Babysitting a small child is different from looking after older children. Get ready to have fun and take care of her needs.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: The Basics for a Babysitter
Step 1. Never leave him alone
Always be on the alert. Don't lose sight of it; you never know what it might try to do, open, drop or pull. Don't leave the room for even a second. You would never imagine what it would be capable of doing while you are in the bathroom.
Step 2. Give him a snack between meals
Young children need to eat more often than adults, so give them a snack if they want to. Ask the parents what they want me to eat as a snack. You could give it a juice, water or milk. Some eat crackers and fruit snacks. Observe him while he eats. Learn how to get things out of his mouth to keep him from choking.
DON'T GIVE ANYTHING to the baby if you think he is allergic to something. His parents should let you know in advance
Step 3. Check the diaper regularly
Change it immediately, if needed. Bad smell is usually a sign. If the baby is no longer wearing a diaper, ask him frequently if he needs to go to the bathroom and try to interpret the signals. If you wait for him to tell you, it may be too late and you will have to clean up a mess afterwards.
Step 4. Prepare the supplies for first aid
Prepare your first aid kit, cover it with stickers and put colored plasters in it. If you don't have any, offer to color the patches when the child gets injured. Make sure you have everything you need. Call it the bua box. Don't care about the wound, just say, "Let's get a band-aid!" So he will smile and be happy.
Step 5. Get ready for emergencies
Keep some important numbers next to your home phone, such as the child's pediatrician, the parents' mobile phone number, and the poison control center number. These telephone numbers are vital in an emergency. In any case, telephone parents only if strictly necessary. You don't want to stress or disturb them if they are doing something important.
Step 6. Consider taking a training course
Take a course at the Red Cross or another center. You will learn how to practice cardiopulmonary resuscitation and learn other measures to apply in severe cases. They may also teach you how to handle children and play with them. These courses are usually inexpensive and will be an added value if some parents want to hire you as a babysitter.
Step 7. Review the ground rules with your parents
Try to learn more about the rules that the parents have established for both the child and you. Stick to the rules, respect bedtime or avoid feeding junk food before going to bed. Not only is it harmful to the baby, but you may also get caught if he is able to speak. If he says "Mom or Dad always leaves me _" don't believe him. Children like to test adults to see if they can tick what they want.
Step 8. Educate according to parental rules
If the child is to be reprimanded, make sure you have agreed with his parents in advance how to handle the punishment. Parents have different rules regarding the punishments to be given to their children. Even if you think it is appropriate to spank him, for example, the parents may not agree and you should respect their wishes.
Step 9. Be polite and respectful of the house
Don't dig in the fridge. The food was bought for them, and they invited you to take care of their baby, not dinner. You should also be respectful to the rest of the house, and not rummage through drawers or closets. You may not know if a family also has a camera, so be careful!
Part 2 of 3: Entertaining the Child
Step 1. Make a list of activities
Keep him busy. Children love to play. Make sure they have plenty of toys, age-based constructions, rattles, books and even spoons available. Sometimes bringing some old toys with you will make him happy. Toys may be old to you, but your child will be thrilled to play with toys that are new to him.
Be prepared to switch games many times. Small children cannot keep their attention for long
Step 2. Go for a walk or get some exercise
Take him for a walk in the stroller. Point to things on the sidewalk. To teach them to cross the street carefully remember to tell the child, "Look left and right. No cars, we can cross!" Eventually you could have the child repeat! If he walks, you can also hold his hand and go for a walk, but only all the way down the street and back.
- Another option is to run around and go wild with him, but it should be done intelligently. You have to do this for hours before putting him to bed, so that he collapses from fatigue. Doing it just for a while will only make it more hyperactive.
- Bring out your artistic side. Paint with pencils. Ask the child to draw his or her family, pet, or favorite toy. He will like to talk to him about the things he likes. You can also make him play with constructions. Help him build different types of towers and demolish them, or if he gets irritated because they fall, help him rebuild them.
Step 3. Read a book
Young children, even very dynamic ones, usually love books. Sit on the floor or lie down with a book, a blanket and a soft toy and read with him. Keep the baby on your lap as you read. Babies love cuddles!
- Show pictures from a book with animals from the farm or zoo. You ask, "Do you see the little dog? I see the little dog! Where is the horse? Here is the horse!" Children love to show the things they know, and will point them out right away.
- Describe an animal and ask which verse it makes. It could be cows, horses and pigs. Be a bit stupid at first. Make animal sounds for all animal books. Have the child repeat the lines too.
Step 4. Sing a song
Recite a nursery rhyme or something they may already know. He might even suggest one! Children love songs, especially ones where they have to move and clap their hands. In the Old Farm, There Are Two Crocodiles, We Hunt The Caterpillar, The Cape Machine, are suitable for small children.
