Posts Tagged ‘babysitting tips’

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http://www.babysitme.co.nz/profile.php?ID=3010

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When the phone rings, should I answer it?

Check with the parents. Since they may want to call you to make sure everything is alright, that is a good question to ask. Sometimes an answering machine is present and you can monitor the call. Normally I allow that to answer the calls, but I monitor the call to find out who is calling. Caller ID is another helpful feature. If you do not recognize the number of the incoming call, do not answer the phone.

Answering the phone, and not taking a message correctly could cause a problem, and it may not be appropriate to let someone know that parents aren’t home.

Answering the phone can cause a host of problems, so better not to do it.

What should I do if the parents are drunk when they get home and they are supposed to drive me home?

Do not get into a vehicle with them. Speak with your parents in advance so that if that situation arises, you can call them. You can tell the parents that one of your patents called while they were out and said that they would come and get you. If they ask the reason for that, you can always say that you and your family are going somewhere afterward, such as out to eat or to visit a relative. Advise them that you will phone your parent when you are ready to be picked up. If for any reason your parents will not be available that night, check with a family friend or neighbor to see if you can call them in that situation.

How do I know how much to charge to babysit?

Several factors affect the answer to that question. The area in which you reside is a major factor. Pay could be from $15 to $19 per hour if you live in a ritzy area. For those who reside in a middle class neighborhood, $10 to $15 dollars an hour should cover it.

How many children you are babysitting should be considered.

Babysitting on nights like New Years Eve can be most lucrative. Years ago for the year 2000 New Years Eve, I babysat 5 children from 5 families, and was paid and was paid $150 per family.

Are you babysitting for 2 or more families?

Are you babysitting at your home or theirs?

Whose paying to get you home, or does the job involve you staying over and feeding children the next morning?

Your age is also something that has a bearing on how much you charge. Now that I am 18, I get paid more than I did when I was 13.

My best advice is check with your friends to find out what they charge per hour. This will give you a better feel for how much to charge.

Childminding Caring for Older Children 1

We’ve already looked at what not to do when caring for an older child, so now we’ll look at …
What you need to do:

Open your ears. Let the child talk about their day if they want to. Do not look bored, and never interrupt the child when they tell you a story. If it is asked for, offer advice, and also ask a question or two. Begging or venting might be just what she needs to do. This will assist with relationship building for the child, the main thing to being a friend as well as a babysitter.

The child will notice if you take an interest in them. He or she should know that you really like spending time with them. Have some fun by playing games. Don’t be afraid to laugh and get into what you are doing, play what she wants to play, and just have fun. If you are enjoying yourself and giggling, then most likely the child will be joyful too. You are not boss just because you are having fun together. They will understand that you will play and do fun things if they listen to you, if you get your point across in the appropriate way.

The best you can do for the child is to talk with them. Whatever their interests are, build on them by talking about sports, movies, school, animals, etc. Think of some funny stories you have and then share them with the child. Let the child get to know you, and also really get to know the child. If it comes up, compare the length of socks you like to wear, your favorite colors, hairstyles and foods. (When speaking with children, you don’t know what the subject will end up being.)  You will be a better babysitter if you get to know them better. And if they know you better, they will feel comfortable in your presence. When talking to the children, just use your judgment. Complete details about the previous night’s love session with your boyfriend is inappropriate.

The children you babysit should be your friends; you shouldn’t be afraid of this. For the long haul, this friendship will cause your job to be more easy. When you are friends, they become less likely to argue with you over bedtimes and such. You are not a peer, and make sure the child never thinks that you are. This is not the same, and there must be separation between the two. You will have a happy client if you are able to do this.

If you must do something special for the child, let the parents show you how. You should request that they jot it down or give you information to read about it. Skills you might need to know consist of dealing with seizures, sign language, attaching a leg brace or checking to see a hearing aid is functioning. Keep practicing until you are certain you can do it the right way.

As you play with the child at that time, try not to consider him a handicap child. Children with disabilities are still children. They have normal feelings and normal needs. They desire to be liked by you, want you to believe they are special, have talent, and want you to treat them the same as normal people. Their disability doesn’t mean as much as being a person. Don’t mention their disabilities continuously. You don’t have to make an effort not to bring it up, however, you should have a normal conversation most of the time.

Don’t do tasks for the child that he should be doing on his own. Don’t let him be spoiled because you have sympathy for him. As a matter of fact, don’t feel sympathy for him. It’s best for him to do things on his own and to have confidence in himself. The more tasks he can do on his own, the more he will be able to be independent when he is grown.

Look at him as he is playing to notice what he is able to do and the type of personality he has. This will help you think of ways to have fun as you are babysitting. When making your plans, consider what he is able to do and can’t do, as well as what he enjoys doing.

Do some reading about the disability, as well, so you will learn as much as you can. If you know how to babysit children with special needs, there will be many opportunities to work as a babysitter.

Parents who have children with disabilities usually have a difficult time locating babysitters to watch their children. Babysitters fear looking after these children and some teenager’s parents don’t want their children to take on this type of challenge. This is the beginning part in an article series about caring for children who have special needs.

You must learn something about the child and the disability he has, first.

Request a visit with the parents before you are first employed as a babysitter. Take some time educating yourself about the child’s disability, and some time playing with the child or establishing the necessary skills.

