How2Day: Babysitting Checklist

Provide your babysitter with a checklist so you feel comfortable when leaving home. Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
Leaving your children alone with a stranger can be terrifying. Make sure you carefully screen babysitters with thorough interviews and phone calls to references. Asking your friends with kids to recommend a babysitter can turn up reliable candidates. Ultimately, you have to select a sitter who meshes with your family and makes you feel comfortable. Once you hire a sitter, leaving them with a checklist can soothe your anxiety.

List emergency contact information on your babysitting checklist. Jot down the number of the Poison Control Center and of local police. Write the name and address of your doctor, along with his phone number and your health insurance information. Include contact information for the hospital you would want your child to visit in case of emergency.

List cell phone numbers for both parents, along with work phone numbers. Pick an emergency contact, such as a friend or neighbor, and write that person's name, house and cell phone numbers. Write where you will be, along with the phone number. If other household members can be found at different locations, include that information as well.

For each child, jot down basic information such as his name, date of birth and age. Write down any allergies he has, along with his blood type. If your child has a medical condition, outline the issue and any associated treatment. Specify each child's bedtime, along with his likes and dislikes, especially concerning food. Add any special instructions.

Specify your rules. For instance, if you hate your kids' affinity for skating on your hardwood floors in their socks, write on the checklist that you don't allow it. If you don't want your child to drink soda before bedtime, better jot that down too. Just because you think something seems like common sense doesn't mean your babysitter would think of it.

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