Babysitter - information checklist
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Finally - a night out as adults! You have planned your evening, found a babysitter, made dinner, and are dressed, ready to go! Everything will probably go fine with the children and the babysitter, but in case of an emergency or question, better if you are prepared. Take some time to put together a information document to share with all babysitters - and then train your new babysitter, and remind old babysitters what is important. Always leave the information sheet visible, and show the babysitter where it is. Following is a list of information that you may want to include on your babysitter document - you could have a 2 part form - one to fill in for that evening's details, and the other for standard information you always want to share. You may want to review the highlights of the documents with your older children. Enjoy the evening! And feel secure knowing that you have prepared your babysitter well.
- Acceptable television shows, movies, channels
- Activities the children may enjoy
- Address and phone number for your home or location they are babysitting at – major cross streets, neighborhood
- Ask your babysitter to not open the door for anyone he/she is not expecting
- Call 911
- Child – information for each child
- Child’s age
- Child’s allergies to food
- Child’s allergies to medication
- Child’s bed times
- Child’s date of birth
- Child’s full name
- Child’s height
- Child’s medical conditions
- Child’s medication list/names/dosages
- Child’s napping schedule
- Child’s routine, schedule, activities, eating schedule, bedtime route
- Child’s weight
- Chores
- Contact information for you and your partner — Cell phone(s), home phone, work phone, pager number
- Directions to your house
- Do you have anyone you expect to stop by or call
- Emergency #s – doctor name/#
- Emergency #s – fire
- Emergency #s – hospital
- Emergency #s – police
- Escape route of house – if there was a fire or other emergency, where are all the exits from the house.
- Food and beverage list for each child – acceptable items, what they can NOT eat
- Food items that can easily cause choking - pears, apples, celery, grapes, raisins, hot dogs, raw carrots, nuts, hard candy, gum, popcorn
- Food items to avoid (choking, allergies, messy)
- Friend’s name, address & phone #
- Friends allowed?
- Healthcare authorization
- Home rules
- Homework or other tasks children need to accomplish
- How to prepare food, formula, bottles, drinks
- Location of circuit breaker
- Location of fire extinguisher
- Location of first aid kid
- Location of flashlight
- Location of home phone
- Location of water shutoff
- Medical insurance provider, phone #, policy #
- Neighbor’s name, address & phone #
- Poison control
- Recent illnesses
- Relative’s name, address & phone #
- Special instructions
- Special requests
- Special words for security object or favorite toy (stuffed animal, blanket, toy, book, pacifier)
- Tour of home – bathrooms, bedrooms, places your child plays or hides, exits
- What time you expect to be home
- What to do in an emergency
- Where a house key is kept
- Where you will be – name, number, address for the place you will be at (restaurant, friend’s, theater
