Don’t ruin your evening out or get distracted during an important business meeting by worrying about whether you remembered to tell the nanny or baby sitter this or that. Make a list and keep it handy. Some ideas on what you might include:
Emergency Contact List
Develop a standard list of emergency contacts (local fire, police, ambulance, poison control), family member phone numbers and trusted friends and neighbours. Laminate the list, put in on the fridge and add specific info for that day (where you will be, when you will be back and how to get in touch if you have to turn off your cell phone) in erasable marker.
Medications and Allergies
If your kids have any allergies or special needs – from the less serious (hay fever) to the more serious (epilepsy), be sure to explain the condition and what to do in the event of an episode.
Things that scare your kids
All kids have something they are afraid of and whilst there are the old standbys (monsters under the bed), they can also be quite unique. Letting your sitters know of what impacts your kids will help them provide the right kind of comfort.
Things that can scare the babysitter
When it gets dark and strange noises start sounding off, it can unnerve even the most confident of babysitters so give them the heads up on any ‘bumps in the night’ that they should expect – whether it is your grandparents old clock, the noisy owl in the tree outside or just how the house settles.
Your expectations
Did you forget to mention that you do not approve of your babysitters boyfriend or girlfriend coming over after you leave? Do not assume your babysitter can read your mind. Tell them what you expect or, equally important, do not want to have happen.
Whether your list is hand written and kept in your wallet, a printed guide you leave in the babysitter drawer, or a list you keep on the notepad of your Smartphone, make the list and stop worrying about what you forgot!