Dress to Impress ~ What to Wear on the Job

 Hi Blogspot(:

 Okay, so I have gotten asked what I wear on the job before... pretty simple. Just keep it clean, keep it modest, and keep it casual.

 Clothing
         
 Do's:
      No bullets necessary here, folks. Just keep it modest, and make sure you dress in something that is not only appropriate, but you would feel comfortable running around and/or playing in.

Don'ts:

•   Teeny shorts
• Low-cut shirts or tanks
• See-through tops (unless it is paired with a camisole or undershirt underneath)
• Clothing with inappropriate words or comments
• Skirts and dresses (they just aren't good for play, or anything else you may do on the job)

Make sure it is not inappropriate, and that you would feel comfortable if anybody saw you wearing it. You shouldn't even have to question it if it is for a babysitting job.


  Accessories and Jewelry
 
 If you want to wear accessories, you are probably out of luck, unless little studs for earrings is what you have in mind. I wouldn't recommend necklaces and bracelets, as they are easy to lose and babies and small kids are very, very interested in grabbing them. The same goes for dangly earrings.

  Don'ts:

•  Necklaces or chokers
• bracelets or anklets
• most earrings
• facial piercings
• hair extensions

  Shoes

  Your new strappy sandals would be so tempting, I know. But most flip-flops and other summery or slip-on shoes will not cut it at a babysitting job. I don't care if you can run in them without falling on your face. Tennis shoes would make you not only more steady on your feet, but comfortable. So, I would say Converse sneakers and tennis shoes, again, are your best bet right now.

 Don'ts:

• Sandals
• Flip Flops
• Toms
• Any sort of heels (why would you even think about it?!)
• Anythig that you think is not suitable for running in and is uncomfortable

 In the wintertime, you most likely won't be heading outside unless it is to play in the snow, so I would say Uggs and sweater boots are okay, then, as long as you know whether or not you need to bring snow boots if you are heading out in the backyard to try out the new sled.





 How was this post? Let me know in the comments if I forgot or should edit something(: Also remember to comment any sort of question you may have, and I'll create a post just for you!

 Thanks!
 

                                                                                          

Don't Sit on the Baby ~ A Great Babysitting Read ! !

 Hi, Blogspot(:

 SUPER exited for this post! I am so happy to share with you that I found a good babysitting book for babysitters that aren't just starting out... the last few I have read or downloaded on my Nook were filled with information that would be more useful to those starting out, but I was waiting for everybody else to check out their books when I spotted Don't Sit on the Baby by Halley Bondy. I had heard of it before, and so I grabbed it off the shelf for some light reading while I waited....
 
  ... and ended up checking it out.

 Me: Mom, this is so good! I found some really good information in here that I can actually use! Yay!
Mom: You don't need to be babysitting if you need a book with advice like on the front cover.

  Anyways, I love this book. It is broken into three parts (Babysitting Breakdown, Essential Skills, and Business Basics), with every little section from Dealing With Diapers and Potties to Feeding Hungry Mouths. My words aren't really doing the book and justice right now, but it is really amazing. Perfect for any new or experienced babysitter. It's just the perfect new, fresh and clear-sighted guide to anybody seeking knowledge about childcare.

 So, again, if you are looking for advice, sympathy, and tips and extras for anything that a babysitter can reasonably expect to experience, just get it (mine is from the library, though)! You'll be happy you did.

 Thanks!

Don't Sit on the Baby by Halley Bondy

Reviewing the Class

 Hi Blogspot(:

 Today, I fed the kids I was watching cherries with their lunch. Now, I made it crystal clear (they were pretty annoyed...) to spit the pits out when eating one. They are ages 7 and 10, so they obviously know that, but I was still nervous that they were going to choke, because I haven't practiced the Heimlich maneuver and CPR rescue skills very recently. So, while they were eating, I pulled out my binder and I read feverishly, looking up every ten seconds to make sure those pits were spit out every time they ate one, and practicing on a nearby pillow. I was a mess.

