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WANTED: BABYSITTER; TIPS ON FINDING THE BALANCE BETWEEN PLAYMATE AND RESPONSIBLE FIGURE FOR YOUR CHILD.(SERIES: Daily Dose Rites of passage)(CNY)

The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY) July 25, 2007 Byline: Gina Chen Family Life editor When Karen Crysler, of Marcellus, hires a new babysitter, she asks her daughter to invite the sitter to play with a board game or a toy.

Crysler observes to see what the sitter does.

“I’d be watching to see if they actually got down on the floor,” says Crysler, whose daughter, Taylor, is 7.

Aimee Testa, of Cicero, uses a similar strategy. She hangs around during the sitter’s first visit and watches how the sitter plays with her children, Rayel, 4, and Anthony, 3.

“I would really watch how they interacted with my children. I want them to be outgoing … not shy in terms of being with the children,” Testa says. “My kids take well to people who are more talkative to them.” For parents, the first time they leave a baby or child with a sitter who isn’t a relative for a night or afternoon out can be an anxious moment. They’re looking for a sitter who’s a mix of fun playmate and responsible authority figure.

The first step, parents say, is to find sitters through word of mouth and their network of neighbors, friends and relatives. If the sitters are teens, they’ll meet the parents, so they can get a sense if the parents will help out if the teens need it.

They’ll ask the sitters-to-be questions: Can they change a diaper? Do they know cardiopulmonary resuscitation or the abdominal thrust for choking? Have they taken a baby-sitting course?

And they issue warnings: No phone calls while the kids are awake; no visits from friends.

Finally, comes the “test sit,” where sitters watch the children while mom or dad is at home. This pre-visit can be good for the sitters, too, so they can get to know the family and make sure it’s a home where they feel safe, says Vivien Lessaongang, a baby-sitting instructor for 10 years who now teaches for the Cayuga County chapter of the American Red Cross.

Sitters should ask a lot of questions at this point, such as when do the kids go to bed, where can I reach mom or dad in an emergency and whether the kids are allowed to go outside, says Lessaongang (Pronounced LESS-on-gang). see here my babysitters a vampire

For the first solo sit, many parents say they stay close to home and don’t stay out too long. And after sitters are gone, they grill their kids: Did you like them? What did you do? Did anyone come over?

“We’re paying them to be there … not to socialize,” Testa says.

Crysler says she can tell a lot about a sitter by how the house looks when she returns from a night out. She’s not paying sitters to clean, but she expects sitters will at least straighten any mess made while they were there. here my babysitters a vampire

“If there’s macaroni and cheese all over the stove, that to me is a kind of a sign that maybe things didn’t go as smoothly as I thought. Maybe it was a bit chaotic,” she says.

On the Web View from a baby-sitting instructor Babysitters who have completed a baby-sitting course learn many of the skills parents are looking for in a sitter:

Basic first aid, such as how to clean a wound and apply a bandage and how to assess whether an injury is serious enough to call the parents or 911.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and abdominal thrust for choking.

Child-care skills such as changing a diaper, bathing a child, warming a bottle and dealing with a tantrum.

Source: Vivien Lessaongang, a health and safety instructor for the Cayuga County chapter of the American Red Cross.

Frequently asked questions Where can you find a babysitter: Word of mouth is the best bet. Ask your friends, relatives and neighbors who have older children. You can also ask for referrals from your house of worship or at local high schools, which sometimes keep a list of students who have completed a baby-sitting course. College-age child-care workers often baby sit, although you may have sign a waiver absolving the child-care facility from liability.

What age should sitters be? The Red Cross’ baby-sitting course is open to ages 12 to 16, but some of the younger graduates may not be ready to handle an infant. Age of babysitters is a personal decision that depends on how well you know the sitter, whether the parents are nearby and how old the children are.

What should you ask sitters before you hire them? Ask about their experience babysitting, why they enjoy it and what activities they plan to do with your kids. Ask about their emergency training and whether they’ve completed a baby-sitting course, if their parents can help out in a pinch and if they know basics such as changing a diaper. You also can ask for names and phone numbers of other parents for whom they have baby-sat.

What do you need to tell sitters before you go: Let sitters know your rules: whether they can have visitors, use the computer or make phone calls and whether they can take the kids outside, give them snacks or allow them to watch TV. Let them know about your child’s routine, such as bedtime, sleeping with a special stuffed animal or having a story read to them before bed. Inform them of allergies your children have and what to do if they have a reaction, where emergency supplies are stored and where flashlights are kept in case of a power failure. Make sure they know any quirks about your house, such as the front door locks automatically. Let sitters know when you’ll be home and whether it’s OK if they fall asleep after the kids are in bed.

What phone numbers do sitters need? Give sitters the number of where you’ll be, your cell phone number and the number of a friendly neighbor in case they need help right away. It’s a good idea to post a card with emergency numbers such as 911, the pediatrician’s off-hours number and the poison control center. Include your address, so sitters can tell a 911 dispatcher where they are.

How much should you pay sitters? You should ask if sitters have a set rate. If not, the going rate ranges from $5 to $10 per hour, depending on the age and number of children, age of sitters and whether the children are asleep most of the time while the parents are out. College-age sitters are usually paid more than younger teens.

Sources: www​.parenting​.org; www​.aboutkidshealth​.ca; www​.redcross​.org; interviews with parents; Vivien Lessaongang, a health and safety instructor for the Cayuga County chapter of the American Red Cross.

Rites of passage This is the third in a regular series of stories to help parents

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