Tips on babysitting?

Question

This is my first time babysitting somebody i DONOT know. me and my friend are going to babysit a 5 year old. we're going to the park. and well. i REALLY want to make a good first impression. ANY TIPS?

Answer 1

neva eva try 2 put presure on the baby

always try 2 giv it wot it wnts otha wize itll strt cryin

Answer 2

be nice to them, dont let him/her walk away. Buy the kid ice cream, or ask it what it would like to do. some kids like playing games with other people, so play games with it.  

Answer 3

give him lots of sugar...it gets them hyper...but then they crash....its just like giving an old man biagra. lol, but it helps because wile they are sleeping you can relax until his parents get home.

Answer 4

Believe it or not, but you don't actually sit on babies while babysitting.  So don't sit on the kids you're looking after.  I found out the hard way.

Answer 5

Bring sleeping pills.

Answer 6

Just be yourself and take care of the kid!

You should know what is right and wrong, and just use that in babysitting

Answer 7

play with them and do whatever they want to do.  the first time i babysat it was a 7 yr old girl and her friend and they were playing castle (like house)  but anyways i played with them and we all took turns being the royal potty.  now we play hide and seek, and go swimming in their pool.  sometimes i bring movies or crafts to keep them occupied

Answer 8

just stay positive ive been babysitting for a long time. All you have 2 do to make a good impression is to smile and tell him why you are a good babysitter and if you are babysitting at his house i would cook for the kid and maybe clean his house as well that makes a really good impression

hope this helped=)

Answer 9

Your age might help a bit, but at least I know the kids age. I'll work with what I've got. (:

First of all, it's great that you're doing this with a friend! It makes it so much easier, and a lot of fun. And if you're going to the park, you don't need to bring much to entertain him/her because the park IS the entertainment.

Here are some good tips you can follow.

1) Know what the mother expects. Sometimes parents have rules that you wouldn't know about unless you ask. Ex: no playing on the monkeybars. Just make sure you clarify details with her beforehand. Try calling her and just asking her if there's anything you should know. It's ok to say it's your first time. (:

2) Don't be scared! It's only a little kid, they'll look up to you no matter what, because you're older and therefore "cooler" than them. It'll be a breeze if you have that mindset.

3) Don't just talk to your friend the whole time. Make up fun games to play with him/her (five year olds LOVE playing make-believe, so you could pretend the playground is a castle or something, be imaginative.) They also love swing sets.

4) If the kid gets hungry or bored, have a back-up. Bring a healthy snack with you, like carrot sticks or grapes, and a kids book or a game in case he gets tired of playing.

5) Keep your eye on the kid at all times! Especially at a crowded place like a playground. So like I said, play with him, not your friend.

Good luck and if you have more questions, mail me!

Peace,

Lisa.  

Answer 10

Write down your phone number and their phone number so you both remember.

Make sure they give you all of the emergency phone numbers needed. Police, ambulance, and their cell phone numbers are very important, and should be written clearly on the refrigerator. If they give you a grandparent's phone number that’s also good, because the parents might be at a concert or somewhere loud and may not be able to hear their cell phone. Some other good people can be people the parents really know, and very good friends that you know well.

Make sure the parents give you instructions if caring for an infant. Write down any and all instructions. It is better if the parents write it down because you could make a mistake when writing. This is yet another very important thing to do.

Find out where all the gear, such as baby bottles or spare clothes, are kept.

Ask in advance if you can do certain things such as cook, use the computer, use the TV, use the phone, etc. The parents may want to keep the lines clear in case they want to call.

Make sure to find out any special household rules or off limits areas. Ask if they are expecting anyone or if you should answer the phone. Better yet, let the answering machine take messages, this way you won't become nervous or distracted. You need to keep your eyes on the baby. No answering machine? Ask the parents to get one, or you can forward it to your cellphone so you can just grab it out of your pocket. Make sure the caller ID shows up, and don't pick up for a stranger. Ask the parents of phone numbers you can approve, and say that the parents aren't available, without telling them you're alone.

Never answer the door unless you are expecting someone and only when you make sure that it is that person. Peek out of the peephole or window (do not open the door) first before answering the door. The person at the door may be a stranger. Also ask the parents for a list of people they know, and ask to describe them on the piece of paper.

Have a structured idea of what you're going to do while you're babysitting. Make puppets with the children out of paper bags and have coloring books they like and crayons with you. Play their favorite activity, and do whatever they ask you to do as long as they are safe. You must keep the child happy especially if its young. The parents can insult you for making the child sad.

Never leave them out of your sight!

Keep the kid you are baby sitting you're watching in one area, so that you can make sure everyone's safe. THe kid should always be inside! He should be kept as far away from a street as possible.

Put the children to bed at the time the parent wants them in bed. Don't let them fall asleep early or stay up late. If they go to bed early, they may wake up later and not go back to sleep!

Clean up before the parents get home and while the children are sleeping. Pick up toys and dishes. Make it look like you were never there and the parents will think you were the best ever!

You should also make sure that he's happy because he will probably tell the parents if you were nice of not if he says you were good there's a good chance they'll invite you back again! Hope I helped and have fun!

