How To Know Your Children Are Ready For A Babysitter

Leaving your children with a babysitter for the first time is a huge step. You are trusting someone else to take care of your children for a few hours. It is not as simple as making plans and hiring a babysitter for the evening. You need to make sure your little ones are ready to take this step before you make the decision. This way, you do not have to worry about any phone calls urging you to come home, nor do you have to worry about receiving a negative report when you do get home.

Are your children ready for this step? Use the following guide to determine if your children are ready for their first babysitter.

They Are On A Bottle

This one is for the parents of babies who are only several months old. If you are still nursing, you want to wait three or four weeks to ensure it is going smoothly. By then, you should be able to pump the breast milk so their babysitter can give them a bottle. If nursing is not going as smoothly as you would like by three or four weeks, you may need to wait until it is or until they are on formula.

They Have A Routine

Your children may be ready for a babysitter if they have an established routine, especially if you are going out for the evening. They are used to a certain way of doing things, such as a snack during homework or a story at bedtime. You can write down the schedule for their babysitter to follow. However, a child who is not on an established routine may not be ready for someone else to care for them yet.

Bedtime Goes Smoothly

If your children go to bed without any problems, they are ready for a babysitter. It shows you that their babysitter is going to be able to get them down without a fuss. Now, you may wonder if it will actually go as smoothly for their babysitter. Once they start going to bed for you without a fight, there is a good chance they are going to do the same for their babysitter as well.

Goes To Someone Else

It may take a bit for your children to get used to someone else taking care of them, even if it is a friend or family member. However, your children are ready for a babysitter if they go to someone else without a meltdown. They are going to be fine spending a few hours with their babysitter while you go out. You may even find they are excited to meet their new babysitter.

Remember, babies and even older children develop at their own pace. While another parent may be able to leave their children with a babysitter at the ages of six months and four years old, this may not be the case for you. Your child will let you know when they are ready for a babysitter through their behavior.