 So, that obviously led me to think to myself that I needed review, and for me it would be at least every two months, or more if I feel I need the practice. Review, I now realize, is totally necessary, and heaven forbid, if you are ever caught in a situation where a child is choking or is unconscious, you will be stuck not knowing what to do, and if I were in that position, feel really horrible about not knowing what I am supposed to. I mean, if you are not going to review or at least skim over it a couple of times every once in awhile, that's half of the course right there that was wasted.

 Hence the realization that I had today, I just felt like I needed to create a post... it also wouldn't hurt to review the less vital, but still pretty important parts of the class. If you didn't get a manual or anything like that, why not look online or read a book about the subject of babysitting? There are lots of good ones out there, and so see my next post about the one I really have found helpful(:

 Thanks, everyone! Have a great night! Comment for questions, suggestions, etc(:

Must-Haves for Babysitters Pt. 1- Crafts and Health Supplies

 Hi, Blogspot(:

   Babysitting must-haves! These are basically just items that are usually used on the job- some are more important than others.


                                   CRAFTS- Mainly can be found at client's house. Always use permission before crafting and using up supplies

•  Food Coloring- If you look back at a lot of the bath activities and play recipes that I have posted, this is a common but very important ingredient. You may want to make sure this is available for your usage if you are planning on doing a craft or most bath activities. ___Make sure that only you are using the food coloring, and that it does not stain anything. If children are using this, make sure to always be watching them. This is probably the #1 thing that will stain on this list, and its usage requires being careful!~                     ~                        ~                       ~                      ~                     ~
• Foam- This is mostly used in bath activities, such as the ice cream parlor themed bath (ice cream, cones, and toppings were made cut outs) because it sticks to the bathroom bath walls when wet! ___Always make sure the foam cut outs are large enough so that they will not accidentally get sucked into the drain.                                  ~                     ~                         ~                       ~                       ~                     ~
• Glitter- This is used mainly as a mix-in with play doughs and sometimes a few sprinkles are added to make a bath feel more magical. ___Make sure glitter is always vacuumed up after use. If used in a bath, always make sure that it is more like fine dust than it is flakes, so that no drains are clogged.
• Shaving Cream- Mainly used in doughs and paints for bath time. It may sound silly, but if you are going to use it you should probably use your own... if you were a parent, coming come to an empty bottle of what may be expensive shaving cream, or any shaving cream at all, wouldn't make you happy.

 Not much here... just beyond the basics of scissors and glue and such. Let me know if I should add anything! These are just the three common-core things I use on the job when it comes to crafty things like baths and play recipes.


                        HEALTH AND SAFETY- These are things that should be in or be added to your first aid kit, or you should always be able to have them around for your usage.

•  Tweezers- Numerous uses. DO NOT ever use to get out bee stingers. Always use your fingernail or if your purse or bag is nearby, any sort of plastic card for stings.
• Gauze Sponges/Gauze Rolls- I use a lot of these when band-aids just aren't enough... when it comes to the point where the wound may be bleeding through the bandage, I use these, held into place with surgical tape.
• Band-Aids- Make sure you have Band-Aids, all the time! They are probably what I use most (and remember to add some variety when it comes to colors(;!), and all kinds are needed. Make sure you have different sizes and shapes and kinds for and boo-boo that may come up.
• Surgical Tape- I have two sizes. This is basically just for holding gauze sponges or any other medical type pad into place. Make sure, just like a Band-Aid, that the "sticky side" is not on the wound.

 Come back later for part two!

 Make sure to have a lot of most of these items available. I also have things suc as cleansing wipes, Neosporin, and I also make sure Peroxide is available. Just make sure to ask permission before using things like this working into the wound. Did I forget anything?

 

Creative Consequences ~ Beyond the Corner #1

 Hi Blogspot(:

 Okay, so since I first started this blog, I have had a lot of babysitting jobs. Most of my kids aren't stubborn, or have regular behavioral issues. When they do, though, I have discovered that I need to go "beyond the corner" when it comes to consequences. I'll be posting a lot of these!