You have to find out how the parent defines the disability. Typically they don’t use the term handicap anymore, since many people consider this term to mean helpless. The terms used by some people are disabled, challenged, or special needs. Say whichever one the parent prefers. Also learn what term is used to define the child’s actual disability. For example, some parents use the term deaf, some use the term hearing impaired, but some use the term hearing challenged. I actually heard someone say “sound challenged” at one time! Say this word over and over so you will remember this.

When you become acquainted with the parent, ask them what the child is able to do and what kind of help is needed. Is there something you should be instructing him to do ? If a child is beginning to learn how to lace up his shoes, he might need assistance, however you should allow him to try as much as possible. What does this disability consist of, anyhow? What kind of warning signs should you look for?

Nine Months Old

By nine months of age, babies are taking their first steps. The baby may try to stand on his own, which often leads to falling and crying. Do not be concerned. You have not done anything wrong. The baby is smarter than you think and can understand some of the words you say to him or her. They may even attempt to say a word or two, although it may be unintelligible. Use a normal voice when you speak to them rather than using baby talk. If you use adult language, they will learn to speak much faster. If the parents are using normal language with them, you do not want to interfere with their development by using baby talk.

Ten Months

At this point, many babies can walk. The can stand by themselves, can squat, and even take a few steps, if someone holds their hand. They may be attached to a blanket, stuffed animal, or other object and they enjoy investigating anything that they can reach. These objects may be unusual, so be sure to check with the parents to find out if the baby requires a special toy when they are put to bed. The baby will use rhythmic babbling that sounds similar to sentences. Like everyone else, the baby wants you to listen to them. The baby will also use pointing and vocalization to indicate that they want a certain object.

Eleven and Twelve Months

By 11 or 12 months of age, the baby will have already learned to walk and will be moving around everywhere. Watch him or her closely because they get into anything and everything at this age. She understands a few words and a few commands.

Babysitting Seven Month Old Babies

By the time a baby is 7 months old, it has learned many useful skills. They are able to sit up by themselves, and many of them are able to crawl, or otherwise scoot along on the floor. It’s boring for the baby to be contained in a swing or playpen for long periods of time, so let them out onto the floor. If you have concerns, you can lay a blanket on the floor, but they may not stay on it. Some babies can pull themselves up to a standing position at this age, utilizing a table or other furniture for support. With all these new skills, babies commonly get hurt. They may fall down or bump their head when crawling under a table and these incidents may provoke crying. This is an unavoidable part of a baby’s learning experience, so do not think that you are doing a bad job if this happens.

Babysitting Eight Month Old Babies

At this stage, babies often express anxiety or fear when separated from their mothers. Most likely they will cry when their mother departs. Try to take them into a room where they will not see their parents’ departure. If you do so, they will not notice when their mother or father leaves, and may continue playing happily, at least for awhile. At this age, babies love it when you applaud them. Help them build a tower with blocks. Then, when it falls down, clap and cheer. Most likely this will hold their interest for about 15 minutes.

If the child bites me, what should be my course of action?
Let the parents know. Biting can be quite problematic, particularly if the skin is broken. You should get medical attention if they bite you and the skin is broken.

Clean and sterilize the wound and cover it with a band-aid until you can get to a doctor. You must advise the parents because if the child attends daycare or school, the parents must advise the teachers of the problem so they can work together to rectify the problem.

DO NOT Bite the child back, this doesn’t teach them anything.
DO NOT Smack the Child.

If the problem persists ask the parents how they deal with undesired behavior like Biting

5 or 6 month old Babies are fun to babysit, by this age they are usually past the colic stag, and haven’t yet started teething, so they are usually happy, and like nothing more than being your constant point of attention.

Five Month Old Baby

By the time a baby is five months old, most likely it will be able to lift its head and shoulders when they push with their arms. They enjoy lying on a blanket on the floor, also enjoying giving and getting attention. To get attention, a five-month-old is more likely to make noise and wriggle rather than crying.

Six Month Old Baby

Babies who are 6 months old enjoy playing peek-a-boo. Normally they will play it again and again, enjoying it immensely. This is an excellent way of entertaining a baby or to stop it from crying. Some of them are able to sort toys by size, and they enjoy looking at their own reflections in a mirror. If they see your reflection in the mirror, they will probably turn to look at you, because they think that you are in the mirror itself. Some other things they can do include transferring a toy from one hand to the other, drinking from a cup with handles with help, banging objects together, clasping their hands, and using only one hand to grab for a toy.

It is safe to say that infants are the most confusing children when it comes to babysitting. Since they cannot walk or talk (or if they can, they cannot do it well), they cannot communicate their needs to you. It can be quite tiring because they need a lot more care than older children. Most likely you will not be asked to babysit a child who is younger than three months old, so this article will encompass babies who are between three and twelve months of age. I will discuss their abilities and how you should take care of them.

Three Month old Babies

Three-month-old babies are able to smile and they enjoy doing it. Some of them are able to hold up their heads, but others cannot, so when you pick them up, be very careful. Since their hearing, language, and smell are developing, you should talk to the baby. They like the sound of the human voice. Do not feel silly because you think they do not understand you. I have found that babies are less likely to cry if you talk to them. Usually they must eat every 3-4 hours. The parents will let you know when the baby should be fed.

Four Month Old Babies

Babies who are 4 months old are not eating as often any more. Since they like to watch other people, if you are doing something with older children, put the baby in a location where it can see you. Although they can normally sit up by themselves for one or two seconds, stay right beside them. Do not walk away and leave them sitting up. They will fall and then, of course, they will cry. Most babies make many sounds at this stage, so you will have to learn to recognize happy sounds as well as those that indicate that the baby is unhappy.