The general expectation is that a babysitter will care for your children while you are away. So what exactly does caring for your children mean? Is there anything else that you should expect from them?
A babysitter’s top priority is to care for the children by not only keeping them safe, but also by engaging and entertaining them. A sitter should not be spending their time on the phone texting, or on Facebook or Instagram. Rather a sitter should interact with the children by playing games, reading, or doing arts & crafts with them. Many parents do not want a sitter who is simply going to put their child in front of the TV for the night. They would rather their children are active in some other way, which is why it is a good idea to talk with the sitter about the kinds of activities the children like to do, as well as any activities that the parents do not what the children engaging in.
If the sitter will be putting the children to bed for the evening, it is up to them to make sure that the children have brushed their teeth and taken care of any other bedtime activities (e.g. going to the bathroom). Parents should also go over their expectations in terms of getting the children ready for bed, so that the sitter knows exactly what to do and is not dependent upon what the children say is alright.
Once the children are in bed for the evening does not mean that the sitter should be on the phone or watching TV for the rest of the night. They should ensure that everything from the day’s activities has been picked up. They should put away all of the toys, and make sure that the kitchen has been cleaned up after any meals. In fact, by the time you get home, the house should be in better shape then it was when you left. There is always something that can be done, and a sitter should go out of their way to do a little something extra whether it be unloading the dishwasher or folding the laundry.
Having a sitter for the night should be a treat for you as well as your children. So what can you expect from your sitter? You can expect a good sitter to keep the children safe, and happily engaged in a variety of activities. They should ensure that things get picked up, and not left out for you to put away once you arrive home. They should go that extra mile and do something additional to help you out. You should expect to enjoy your time away from home, knowing that everything at home is being taken care of.
If you are looking for a babysitting service in Orange County or San Diego, give Crunch Care a call at (877) 553-4231. We screen all of our sitters, and discuss these expectations with them to ensure that our clients are at ease when their children are with our sitters.