All About the Corner
When you were six, would pouting in the corner for five or ten minutes make you learn that that type of behavior is unacceptable? Would you really be thinking about what you did and why it was wrong to do it, or would you be thinking about how much longer you have to stand there, bored to tears? I know the corner didn't usually make me think or realize anything at all besides the fact that I really didn't want to be there, but most of the time, it didn't really act as a reminder when I was acting up. The corner just wasn't the solution back then.

 Now, don't be taking any of this the wrong way or anything. I mean, the corner just isn't for some kids. I used to be one of them. If the corner is currently working for you, then that's great. If the behavior continues, though, and all you see over there is fidgeting and eye-rolling during that time-out, it may not be the proper solution for the kid. Again, time-outs like this one, for example, are great for kids... when they work. But again, if the issues proceed after the time-out, you may as well just be letting them run around doing what they were punished for in the first place. Sometimes they just don't work, you know? So these are some solutions I have come up with:

 Consequence Sheets
  Okay, so realization of what the child is doing, why they shouldn't be doing it, and what they could do in place of their poor decisions are all things that are important for you and the child to know. That's why I have come up with these sheets.

   The sheets are actually a lot more useful than they may sound. They have four questions on them about what mistake (I don't use the word naughty on them... one of the questions, for example, is "I made a mistake today. I:...) they made, why they did it, why they should not have done it, and what they could do instead next time a similar situation occurs. The last question also could be used as a great reminder later on, if they start acting up again.

 Ex: Addison, what did we say we were going to do next time, instead of hitting Aron?
                                                          Or,
 Ex: Nicholas, I thought we agreed that we were going to calmly tell Addy to stop whenever she is bothering you, and then tell me if she won't.

  I use these a lot as a different type of time-out. They are more like a "cool-down" instead of something they see as a negative activity. They will chill out for awhile, filling out the sheet in a quiet place, away from the whole situation. Time-outs are supposed to be a time where they can do just that (without the sheet of course), but usually they stand there, pouting angrily about how they got themselves in there in the first place, and they come back even more upset with you, the person that put them there. They don't realize that it was their actions that resulted in the time-out, but they need to understand that. That's why these help. They cool-down, and comprehend the whole cause and effect of the situation. That's where the whole "Now they understand what will happen if this type of behavior

 After these are completed, I have them sit down with me, and have a talk about the sheet and the problem. We go through each and every question together, and we talk about the responses (we just talk if they can't write..). Talking about it is always very important. For example, this just happened today with a sheet I gave out:

 I shouldn't have done this because:
  
    I got sedned to the corner to do a sheet
 (Yes, that is how she spelt "sent")                  (:

 So, this obviously isn't why she shouldn't have done what she did, and so I needed to talk about other reasons why this was not proper etiquette... no matter if her parents are home or if I am babysitting.

 Anyways, so yeah, this can be done as another form of a time out. Just a cool down type of thing so the child isn't workeds up about getting sent to the corner. These have worked graet for me so far, so let me know how they work for you!

 P.S.: You really also should put a little letter from you at the bottom(: Here is mine:

    

Dear, __________________

 

 

You made a mistake today, but I still love you! Please kindly apologize to the person you upset, and we can try to have better behavior. Remember, just because you made a mistake does not mean I am angry with you. It just means I want everybody to be safe and happy when I am with you.

  Let’s try to have a better rest of the day!

 

 Your friend,

   ~Taylor

 

 And here is the whole sheet:

 

  

My name is ______________

 

I made a mistake today. I,

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I did this because, _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

I should not have done this because,

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Next time, instead of _________________________________, I can _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.

 

I am sorry, and I will apologize to the person I upset. I agree to take any consequence you may give me. I will try to have a better rest of the day, and remember to always try to not be a part of the problem, but a part of the solution!

 

Signed, ____________________

 

 

 

Dear, __________________

 

 

You made a mistake today, but I still love you! Please kindly apologize to the person you upset, and we can try to have better behavior. Remember, just because you made a mistake does not mean I am angry with you. It just means I want everybody to be safe and happy when I am with you.

