All-Day Babysitting
If you are a really good babysitter, the odds are that sooner or later one of your clients will ask you to come and look after their kids for a whole day when they have to work or just go out for a special occasion. There are some very important things to consider in the event you accept a babysitting job that goes all day, as there are many factors that will come to bear on whether or not it is a good job or a terrible one.
Most parents will have some sort of itinerary and meal plan put together for you in the case of an all-day job. This will make your life a lot easier. If they have not done this, though, try to keep it simple. Make a schedule for yourself and the kids to keep, and follow it. Plan out the times you want to be outside, meal times, nap times, television times and play times.
Keep your meals simple and easy to clean up from. Kraft Dinner and other types of pasta, frozen veggies, sandwiches, and simple vegetables are easy meals to make for babysitters. Most of them are also high-impact in terms of calories that kids need to get through a healthy day, and a glass of milk is packed with nutrients. Clean up from the meals as soon as you are done eating them. Hot dogs are an easy meal as well, but remember that they are a severe choking hazard. If you make hot dogs, cut them in half lengthwise and in quarters for kids under five- kids under two should have their dogs diced up. Soup is easy too, but has the potential for a lot of mess.
Going outside with the kids you are babysitting is a great way to eat up a lot of time and vary the activities of the day. If they are old enough, you should take them for a walk to a nearby park or even just a walk along a safe path or street to see the sights. This will take a couple hours out of the day as well as giving the kids fresh air and exercise, which will come in great when it is time for naps- kids that have spent a lot of time outside fall asleep almost instantly and deeply.
If your charges are too old for naps, it is often still good to have some quiet time, both for yourself and for them. This is a good time to read to them, or for them to read to themselves. Most parents don’t mind if their kids watch some television while they are being babysat, so find out what shows are appropriate or if they would like to watch a certain movie.
All-day babysitting jobs are a great money maker, and following a good schedule will help the day to fly by.
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