Advice For Babysitters/Nannies
Hello! So, being someone that takes care of kids a lot, and loves working with kids, and has worked with kids for a long time, I decided it would make a good blog post to give advice to people who babysit, nanny, or work with kids in some other way. Now, I am aware that ever child care situation is different, but this tends to just be what works for me. It may not work for you, and that is ok, but I figured this would just be some good advice for those starting out and some tips and things you can try.
#1- Most importantly, show the kids that you love them, care about them, and respect them. You want a kid to respond to you in the best way possible, show them that you are there because you love them, and care about them, and want to help them grow and learn in the best way possible. Kids are pretty intuitive and they can tell if you don't like them, and will act like the kid you think they are. So if you treat them like they are a rotten child and show that to them, they will act like a rotten child. But if you treat them like they are important and that you love them, they will respond to you a lot better and act a lot better.
#2- Have your rules and boundaries set, and stick to them 100% of the time and do not show any leniency on any of them. There are some rules that I have, that are just rules no matter who it is I am babysitting. Things like meals will always be eaten by the table to prevent messes on potentially carpeted living rooms, and if you are going to ride a bike or anything like that, you will wear a helmet even if mommy and daddy don't make you wear a helmet, just because it safer and makes me feel better. Also, know the rules the parents have and make sure the kids obey them. The rules are there for a reason, and the kids have to know that. Stick to them and never bend them, because kids like to test to see if new sitters will bend rules, and you want to show them that you won't. That helps with keeping the kids under control.
#3- Know what you are going to do for discipline. Sometimes parents have discipline rules for their kids, so abide by those. But sometimes parents don't have a method of discipline, and if they don't know what it is you are going to do for discipline. Personally, I use the time-out method. I give each child the 3 strikes and you're out rule. If I have to tell you to stop doing something 3 times, if I have to tell you no 3 times, or if I have to get after you 3 times, then you sit in time out. And I always have a designated timeout spot, sometimes it is a step on some stairs, sometimes it is a chair in the corner or by a table, it just varies from house to house. And I sit the kid in the timeout spot for 1 minute for how ever old they are. So a 3 year old would sit for 3 minutes and a 6 year old for 6 minutes, and so on. When the timer is up, I ask the kid to tell me why it is they sat in timeout and I explain the reasoning for why they should not do that. I then have them apologize and then they can go back to playing. That is just the method that works best for me. Sometimes you have to do other things like take away a toy for the rest of the day, tell them they are not allowed to have the piece of candy you were going to let them have, send them to their room, or tell them they can't play with the neighbor kids that day if the neighbor kids come over. What ever works. But make sure the kid knows the reason why they are being disciplined and why it is they should have not been doing what they were doing. Doing this helps them learn lessons.
#4- Always follow through with your threats, and don't make empty threats or unrealistic threats. Kids are smart, they will learn very quickly if you are someone that won't follow through with a disciplinary threat. And if they figure that out about you, it will make things even more difficult on you. You want to show them that you will always follow through on the threats you say to them, because then they will learn you are a serious babysitter and will respect you more. Also, they will see you as a joke if you say something unrealistic like "I will sell you to the circus" because they are smart enough to know you will not and cannot really do that. So make sure they are threats you know you can follow through on.
#5- If you are losing your patience and getting to a point where you are about to lose it, step back from the situation and take a breather and a moment to think. If that means going to use the bathroom, do it. You don't ever want to lose your cool, because kids are tattle tales, they will tell on you to their parents. So if you need to take a step back, just do it before you go postal. Sit in the bathroom and just a take a few breaths, count to ten, and think about your next step in the situation. That will save you from something that could end very badly.
#6- Have a routine! Have a daily routine that you follow if you are there every day, or know what the routine is going to be if you are just babysitting for a couple hours for someone. Kids like routine and respond a lot better to a routine. Talk to the parents about what it is the kids like to do, and what naptime schedules are, school drop off and pick up times are, and things like that. Part of that, too is knowing when meals are and what the kids are to be fed. This will help you to know how the day should go. And stick to it, this will help the kids get to know how their days will go and will help prevent chaos and kids getting crabby and out of control.
