Many parents struggle with leaving their children alone with a new babysitter, especially if it is the first time that babysitter has watched the child or children. As parents, you do a thorough job researching a new babysitter and ensuring they have all the qualifications you are looking for as well as great references. One thing parents might forget to do in the process of working with a new babysitter is to forget to be prepared on their own end. Every babysitter should have a complete list of all the important phone numbers that they may need. If you leave your babysitter with no other option than calling emergency services, they may end up not knowing who to call in the case of a different type of occurrence. Here are the four numbers that you should make sure every babysitter has easy access to.
Local Police Number
Many babysitters are hesitant to call 911 if there is a situation that isn’t emergent. Make sure they have the number for the local police station. For example, if they see a suspicious person walking back and forth down the street, your babysitter will likely be wary but hesitant to call 911. This is the case where you would want them to call the local police just to make sure there isn’t a known situation occurring in the area.
Doctor and Dentist Information
Your babysitter should always have the basic contact information for your child’s primary care doctor and dentist. These numbers are important if there is a medical or dental issue that isn’t emergent and they are unable to reach you.
Your Go-To Neighbor Contact
Your babysitter should always have easy access to a neighbor that is in your immediate vicinity. If there is a situation such as the power going out or a water line in the street bursting and your sitter can’t reach you, you want to make sure they can call someone to ask pertinent questions and ensure they don’t need to leave the home.
Your Go-To Friend, Family Member or Secondary Contact Point
This person would be the person you would call to pick your kids up from school if you weren’t available. It can be a personal friend, another parent at the school, a family member, or any contact you have that you would feel comfortable with you babysitter seeking basic advice from. For example, if for any reason your babysitter would find themselves in a situation where your child is in a situation that needs attention but is non-emergent, this is the person you would want them to contact if you are unavailable.
