

Other up-to-the-minute information and instructions.

Our Children:

A current headshot, full name, nickname, birth date, and a detailed physical description.

A signed original medical consent authorization, doctor’s phone number, and the fastest route to the nearest hospital.

Detailed medical history that includes each child’s blood type, allergies (reactions and remedies), medications, personality traits, fears, and habits. (Don’t forget to highlight what will comfort your child if he or she becomes frightened.)

Favorite bedtime story, meals, snacks, and toys.

Our Home:

In logical order, list the location of household items, such as toilet paper, sunburn remedies, extra batteries, first-aid kit.

List and highlight safety and security information, including where and how to use the fire extinguishers, where the flashlights and circuit breaker box are located in case of an electrical failure, and where you keep the spare set of keys.

Household Rules and Routines:

List everything, from which friends are allowed in the house to which television programs are off limits. Include rules pertaining to the Internet and video games.

Meals and mealtimes (list what the kids will and won’t eat).

Rules your baby sitter must follow: visitors, smoking, use of the telephone, and other dos and don’ts.

Remember, the best part of getting away is not worrying about what’s happening back home.

Martin Kuritz is co-author of Take Good Care of My Baby, a guide for parents and baby sitters.

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