Make Your New Babysitter a Success

Leaving your children alone with a new babysitter for the first time can be nerve wrecking for both you and your children, not to mention the babysitter. However, with a little bit of planning and communication you can make your kids' first night with a new sitter fun for them and less worrying for you.

Plan a simple activity

During the week leading up to your night out, talk to your kids about the new babysitter. If you tell them the babysitter is going to be fun and they are going to have a good time, it is more likely to happen. Ask for their ideas of what they would like to do while you are out for the evening. Having a simple activity to do will help the time pass more quickly for your children and will keep them from thinking about how you are not at home. The activity can be as simple as renting a movie and ordering a pizza or making popcorn.

Knowing what to expect during the evening will help ease any anxiety the children have about spending time alone with a new adult. And, if they have a fun evening to look forward to, they willl be less likely to be upset that mom and dad are having a good time without them.

Let the babysitter in on your plan

Unless you are dealing with a babysitting service and cannot contact the babysitter directly, call the babysitter one or two days before your night out and let him or her know what you and the kids have planned. Knowing whether to eat before arriving, an approximate time to expect you home and what the children will be expecting to do will help your babysitter be prepared. The more confident and at ease the babysitter is, the more secure your children will feel being left with this new person.

Write down important information ahead of time

Take a moment to write down your cell phone number, any allergies your children have or medications they take during the day before you begin getting ready to go out. Leaving this task to the last minute makes it more likely that you will forget something important. The more information you leave for the babysitter the more likely he or she will be prepared to handle different situations that may come up.

If your children are very young it may be a good idea to outline any bedtime rituals that help them fall asleep. Listing important rules is also helpful; it can be awkward for a babysitter to be told that they are breaking a house rule and again - the more confident and at ease the babysitter appears, the more comfortable your children will be.

Ask the babysitter to arrive early

Ask the babysitter to arrive at least 30 minutes before you plan on leaving the house. This will give you and your children time to get a feel for this new person. If at any point you feel uncomfortable, you should not hesitate to trust your gut instinct and decide not to go out. For the most part however, having the babysitter arrive early will allow him or her to get started on the activities you have planned for the evening which will give you time to finish getting ready uninterrupted, keep your children occupied when you do leave so they will be less likely to get upset and allow the babysitter to ask any questions he or she may have after arriving. It will also give you time to go over your list of important information with the babysitter and make sure that he or she understands everything.

Don't be afraid to call home

If at any point you are anxious about how the kids are doing, don't hesitate to call home and find out. It will let you get a sense for whether they are comfortable with the new babysitter and see if the babysitter has any questions that have come up since you left the house. Try not to call more than once through the evening. If the kids feel that you are uncomfortable with the babysitter, it will make them uncomfortable. If you'll be home later than expected, call to let your kids and the babysitter know. You would worry if your children were late coming home and they will do the same.