  Let’s try to have a better rest of the day!

 

 Your friend,

   ~Taylor

 ~This font that I used was downloaded onto my computer for personal use only... so make sure you are using it appropriately, too!


 Thanks! Let me know how these work out for you! Feel free to comment any questions you may have, and I will create a post about it!

 

Tips and Success ~ Take a Class

 Hi, Blogspot(:
 
 I haven't posted in awhile, so sorry! I have been very, very busy lately. Anyways, enough of that... lets get back to what you're actually here for.

 Okay, taking a class... very important for many, many reasons. Let's take a lookie here:

 Basic Info:

 So, are you thinking about taking a class? Good! Kudos to you for wanting to gain some knowledge on the subject beforehand. Before I took a class, I wanted some basic information- and more than what was on the brochure- so I knew what I had to do. The paperwork basically told me that I was going to learn the basics of the things I had already expected like diapering, CPR, the Heimlich maneuver, how to keep 'em busy, etc.. It also told me there was going to be a written and an "active" exam. The written exam is what you would expect- a test on everything that you learned- while the other exam covered first impressions, a subject we spent a very long time on (walking in with a firm handshake and a kind greeting, meeting each kid and making them feel comfortable, etc.), as well as what to do in a situation where you would need to perform CPR or the Heimlich.

 Anyways, I am not sure what kind of a class you are planning on taking, but I didn't take mine through The Red Cross. Mine was taken through a great organization called SafeSitter (www.safesitter.org). It was two days long, (Thursday and Friday) and each day was seven hours. It may seem like a long time reading it now, but we really had to jam in quite a lot of information, and I was never bored throughout the course.

  It's kind of hard to give a basic rundown... it was mainly learn/take notes in the manual you got for a few hours, lunch, and then some more of that but working with mannequins on the Heimlich and CPR (we viewed a video on both of these) with some snacks in between. The next day we covered the rest of the manual, lunch, and then a lot more practice with the Heimlich maneuver and CPR before the written test. During the test, we were each called out one by one to do the other test. Then on the second day our parents came and watched us receive our completion certificates and we got a free SafeSitter bag packed with stuff like colorful band-aids (because what kid doesn't prefer those, right?) a flashlight, and our manual (:

 

 

 

So, why take a babysitting class?

 

  Babysitting classes, again, have many advantages. Okay, yeah, they are super fun (; , but how is that gonna help you?

 

 Babysitting classes really help you gain experience. They don't just go over a few things about changing a diaper and send you home, they really help you make sure you know whats going on and how to deal with the many things that may come up, whether that might be a choking kid or one that's just plain bored. They will make sure you have every little thing down. I didn't necessarily walk in the door thinking that I already knew everything- heck, I was only eleven!- but I really did learn a lot more than I thought I would. I felt so much more comfortable knowing even just the basic info. Even just my words don't do it justice... they really are helpful.

 

 We all want parents to trust us with their children, right? Of course. Taking a class not only is for your benefit, but for the moms and dads of the children you are watching over. You will reassure them that you know what you are doing and that you will be more knowing is a problem does happen to come up. I have gained a lot more clients after sharing that I took a course. I started watching over my siblings and other children more, and the information still helps me on the job. Plus, you could have your parents casually mention to their friends that you took a class, and just maybe, maybe, you will pick up the phone to a brand new client(;

 

  Questions, comments, ideas? Please feel free as a bird to ask. I need more ideas for posts, and some questions and requests would be great, thank you!

My Babysitting Binder

Hello again(:!

Today I am going to show you all my super fantastic babysitting binder that I would absolutely die without. Not kidding.

Okay, so when I babysit, I am always sure that I have this whenever I can... it has very important information in it such as ways to contact the kid's parents, my manual from my babysitting class, my schedule, etc., etc., etc. x1,000

Other things I keep in there:

• Certificates and rewards (see my other post on those)
• play recipe sheets
• child and family info sheets
• my manual
• drawings from kids(:
•  my babysitting schedule
• my sheets for writing notes about the job (meals and snacks, bedtimes, homework, bath time, etc.)
• my class completion certificate (laminated and safe(;)

Here are some example pics... any questions? Please just feel free to comment and/or ask for more suggestions!

