Baby & Toddler Sleep Solutions for Dummies by Arthur Lavin Md & Susan Glaser Ma

Author:Arthur Lavin, Md & Susan Glaser, Ma [Arthur Lavin, Md & Susan Glaser, Ma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Family & Relationships, Children With Special Needs
ISBN: 9780470117941
Amazon: 047011794X
Publisher: For Dummies
Published: 2007-07-02T00:00:00+00:00

Part III: Sleep Decisions that Involve the Whole Family 172

The best choice, obviously, is a highly trusted friend or family member. But if your pals and kin are off at the movies or out snow-boarding on the weekends, where else can you turn?

The simplest answer is to hire a neighborhood teen who’s looking for some extra spending money. But before you think about trusting your angel to the kid down the street, ask yourself these questions: ߜ How old is old enough? Leaving your baby or toddler with a child under 12 years old is unsafe (and illegal in some parts of the country). But 12 isn’t necessarily a magic number because lots of brand-new teens are totally unprepared for the responsibility of caring for a little tyke. On the other hand, some 20-year-olds can’t be trusted with a Pekingese! So go by maturity, not just by age.

ߜ Does your child have special needs? If your child takes special medications, uses a breathing machine, or has feeding issues or serious behavior problems, don’t expect a teen to cope.

Asking lots of questions to make sure Sweetie will be safe A good boss asks plenty of good questions at a job interview. In this case, you’re the boss — and there’s no more important job than watching your wee one and staying on top of her schedule and nighttime safety. So be sure to give your wanna-be sitter a good (although friendly) grilling. Some key questions to ask: ߜ How much experience do you have? Look for a candidate who’s already trained on someone else’s kids. If possible, check with those families to see whether the sitter did a good job. For instance, did the sitter follow the family’s sleeping routine, or did the parents come home to find their child sleeping on the floor clutching a video game?

ߜ Did you ever take a babysitting class? If the answer is “No”

but you like the sitter, consider offering to pay for a course (as well as paying her for the hours in class). It’s a small investment to make for a safe sitter, and it demonstrates your own seriousness about his work. Community centers, YMCAs, and the Girl Scouts of America routinely offer these classes.

ߜ Do you have younger brothers or sisters? This qualification isn’t a must — but older sibs often are pros with diapers, bottles, and bedtime stories.

ߜ Can you handle a houseful? Give your potential candidate a couple of what-ifs. For instance, what if the baby is screaming 17_117941 ch11.qxp 5/25/07 10:38 AM Page 173

Chapter 11: Your Dream Team Grows 173

for a nighttime bottle at the same time the 3-year-old needs to use the potty? Your candidate’s responses show you how quickly your candidate can think on his feet and how well he can cope with your mischievous herd.

If your candidate passes your interview with flying colors, make your next step a test run. Pay your sitter to watch your child for a few hours while you’re at home. After

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.