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Heading out of the house—and away from the kids—can evoke a wide range of feelings for a mom. Giddiness, if you're going on a dinner date; resistance, if you're on your way to all-day office meetings; serenity, if you're stopping by the spa. But no matter where you're going or how you feel about it, there's always one consistent feeling that you experience when leaving your children in the care of a sitter: nerves.
It's a fact that accidents can happen. Fortunately, there are things you can do and steps you can take to help ensure that your babysitter is completely prepared for accidents and emergencies when you're not around.
Read on to find out how you can better prepare your sitter for emergencies and get peace of mind while you're away from your kids.
TAKE A SAFETY TOUR
Taking your sitter on a "safety tour" around your home is a great way to show her all of your home's features and items that can help in case of an emergency, minor or not.
Have the sitter come over about 10 minutes earlier than needed so you can run through a safety tour. This ensures that everything you're telling her will be fresh in her mind right before the job (as opposed to giving her the tour after her final interview, which could have been days or weeks ago). Stop in the following places:
Medicine cabinet
Show your sitter where you keep important medications—the ones that should be avoided and the ones your kids might need for allergies. Make sure the necessary and dangerous medications are clearly separated so there's less chance of grabbing the wrong one in an emergency.