I keep drawings from the kids in here for smile makers(; They are so sweet!

^Those file markers are life savers.. there are at least 10 of them in my binder at the moment.^

One of my certificates(:

All of this is just babysitting information... I have to try to keep on finding ways to make sure all of this stays organized!

Here it is!

Thanks!
Remember to comment any questions you may have, and I'll get back to you!

Success On the Job ~ Cleanliness

 No experienced babysitter can ever express the importance of cleanliness on the job. A lot of the fun activities I do with my client's kids require some wiggle room when it comes to being clean, and so I have to remember that if I want to do fun stuff with the kids, I have to clean up after myself (and them!).

 Imagine you are a parent, coming from from a long, boring, stressful business meeting or it's midnight and you just got back from a party or a late night showing of a movie. You walk into the house, and the house is an absolute mess. There are dirty dishes piled high in the sink, crusty pizza sauce on the counter, toys and stuffed animals on the floor, and your not quite sure what that blue spot on the floor was supposed to be, but you were sure it wasn't there before you left the house. After you get home, of course, you are stressed or just plain tired!  Coming home to a messy house wouldn't be an ideal way to come home when you were dreaming of a nap after that movie or a blanket and a book to get your mind off of that annoying secretary for awhile. To top it off, you realize that you have to pay good money to your sitter, who should have gotten all of this accomplished before you stepped in the doorway.

 Okay, well, if I were you in that scenario, I wouldn't be giving that babysitter a call back... nor as a babysitter would I expect one!

 When I am babysitting and the kids and I make a bit of a mess, it always gets cleaned up. I just absolutely cannot stress the importance of cleaning up after yourself and the child(ren) when you babysit. When everyone is occupied (close by!), napping, or in bed for the night, I go around the house to make sure anything we made a mess up is tidied up before the parents get home. I also as the parents of the kids if there is anything else I can do, such as unloading/loading the dishwasher (I would always ask permission first, though).

 A few cleaning musts:

•  Counters and tables
• dishes
• things such as blankets and toys on the floor
• stains and spills
• swept up floor

 Make sure the house just looks nice overall... if it was a bit messy before, take care of what you can in that area, even if it wasn't your mess or the child's mess. A parent always likes coming home to a clean home after a long day.

 ~comment and subscribe(:~ thank you!


 

Certificates and Awards

 For the children I babysit, waking up the next morning when they have been cooperative the night before means a special certificate taped to their door!

 I typed up many awards for the kids I babysit for when they were "good" when I watched them. I have awards in endless variations, and I hand them out for anything from behavior improvement to a speedy no-complaining clean up. These awards were really were just a fun way to reward the kids for good behavior, but now that I have been using them more and more often, I am starting to notice that once a child gets an award, they work towards the same ones again, (and sometimes acheiving a new one) and it just really does help improve their behavior when they know that if they don't cooperate and respect me and others, they won't be rewarded.

  I felt bad the first couple of times a child wasn't behaving enough to recieve one, and so I asked her mother. She said not to feel bad about not handing one out. If a child wasn't respectful and was uncooperative, she didn't earn one and it wasn't well deserved. Now she works towards one, and not only does she know that she will be rewarded for her efforts, but it becomes a habit and the better behavior just kind of sticks.

  Certificate Ideas:

•  Speedy Clean-Ups
• Behavior Improvements (since earlier that day or your last job, a child should be rewarded for striving to improve)
• Helpfulness (offers to help clean up or help with supper, etc)

 I have a lot of ideas, so if anyone is in need of some I am happy to provide more.

 I just typed mine up using the templates from Microsoft Word. I would show you an example, but it won't show up when I paste it): Oh well.. they are fun to personalize once you get the templates. I used anything from preschool graduation templates to ones to that express congratulation to team winners. Make them your own and make sure the are easy to relate to your kids!