                                                       -Personer

For more info go to wikipedia and type in babysitting. Or just click on this, http://www.wikihow.com/Babysit. That's how I found this info. Hope I helped. Good luck

Answer 11

If hes talkative ask him questions about himself and things he likes to do and play with, kids love talking about themselves!  Also from my experience, kids will adore you if you agree to play with them, a favorite among every kid is hide & seek (but i dont recommend playing this at the park, just at home) haha.  Just be caring and sweet, and know that its not your place to punish the little one, just let the parents know if he misbehaved when they get home- they will punish him.  Take chalk to the park and other things to play with like frisbees, kite, waterguns- anything to enhance his experience and send him home raving with reviews to mom and dad about what a fun babysitter you are :)  

Answer 12

spoil them, but don't let them get away with anything you aren't willing to follow up on

my first time babysitting was a 6 month old and 2 year old

but 5 year olds can report back to their parents, so try to keep them interested so they'll want to use you again

Answer 13

what you have to do is try to please both the parent and the 5 year old... Like if the parents don't want him/her eating funk food, try to find something the 5 year old will like, but not upset the parents.

Answer 14

Step one: Place baby on ground.

Step two: Sit.

Answer 15

keep them occupied, play games with them, read stories, put a movie on for them to watch...ect

Answer 16

Lets see.  You didn't mention if it was a boy or a girl.  Depending on what it is you could take a small toy along to give the kid as a present like a ball to play with when you go to the park.  Tell them they can keep it to remember the day you spent together.

You can also take a book to read to them when to get back to their house.  Ask their mom if its ok if you bring them a healthy snack to eat too.  Try and find out from the mom what the kid likes to do for fun.

Just be yourself and interact with the kid.  They will probably want to go on swings or slides if they have them at the park you go to.

Answer 17

Well, it's a good start to go to the park. Just make sure you always keep an eye on the kid so they don't wander off and try to play with them. Also, try to start a group game with other kids at the park so they have other kids to play with.

Answer 18

Be happy, dont get stressed and do not ignore the kid at all. Be nice too. Remember a 5 year old will tell their parents everything that went on!!

Answer 19

Don't take the kid to the park!!! That's asking for trouble! I would play games outside the house, away from the street or strangers. If you don't know the kid you're watching you shouldn't take them places. It's safer that way. Bring some games or movies, ask the parents what the kid likes to do.

Answer 20

Prepare for the job. Check your calendar to make sure you are available when asked to babysit. This will help avoid the frustration of a last minute change of plans due to poor planning. Find out what time you will be needed, night or day, and again check to make sure you are available. If not, you can ask the person if you can babysit another time, or babysit another child. All of us can't babysit at the right time, whether you go to school, whether working, whether busy or you have a kid to take care of yourself.

Write down the following information: cell phone number, the address and the phone number of the place where they will be, and the child's name, blood type, doctor's name, doctor's number, and allergies. These are very important in an emergency. You have to know these because you never know what will happen. You technically need most of the kid/baby's medical information. Also ask where the first aid things are kept.

Make sure they give you all of the emergency phone numbers needed. Police, ambulance, and their cell phone numbers are very important, and should be written clearly on the refrigerator. If they give you a grandparent's phone number that’s also good, because the parents might be at a concert or somewhere loud and may not be able to hear their cell phone. Some other good people can be people the parents really know, and very good friends that you know well.

Make sure the parents give you instructions if caring for an infant. Write down any and all instructions. It is better if the parents write it down because you could make a mistake when writing. This is yet another very important thing to do. Find out where all the gear, such as baby bottles or spare clothes, are kept.

Ask in advance if you can do certain things such as cook, use the computer, use the TV, use the phone, etc. The parents may want to keep the lines clear in case they want to call.

Make sure to find out any special household rules or off limits areas. Ask if they are expecting anyone or if you should answer the phone. Better yet, let the answering machine take messages, this way you won't become nervous or distracted. You need to keep your eyes on the baby. No answering machine? Ask the parents to get one, or you can forward it to your cellphone so you can just grab it out of your pocket. Make sure the caller ID shows up, and don't pick up for a stranger. Ask the parents of phone numbers you can approve, and say that the parents aren't available, without telling them you're alone.

Never answer the door unless you are expecting someone and only when you make sure that it is that person. Peek out of the peephole or window (do not open the door) first before answering the door. The person at the door may be a stranger. Also ask the parents for a list of people they know, and ask to describe them on the piece of paper.

Have a structured idea of what you're going to do while you're babysitting. Make puppets with the children out of paper bags and have coloring books they like and crayons with you. Play their favorite activity, and do whatever they ask you to do as long as they are safe. You must keep the child happy especially if its young. The parents can insult you for making the child sad.

Keep the children you're watching in one area, so that you can make sure everyone's safe. If there are older children you are watching, keep them limited to the house, or if you're outside, to the backyard. Smaller children should stay where you can see them at all times. All children should be kept as far away from a street as possible.

Put the children to bed at the time the parent wants them in bed. Don't let them fall asleep early or stay up late. If they go to bed early, they may wake up later and not go back to sleep!

Clean up before the parents get home and while the children are sleeping. Pick up toys and dishes. Make it look like you were never there and the parents will greatly appreciate it.

FOR MORE TIPS GO TO THIS SITE!!! GOOD LUCK!!!

Answer 21

This is hard.