Handbook for Babysitters & Parents

This handbook provides practical advice and useful information for the babysitter. It is also a resource for parents who use babysitters.

Research we undertook in schools and creches, shows that there is a significant amount of fear felt by teenagers who babysit.

Up to a thousand school-going teenagers who babysit and nearly five hundred parents who use babysitters were surveyed. We believe this handbook will ease any anxiety babysitters and parents may have and enhance the babysitters' confidence in their role.

Here is an outline of what parents and babysitters should expect from each other:

For the Parents

• Always leave contact and emergency phone numbers.
• Get to know the babysitter beforehand.
• Agree hours, fee, and the time you are due to get home in advance.
• Let the babysitter know if your children have any special needs, are on medication etc.
• Let the babysitter know what your house rules are – if they are allowed have a friend around, and so on.
• Tell the babysitter where the first aid equipment is kept.
• Ensure your babysitter gets home safely.

For the Babysitter

• Arrange to meet the parents and children beforehand.
• Know how many children you are babysitting for.
• Agree your hourly rate or overnight charge in advance.
• Insist on a list of contact and emergency phone numbers.
• Check if any of the children are sick or on medication.
• Confirm bedtimes with the parents.
• Ask what time the parents are due home. Be assertive here, ‘not late’ isn’t an adequate answer.
• Ensure that there aren’t any callers due to the house.
• If any problems do arise, and you can’t contact the parents, call your own parents for help or advice.
• If you are going to be back later than you had thought, call your own parents to let them know.
• Confirm how you are going to get home before the parents go out.

The Handbook for Babysitters and Parents is freely available from the Helping You to Care Careline 1850 650 651, Monday – Friday 9 – 5pm, or in larger quantities from the Irish Red Cross Head Office at 16 Merrion Square, Dublin 2. Tel: 01 6424600, Email: info@redcross.ie

The Handbook for Babysitters & Parents can also be downloaded as a PDF.

For further information on Community Services please contact your local Irish Red Cross Branch or the Irish Red Cross Head Office at 16 Merrion Square, Dublin 2.

Tel: 01 6424600.

Email: info@redcross.ie