#7- Treat all kids as equals! Show all kids the same amount of love and attention. Never play favoritism, because that will make kids feel hurt, angry, and upset, which can lead to them acting out on purpose. So make sure you are spending time with each kid and showing each kid same amount of love and affection.
#8- Keep the house clean and always clean up after the kids. Parents appreciate it when they can come home to a clean house after a long day of work. So make sure you clean up after all meals, and make sure the kids pick up all toys when they are done playing with them. It is a lesson the kids need to learn, and it will make you look good to the parents you are babysitting for. It is a win-win for everyone! Heck, sometimes I even ask the parents if they need me to run the dishwasher or do some dishes they didn't get to. They love it! And if you are nanny, parents might even expect you to do some light housekeeping as well if that is what they ask of you. So be willing to do it as a help to the parents! Also, keep the kids clean, as in be able to handle dirty diapers and potty training accidents and know how to give kids a bath if needed. That also assures the parents you are taking good care of their child. Cleanliness just makes the parents feel better and the kids feel better. It is a win-win!
#9- Be prepared to deal with injuries and sickness. Not all parents will make you watch their kids if they are sick, but some will. Just be prepared to nurse a sick child, clean up puke, and be able to deal with germs. Just make sure to wash your hands often. Also, kids will fall and scrape their knee sometimes, be prepared to deal with it and know how to deal with it. I, personally, recommend getting First Aid and CPR certified, that way you will be prepared for all situations and know how to deal with them when they come up. Also, remember, you can always call/text the parents if there are any issues or if you need to get ahold of them for any reason.
#10- Have fun! Enjoy the kids and have fun right along with them. Kids are a ton of fun and take you on some pretty wild adventures and can make you laugh and smile. So enjoy it and have fun with it. Think of it as a chance for you to get to be a kid again, so that means, play Barbie's, play dress-up, play Legos, or what ever else it is the kids like to do. Kids want you to be their friend, so be their friend and have fun, but still remember you are in charge and be responsible while you are at it!
I hope these tips and advice bits are helpful to anyone who is in child care! They may even be helpful to those of you who are parents that just need some helpful tips! Thanks for reading!
#1- Most importantly, show the kids that you love them, care about them, and respect them. You want a kid to respond to you in the best way possible, show them that you are there because you love them, and care about them, and want to help them grow and learn in the best way possible. Kids are pretty intuitive and they can tell if you don't like them, and will act like the kid you think they are. So if you treat them like they are a rotten child and show that to them, they will act like a rotten child. But if you treat them like they are important and that you love them, they will respond to you a lot better and act a lot better.
#2- Have your rules and boundaries set, and stick to them 100% of the time and do not show any leniency on any of them. There are some rules that I have, that are just rules no matter who it is I am babysitting. Things like meals will always be eaten by the table to prevent messes on potentially carpeted living rooms, and if you are going to ride a bike or anything like that, you will wear a helmet even if mommy and daddy don't make you wear a helmet, just because it safer and makes me feel better. Also, know the rules the parents have and make sure the kids obey them. The rules are there for a reason, and the kids have to know that. Stick to them and never bend them, because kids like to test to see if new sitters will bend rules, and you want to show them that you won't. That helps with keeping the kids under control.
#3- Know what you are going to do for discipline. Sometimes parents have discipline rules for their kids, so abide by those. But sometimes parents don't have a method of discipline, and if they don't know what it is you are going to do for discipline. Personally, I use the time-out method. I give each child the 3 strikes and you're out rule. If I have to tell you to stop doing something 3 times, if I have to tell you no 3 times, or if I have to get after you 3 times, then you sit in time out. And I always have a designated timeout spot, sometimes it is a step on some stairs, sometimes it is a chair in the corner or by a table, it just varies from house to house. And I sit the kid in the timeout spot for 1 minute for how ever old they are. So a 3 year old would sit for 3 minutes and a 6 year old for 6 minutes, and so on. When the timer is up, I ask the kid to tell me why it is they sat in timeout and I explain the reasoning for why they should not do that. I then have them apologize and then they can go back to playing. That is just the method that works best for me. Sometimes you have to do other things like take away a toy for the rest of the day, tell them they are not allowed to have the piece of candy you were going to let them have, send them to their room, or tell them they can't play with the neighbor kids that day if the neighbor kids come over. What ever works. But make sure the kid knows the reason why they are being disciplined and why it is they should have not been doing what they were doing. Doing this helps them learn lessons.
