Writing Up Your Kids' Checklist/Guide for a New Babysitter

You’re making your checklist or guide for your new babysitter and you are terrified you will forget something vital. Do not fret! Here’s a comprehensive list of any and all aspects you’ll need to include.

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Contact Information

Including your contact information is one of if not the most vital pieces of information. This does not just include your number, but your spouse’s, if applicable, a next-door neighbor, and emergency contact, or anyone you think would need to be contacted in case of an emergency. Do not worry about adding too many numbers to the guide. It is better to be safe than sorry! While your new sitter likely will not need all those numbers, they need someone to contact in case you are not available or answering your phone. Be sure to also include your address, in case the babysitter needs it for an emergency call.

Medical Information

Next would be any important medical information, especially allergies in the home or medications. Allergies do not just include the child your new babysitter is looking after, but yours if it is severe enough that it impacts the home. If your child requires any medications, where they are, how often, and how to administer them. All of this is vital information for the babysitter!

Make sure you include the contact information of any doctors or doctor’s office, if necessary. In case a medical emergency occurs, the sitter knows who to contact or where to go. Leave insurance information handy as well, just in case the sitter needs to go to a different office or an urgent care that does not have your insurance on file.

Emergency Information

Now, you must add any extra emergency information that is not already on your guide. This includes where your first-aid kit is, fire extinguisher, the best emergency exits, or anything else your new sitter might need if a non-medical emergency happens.

House Rules

Now that you have added all of the absolutely necessary information, it is time to write up your child’s or home’s house rules! Naturally, this varies from home to home, but you know what your rules consist of! Add anything that your babysitter can monitor or enforce. For example, there can be no food after a certain time, a limited amount of screentime, no running in certain areas, no going in the basement, etc.

Routine

Routine and house rules can be similar, but there can be an important distinction if you need it. This would usually include some kind of morning or bedtime routine that your child is used to. If your babysitter is helping out at one of these times, then definitely guide them on the routine! Disturbances can often confuse children as they are so used to something else. Think of when your babysitter is coming and if there is a routine you usually follow. This may be as simple as nap or snack times. Anything you usually have a designated schedule for, put that in here!

Discipline

If your child goes against the house rules you have set and provided the babysitter, you should guide your babysitter on how exactly to follow up on that. What forms of discipline do you use for your child? Gentle parenting, taking away toys as punishment, or something in between? Your new sitter should know exactly how to proceed if a child happens to misbehave. Not that your little angel would ever do that!

Child Description

Leave a description of your child’s personality, especially if you have multiple. Add their favorite and least favorite foods (including what they can prepare), toys, and a brief description of their demeanor. Are they extremely active? Incredibly shy? Tranquil? This is good information for your new sitter to have. It will help guide them on how exactly to treat your kid or what to give them as a treat or exciting toy to calm them down. With multiple children, this helps the sitter know how each one should be treated as they may not need the same treatment or care.

This section does not need to be overly long, but it may depend on how much you have to say about your child or children. If they’re normally calm but get rambunctious after 8pm, include that and how you usually conquer it.

Checklist

If you would like an in-depth review from your babysitter, you may want to include some kind of checklist or report the sitter can fill out that asks for information on when your child ate, their general mood, and anything else you want a report on. This is a good way to get the information you are specifically looking for.

Enjoy Your Time Out

Once your list is all done, give it to your babysitter and ensure they read it all so that you can enjoy your time out. You can have peace of mind knowing that your new sitter has the vital information they need to take care of your child!