Babysitting – What to look for?

As a parent who needs to step out of the comfort of their homes often to manage the regular hustle bustle of life, we always tend to worry about the care and comfort of our children.

As a parent it is vital we give preference to our careers and families equally. In doing so we are happy, we are learning and evolving every day. The most important question that arises is how we will manage our children and their needs. For the selected few of us who has a good family support to back us, life is a tad bit easier however for parents. It is at such times the need for a good day care of a baby sitter arises. Often we tend to look at the convenience of location, timings and a good loving staff when looking for a day care.

Over the years I have realized what to look for when choosing a daycare or a babysitter for my child. I will be sharing those points in my blog with a hope that they help you in picking a suitable loving environment for your child.

 

Do they practice child care basics?

They should be able to handle something that is the basic of child care. The definitely need to have an a loving and positive attitude towards handling kids and their expertise should not be limited to just these however should include,

• Supervising and monitoring child safety. The place itself needs to comply with child safety norm
• Good personal and kid hygiene which includes bathroom hygiene. Make sure you do proper checks in terms of hygiene too.
• Preparing meals and snacks. This should also include whether they are willing to help your child eat or inculcate good eating habits.
• Changing clothes and diapers and understanding when your child needs a change.
• Helping them engage in age appropriate habits.
• Equipped with handling common child care situations and emergencies.
• Medical assistance available.
• CCTV coverage in all rooms and accessibility of the same.
• Clean, comfortable nap spaces available.

 

 

Do they understand the pros and cons of baby care and infant handling?

Babies need a lot of care so if a care provider has agreed to do so, they need to list down the dos and don’ts that are acceptable by them. They need to have valid certifications and demonstrations of how children will be handled. Let your child spend a few minutes initially with them to help your child adapt to the change. Gradually you can increase the amount of time your child spends with them before they are fully going to be under their care.

 

Be Considerate, Respectful and Loving at all times.

This is not a quality that can be listed down or gauged immediately however they need to have adequate patience and empathy to handle each child differently. They need to be well trained and equipped in handling kids and that can be understood by the years of experience they have. Look around for reviews of a place, ask family and friends for their opinion too. Parents and care takers both need to come to a consensus over what and how certain things are to be done. Each one has to be understanding and respectful of the others opinion as it eventually passes on to the child.

Safety Training, Emergency Contact and Procedures.

As unpredictable life can be, a day care center or a baby sitter needs to be well trained to handle any emergency situation. The day care provider needs to keep the parents informed in detail of anything that occurs with the child. Parents and day care providers need to share each other’s emergency contact numbers and be available at all times. Check for all required safety for kids and ensure the day care provider is available for a video call whenever required. Also the numbers of the medical providers for the child needs to be listed down with the day care center too.You need to check their certifications and qualifications too.

Age Appropriate Activities and Learning.

Considering your child is going to spend a maximum amount of time with the day care provider or babysitter, they need to ensure that they add to the knowledge of your child. The use of gadgets need to be restricted. If at any time the gadget needs to be used, it has to be used by an adult and only for learning purposes. The care taker also needs to be able to help your child develop some social skills. They needs to work on your child’s cognitive, kinetic and motor skills too.

 

The knowledge to handle common kid behaviors.

Kids will be kids after all. No amount of training can stop them from behaving in a certain manner hence the care taker needs to be knowledgeable enough to handle any particular child behavior. From emotional outbursts to separation anxieties, they will have to handle them all. From crankiness due to hunger, sleep to crankiness due to illness, they need to understand and acknowledge it all. They also need to have the knowledge and ability to handle the same. Communication with children is an effective key to handle the common problems that arise in baby care. Knowing how to talk to children appropriately can just really help sometimes.

 

Need to have great decision making skills.

There will be times when being vigilant enough will not be adequate after all. They need to have a staff that can take quick decisions and that too correct ones. They needs to have presence of mind and calmness to turn around a situation. When meeting the day care providers its ok for parents to ask a certain questions to them. It’s no less than an interview after all. Hence, from figuring out the problem to finally arriving at the solution after measuring the pros and cons, they need to be certain and good with it.

 

As parents we are often told that we will never know it completely how to handle children.I believe whatever little or more we know, we need to share it with people who will handle our children and take care of them while we are away. The communication has to be transparent at all times and you can never risk it or take a chance with a child. Sending your child for day care or having someone babysit can be hard for both you and them, make it sound fun and build some excitement gradually and it will be all good.

 

If you have any more comments to add to this. Please leave your comments.