We all know that starting off with a new nanny or babysitter can be a stressful time. After finding childcare to cover date nights or work deadlines you end up worrying about whether the children are safe and sound and that the new sitter knows how to handle unforeseen circumstances. That’s why a successful hiring process should be followed with a detailed discussion on safety. Your new carer should understand that safety is the top priority of their new job.
Supernanny.co.uk offers advice on addressing safety concerns with new childcarers. At top of the checklist, before hiring a new childcarer, Supernanny recommends that: “When leaving your child with a babysitter, it’s important that you trust the babysitter and that they have credible references and/or proof of professional caring qualifications. Parents should be aware of any training that the babysitter has undergone.”
When you’ve hired a sitter you trust, cover the following 6 safety tips for new childcarers to make safety the priority:
- Address your expectations
- Lay out the rules for your sitter before they take the job, like no friends allowed, no smoking in the house and no sleeping on the job. We recommend writing the rules down and discussing them.
- Tell your sitter to avoid texting, talking on the phone or using the Internet, unless it’s absolutely necessary — if they’re distracted, they’re not safely watching the kids.
- Emphasise that children should not be left alone for even one second.
- Remind the sitter they should not post details of any babysitting job on social media sites and they should never post photographs of your family or home.
- Encourage the sitter to call if they have any questions.
- Go over rules for leaving the house. Is your sitter allowed to take your kids to the park? Can kids play in the garden? Are they allowed to drive your kids anywhere? If so, clearly communicate protocol for car seats and seat belts.
- Provide a tour of your home
- Demonstrate how to use all safety devices you have installed (gates, latches, locks, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, etc).
- Point out where you store important supplies, such as torches, a first-aid kit and fire extinguisher.
- Identify any areas of your home that are off-limits to your children.
- Clue her in on your kids’ favourite hiding spots
- Familiarise the sitter with your fire escape plan.
- Give a refresher on general safety
- Remind the sitter to place a baby on its back to sleep at night and at naptime.
- Reiterate that there should be nothing in the crib but the baby. Use sleep clothing and a wearable blanket or sleepsack.
- Review Abusive Head Trauma (Shaken Baby Syndrome) and its dangers.
- Check that the sitter has taken classes on CPR, first aid and child safety.
- Cover specific safety information
- Write down everything you discuss so the sitter has a reference in your absence; if your sitter is a permanent fixture (like a full-time nanny), incorporate a section on safety expectations in your nanny contract.
- Explain the dosage and instructions for any medications; write these down clearly so there’s no confusion.
- Tell the carer about specific foods the child eats or shouldn’t eat, especially allergy triggers.
- Explain the child’s bedtime and naptime rituals.
- Create an emergency plan
- Discuss how the sitter can reach you in case something happens.
- Arrange for a neighbour or other trusted adult nearby to be available if there’s a problem; introduce this person to the sitter.
- Post your contact information and important emergency information on the refrigerator.
- Give parting instructions
- Review last-minute instructions (written down along with all the other guidelines).
- Remind sitter to keep doors and windows locked and turn outside lights on in the evening.
- Instruct the sitter to never open the door to anyone — unless you specifically asked her to.
- Make sure the sitter knows your plans and when you will return.
- Finally, as you go, reiterate, “Don’t hesitate to call me.”
When hiring new childcare it can be a good idea to have trial days (with pay) before offering the job on a permanent basis. This could help draw attention to any problem areas or safety issues that need to be addressed.
Once your nanny or babysitter becomes a permanent fixture, keep the lines of communication open and address any matters that come up, as well as any ways to improve things from both a safety standpoint and an overall care standpoint. This will also help you pick up on any signs of stress or dissatisfaction – happy sitter will lead to happier children.