by Jessica Tomlinson

Created on: April 08, 2010

Babysitting can be a scary thing for a beginner, but it doesn't have to be!  Whether you are babysitting in the child's home, in a daycare environment, or in your own home, there are some basics that should be followed in order to provide a safe, fun, and loving environment, and to keep you from pulling your hair out.

1) First and foremost, wherever you are going to be watching the children needs to be childproofed, both for your own sanity and for safety reasons.  You can spend the day chasing after toddlers saying, "No no, don't touch that laptop," or you can start your day right by keeping "no no's" out of reach.  For safety reasons all cabinets within a child's reach need to be kept locked with childproof locks, cords need to be kept out of reach, blind cords need to be tied up high, and chemicals and small choking hazards need to be put away.  TV's, bookshelves, and dressers should all be secured to the walls into a stud to prevent heavy items from falling on a toddler who likes to climb.  The house should also be vacuumed, and clean.  All childproofing needs to be done beforehand, not during the time you are going to be watching a child.  While parent's may not specifically request that you do these things in your home when you watch their children, they will most definitely appreciate that you have done it, and you will likely get repeat business, as well as good recommendations.

2) Setting a fee or rate at which you get paid beforehand will save from headaches and hurt feelings.  Always discuss your payment with parents before agreeing to watch their children.  There are three types of payments: Free (usually when a friend or family member watches a child), hourly rate ( Example: $8 per hour), and fee per day (Example: $40 per day, regardless of how many hours you watched the child).  Some parents may prefer one payment method over the other.  This is something that should be agreed upon by both babysitter, and parents.

3) Knowing the parent's rules for their children helps children to know where limits are set.  If a parent wants their children to go to bed at 8pm, and you let them stay up until 10pm, two things will happen: First, you will confuse the children, and throw them off of their routine, and second, you are sure to make parents angry and lose business for yourself.  If a parent doesn't tell you their set rules for a child, be sure to ask.  Also ask about allergies such

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