The best babysitters are the babysitters that get involved with the children they are watching. Popping in a movie or telling them to go play in their bedroom by themselves is not going to win you any brownie points from kids. You have to become their friend if you want them to respect and trust you. Playing games and participating in interactive activities will not only be fun for the kid you’re watching, but it will also be fun for you. Here are some tips for being a great babysitter:
Driveway art
Do you remember drawing on the driveway with chalk when you were a child? That is such a fun activity! Before you head over to baby sit, stop at the store and pick up some big pieces of colorful chalk for you and the child or children that you are going to be watching to draw on the driveway with. By the way, before you go ahead and buy the chalk, check with the parents that it is OK for you to draw on the driveway. Occasionally, you will come across some people who think it is deplorable to have art on the driveway, even though it washes off with water and wear. If you get the go-ahead, then you are about to be nominated for babysitter of the year. Teach the kids how to play hopscotch, and let them help you to draw the board. Tell them to draw whatever they would like, and offer suggestions such as making a chalk garden or house. You’ll be surprised at the creative ideas that everyone can come up with. They will be entertained for hours with this activity alone.
Dress up
If you are babysitting for little girls, dress up is going to make you the most popular babysitter they have ever had! Bring over any costume jewelry or gaudy clothing that you have, such as feather boas or old high heeled toe shoes or lace blouses. Also, bring nail polish in an array of colors and any makeup that you can spare for the occasion. Just make sure that you wash off any makeup that they put on their faces, or else they could get a nasty breakout the next day – and then their parents would be quite displeased. Help the girls to do their hair, and let them play with your hair if they want to, which they probably will. Be prepared to look like the victim of a beauty school project gone wrong by the time you leave.
Reading
It may sound simple, but children love it when you read books to them. Let them pick out their favorite books for you to read, and be sure to read in an animated voice for the characters that speak in the stories. Nobody likes a drab, boring reader. If they are old enough to read themselves, ask them to read aloud to you. You might also consider bringing over a book of plays for children, and you can take turns reading different parts for the play. If you want to get really adventurous, then you can act out scenes from the play with the child you are babysitting for. In fact, you could combine dress-up and reading by putting on dramatic performances.
Crafts
Children love doing crafts. They are so many fun things that you can do and so many projects that are simple to take on. One of the easiest crafts is sock puppets. Simply sew buttons onto clean white socks and decorate faces onto them with fabric paint, beads, or charms. You can also use a faux fur or fabric – just cut up pieces and glue them onto your puppet. You could also do some finger painting – just be sure that you lay down some newspaper first so that you don’t ruin an expensive kitchen table. Also, make sure that the children are wearing raggedy clothing – you do not want to soil their good school clothes. If you can afford to buy some fabric paints for the occasion, and you can also afford some plain shirts in children’s sizes, then you could help the children to design their very own finger painted tee shirts.
Don’t yell
If you want to be loved as a babysitter, you cannot let your temper get the best of you. Children can be frustrating, but you cannot yell or else the kids are going to be afraid if you. If they act up, try to talk to them in a calm voice – be a friend, not a disciplinarian. You should discipline in such a way that the children do not realize that they are being disciplined. Make good behavior fun by being animated and excited about things that you want the kids to do.