Step 5. Play describing objects
If the child is slightly older, you can teach him to describe toys by type, color or purpose.
Step 6. Teach to recognize colors
When the child grabs a toy, say what color it is, as if it were a game: "Red!", … "Blue!", … "Green!" When he starts to understand, say something like "Can you put all the red things together? Which toy is red? Show me." So he can practice identifying colors.
Call the color when you put it in a group, or when the child does
Step 7. Do activities to teach him to count
Count the toys to 5 or 6 if he seems interested in numbers. Encourage him to count, even if he looks confused. Don't make a fuss if you make mistakes. Present many examples for each number, making piles of two or three toys.
Step 8. Don't offer him too many alternatives at once
Offer the toys one at a time. This helps because if there are too many toys to choose from, they will play with them for a few minutes and then get bored and the house will be messed up. Ask the child to help you tidy up, making it look like a game. Thank him for helping you, it will reward him and he will want to help you again.
If there is only one toy, he will play with it until he is bored and then you can give him another one, but then give him 2 or 3 together, because sometimes they tend to play with more things at a time
Part 3 of 3: Acting Right
Step 1. Be kind
Don't be too stiff and don't get angry. Don't be sarcastic, because you would confuse the child, if he is old enough to understand some words. It's okay to "pretend to be angry, in a joking way." Be a smart but not too stupid actress and use fiction to teach.
- You can show that you are hurt by his way of acting or speaking. Remember that although he says an offensive phrase, he usually doesn't really mean it, and quickly forgets it. Pretend to be shocked and giggle at her actions, so she cooperates (better than waging a war on intentions or words).
- Explain what you mean in a kind way, but don't be surprised that you touch everything and look at you to see how you react, just say "no-no". Try to propose another activity.
Step 2. Pay attention to what you say
Never call a child Brat, Brat, Plague, etc. Children are very good at absorbing what you say and you do not know what will be reported to the parents!
Step 3. Comfort him at night
If the child wakes up and starts screaming because he wants mom or dad, sit next to him and gently say "shhhh" "I'm here with you." If he tells you he wants his parents, reassure him that when he wakes up his mom will be with him and give him lots of kisses. He needs to know that everything will return to normal very soon.
- Do not allow parents to return if it is not foreseen. They would get irritated.
- You can also try singing a lullaby.
Advice
- If the child cannot sleep, bring a book to read him a story and make sure it is suitable for his age.
- Behave in a friendly way with the baby, so that he will want you to return.
- Always keep the child busy with something, otherwise he will turn the house upside down.
- If your child is getting used to the potty, ask him or her if he needs to pee, to prevent him from peeing.
- Never leave him alone!
- The child must be changed regularly.
- Always carry a bag with your first aid kit, extra toys, your toothbrush, and anything else you might need. If you are late, brush your teeth with the baby.
- Bring toys that are safe and suitable for the child's age.
- Talk about any topic - they like to hear about it.
- Always be nice to him! Try to instill a sense of serenity, showing understanding and calm.
- Many activities are required to keep interest alive.
- If the child misses his parents, try to distract him.
- When you ABSOLUTELY MUST leave the room, put it in a bouncer or playpen. Keep your ears open, even though you think it's safe.
- Don't get him too excited before you put him to bed. This is not the right time to do wrestling or something. Tell a made-up story, NOT ONE THAT IS SCARING.
- If the baby doesn't stop crying when you put him to bed, leave the room. He will likely get tired and fall asleep on his own. But if he has been crying continuously for more than 15 minutes, there may be something wrong and at that point you should take a look.
Warnings
- Young children want to make sure someone is watching over and taking care of them. If they cry, take them and reassure them by saying "It's okay" and "It's okay." And remember that early childhood is the busiest stage in a child's life.
- Avoid giving children round foods such as grapes or hot dogs. Most of them don't chew very well. Cut them into smaller pieces. Also avoid peanuts, meat that is too chewy (the meat should be soft and tender) and chips.
- Never give a child a toy or food smaller than his or her mouth, in any case you should know how to practice cardiac resuscitation.
- Keep children away from edges, where they could hit their heads, or from sharp and dangerous things.
- If he starts crying, change his diaper, feed him, or rock him. If he doesn't stop, start singing, it should help! If he starts screaming, take him for a walk in the stroller, the movement helps to calm down.
- If you just watch TV all the time, the baby will be bored. Try different activities like listening to music, having a snack, playing with an animal, going to the yard, playing a game, etc.
- Learn to take an object out of the baby's mouth if he is about to choke.
- Don't give him anything you think he may be allergic to.
- Children also love to color so bring some colors and an album with the figures they prefer (eg princesses, cars, trains or funny characters).
- If you are a girl, NEVER bring a boy with you. A friend might be fine, but first ask the child's parents for permission.
- If all systems fail and after 2.5 hours he continues screaming, call the parents.
