What information should I get from the parents before they leave? What should I know in the event of an emergency?
Most parents prepare a list for babysitters with contact information and emergency phone numbers without your having to ask them to. But even if they provide such a list go over it with them before they leave and make sure that it has everything you need.
Here is a checklist of essential information you should have written down and by the phone ready for use in an emergency:
- Contact phone numbers for the parents and ideally a cell phone number.
- A phone number for and the name of the place where the parents will be.
- At least 2 emergency phone numbers you can call in a serious emergency if you can’t reach the parents, for example, grandparents, aunts and uncles, or close family friends.
- The address, including street number and name, of the house you are babysitting at. Even if you think you know it in an emergency you will find it very helpful to have it written down.
Here is a list of information you should also write down and have handy for reference:
- Any special instructions the parents may have regarding TV, video games, bed time, bed time rituals (such as bed time stories, nightlights, special toys, etc) and food.
- Any allergies the kids may have.
- Any illness the kids may be getting over.
- Anything unusual about the kids that it may help you to know about such as bedwetting or nightmares.
It is also a good idea to make a list of important phone numbers and keep it in your pocket. At the bottom of the list you should also write down the address where you are babysitting and the closest major intersection to that address if the house is in a more secluded area. Some of the numbers listed here may seem obvious or even silly but in an emergency you may feel panic and this could cause you to forget so it won’t hurt to have a safety net of phone contacts.
Here is a list of phone numbers you should write down and keep in your pocket:
- The parents cell phone numbers.
- The phone number of the place the parents will be.
- The emergency contacts the parents have provided for you.
- YOUR parents cell phone numbers.
- YOUR home phone number.
- Poison Control (this changes from city to city).
- The Police Non-Emergency Line (this changes from city to city).
- The EMERGENCY number in your area if you do not live in an area serviced by 911.
- 911 (write this in big letters at the bottom of the list, believe it or not in major emergencies people sometimes forget this number)
So there you have it, a babysitting primer. Good luck and remember, prepare for the worst but expect the best. Babysitting is a blast and for the most part it is pretty uneventful. So sit back, relax, read to the kids and just enjoy yourself!
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