#4- Always follow through with your threats, and don't make empty threats or unrealistic threats. Kids are smart, they will learn very quickly if you are someone that won't follow through with a disciplinary threat. And if they figure that out about you, it will make things even more difficult on you. You want to show them that you will always follow through on the threats you say to them, because then they will learn you are a serious babysitter and will respect you more. Also, they will see you as a joke if you say something unrealistic like "I will sell you to the circus" because they are smart enough to know you will not and cannot really do that. So make sure they are threats you know you can follow through on.
#5- If you are losing your patience and getting to a point where you are about to lose it, step back from the situation and take a breather and a moment to think. If that means going to use the bathroom, do it. You don't ever want to lose your cool, because kids are tattle tales, they will tell on you to their parents. So if you need to take a step back, just do it before you go postal. Sit in the bathroom and just a take a few breaths, count to ten, and think about your next step in the situation. That will save you from something that could end very badly.
#6- Have a routine! Have a daily routine that you follow if you are there every day, or know what the routine is going to be if you are just babysitting for a couple hours for someone. Kids like routine and respond a lot better to a routine. Talk to the parents about what it is the kids like to do, and what naptime schedules are, school drop off and pick up times are, and things like that. Part of that, too is knowing when meals are and what the kids are to be fed. This will help you to know how the day should go. And stick to it, this will help the kids get to know how their days will go and will help prevent chaos and kids getting crabby and out of control.
#7- Treat all kids as equals! Show all kids the same amount of love and attention. Never play favoritism, because that will make kids feel hurt, angry, and upset, which can lead to them acting out on purpose. So make sure you are spending time with each kid and showing each kid same amount of love and affection.
#8- Keep the house clean and always clean up after the kids. Parents appreciate it when they can come home to a clean house after a long day of work. So make sure you clean up after all meals, and make sure the kids pick up all toys when they are done playing with them. It is a lesson the kids need to learn, and it will make you look good to the parents you are babysitting for. It is a win-win for everyone! Heck, sometimes I even ask the parents if they need me to run the dishwasher or do some dishes they didn't get to. They love it! And if you are nanny, parents might even expect you to do some light housekeeping as well if that is what they ask of you. So be willing to do it as a help to the parents! Also, keep the kids clean, as in be able to handle dirty diapers and potty training accidents and know how to give kids a bath if needed. That also assures the parents you are taking good care of their child. Cleanliness just makes the parents feel better and the kids feel better. It is a win-win!
#9- Be prepared to deal with injuries and sickness. Not all parents will make you watch their kids if they are sick, but some will. Just be prepared to nurse a sick child, clean up puke, and be able to deal with germs. Just make sure to wash your hands often. Also, kids will fall and scrape their knee sometimes, be prepared to deal with it and know how to deal with it. I, personally, recommend getting First Aid and CPR certified, that way you will be prepared for all situations and know how to deal with them when they come up. Also, remember, you can always call/text the parents if there are any issues or if you need to get ahold of them for any reason.
#10- Have fun! Enjoy the kids and have fun right along with them. Kids are a ton of fun and take you on some pretty wild adventures and can make you laugh and smile. So enjoy it and have fun with it. Think of it as a chance for you to get to be a kid again, so that means, play Barbie's, play dress-up, play Legos, or what ever else it is the kids like to do. Kids want you to be their friend, so be their friend and have fun, but still remember you are in charge and be responsible while you are at it!
I hope these tips and advice bits are helpful to anyone who is in child care! They may even be helpful to those of you who are parents that just need some helpful tips! Thanks for reading!
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