Entrusting someone to care for your child can be difficult. Finding a qualified babysitter requires time and effort, but your reward is assurance that your child is in capable hands.

The recommendations of people you know and trust are your best bet for finding a reliable and capable babysitter. If you're new to the area and don't know how to go about finding a sitter, ask your neighbors or coworkers for recommendations, inquire at your place of worship, or talk to your child's doctor or nurse practitioner for suggestions. In addition, your local YMCA, community hospital, or American Red Cross chapter may have a list of babysitters who have completed their babysitting safety and infant and child CPR courses.

Interviewing prospective sitters and checking their references will help you narrow down your sitter choices. When talking with a sitter, you may want to find out about his or her experience caring for children and whether the sitter is certified in infant and child CPR. In addition, you may want to invite the sitter over for a dry run while you are at home so you can familiarize him or her with your household and observe how he or she interacts with your child.

Babysitter Instructions
Before you walk out the door, prepare the sitter with the following information:

• Make sure the sitter knows where you will be and how to reach you at all times.
• Point out where the sitter can find the number for poison control (it should be posted in prominent location).
• Make sure the sitter knows what to do in an emergency. Provide an emergency phone list that includes neighbors, friends, relatives, and your child's doctor. Write your own phone number and address on the list, so that in case of an emergency, the sitter can provide that information to the police or paramedics.
• Show the babysitter where emergency exits, smoke detectors, and fire extinguishers are located. Demonstrate how to enable and disable security systems and alarms.
• Show the sitter where you keep the door keys in case your child locks herself inside a room.
• Let the sitter know of any special problems your child may have, such as an allergy to bee stings, certain foods, or household products, or the need for medication at a specific time (the directions for which should be clearly explained and written down). Show the sitter where first-aid items are kept.
• Teach your child the meaning of 911 and how to call for help, so that if something happens to your babysitter, your child knows what to do.

Let your babysitter know your child care expectations before you leave your home. If you'd prefer that the sitter not leave the house with your child, make that clear. If the phone and visitors are off limits, don't hesitate to discuss the restrictions with the sitter.

Sitter Safety
Make sure the sitter knows the following safety rules:

• Don't give your child any medicine without your written instructions.
• Don't leave your child alone in the house or yard, even for a minute.
• Don't leave your child unattended whenever she is near water. Infants and small children can drown in only a few inches of water.
• Don't feed your child under 4 years old nuts, popcorn, hard candy, raw carrots, or any hard, smooth foods that can block the windpipe and cause choking. Foods such as hot dogs or grapes should be chopped into small pieces.
• Don't let your child play with plastic bags, latex balloons, coins, or other small objects she could choke on.
• Don't let your child play near stairs, windows, stoves, or electrical outlets.

After you return home, ask your child whether she enjoyed the sitter's visit. If your child has a reliable sitter with whom she enjoys staying, you can have a more relaxing and enjoyable time away from home.

Updated and reviewed by: Barbara K. Homeier, MD
Date reviewed: November 2004
Originally reviewed by: Susanne Kost, MD