Homes can be dangerous places, especially for kids. The family that you are sitting for may be safety conscious and have stair gates and plug socket covers - or they may not. The fact remains that while you are caring for the kids, they are your responsibility and being safety conscious can save a lot of problems.
No one is expecting you to do a full safety check of the home - that would be impractical and inappropriate. The easiest way to keep the kids safe is to supervise them at all times. That way, if you see a safety hazard arising, you are there to step in and avoid it.
Some aspects of safety are fairly obvious. For example, don't let the kids play with anything sharp or put small things in their mouths, ears or nose; this goes double for babies!
If you have prepared food for the kids, make sure that saucepans are well back on the stove with handles turned in to the wall so that they can't be pulled down.
Keep kettles well back on the worktop out of reach.
If you make yourself a hot drink, keep it well out of reach. A high proportion of nasty burning accidents are caused by children pulling cups of tea or coffee over themselves.
Don't leave matches, lighters or medication lying around. Prevention is better than cure.
Most of safety awareness involves prevention. You are aiming to stop that accident or incident before it happens. The chances are that the kids will already be over-excited and playing or acting boisterously. Try and keep them as calm as you can and be firm.
Don't allow them to push, shove or hit each other or jump off (or up and down on) beds and sofas. Sliding down stairs or banisters or on loose floor rugs (or shiny floors) is also
a no-no.
Don't let them taunt the dog or cat. Even the most docile of pets can get fed up and retaliate!
Watch them closely if they are eating or drinking. Kids - especially over excited ones - can bolt their food, or try and talk or run about while they're chewing. If they start to
choke, you will need to know how to dislodge the food or object stuck in their windpipe. Get acquainted with the Heimlich maneuver before you become a sitter. It's quick and
simple but can save a life.
If you don't know,learn!
Taking a course like the 'Super Babysitting' DVD will give you much more confidence to handle a health or safety situation. It can teach you how to prevent injuries and how to be prepared if an emergency arises. It will also make you appear professional and competent which is what parents want. It will also look great on your resume and will impress future employers!
Super Babysitting makes it quick and easy to get babysitting advice and tips. To get your free babysitters handbook and first aid book visit the Super Babysitting web site right now!
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