After months of relentless snotty noses, goldfish crackers, and lost shoes, you have finally managed to lock in a babysitter to escape for an evening of adult time. But before you run into the night, you need to pack a bag of essentials. Want to make sure that you haven’t missed anything? We have six items you should always leave with your child’s babysitter.
A Basic First Aid Kit
Kids fall over a lot. It’s rarely serious, but it can cause rivers of tears and breakdowns, especially when mom and dad aren’t around to comfort them. You don’t need a full doctor’s bag, but every parent knows that magic cream and band-aids can cure the greatest of ailments. Throw in some Sudocrem in case of minor burns, eczema, nappy rash, rough skin, or chapped hands. Then include some brightly colored cartoon band-aids, which cover up any little scrapes and distract the child from the discomfort and shock of falling over.
Your Child’s Comforter
When children learn to self-soothe, they often use a soft toy as a source of comfort and reassurance. My kids turn to their comforters whenever they are hurt, tired, upset, or adjusting to a new environment. Particularly if they haven’t met their babysitter before, it is reassuring for them to have something familiar to snuggle. Just make sure that if the babysitter is heading out and about, they guard the comforter with their lives. These guys are irreplaceable – a child can sniff out a replacement comforter a mile away, even if it looks identical.
A Stacks of Snacks
Hungry children = cranky children. They expend so much energy all the time that they need regular food top-ups. Do your babysitter a favor and pack some small snacks like sultanas, crackers, a few fruit pieces, or some vegetable sticks. Alternatively, you might decide that babysitter visits equal treat time and leave some cash for pizza or ice-cream at the park.
A Water Bottle
Much like the above point, if you have kids, you will be familiar with the refrain of “mooommmmmmm, I’m thiirrrrrsssstttyy!” Life is a lot simpler when you have their water bottles on hand to keep them hydrated. On average, children between the ages of four to thirteen should be drinking between seven and ten glasses of water a day, although it varies a little depending on weight and climate. Young kids are at a much higher risk than adults of becoming dehydrated.
A Change of Clothes
Murphy’s Law states (and I paraphrase) that if you don’t pack a change of clothes, your child will have an accident, run into the fountain, spill an entire chocolate ice-cream down their front, or miraculously lose a shoe. If you pack spares, there is a good chance they won’t be needed, but if you don’t, you can almost guarantee that they will. If you have several children around the same size, you could get away with packing one set.
A Bubble Blower
A bubble blower might sound like a strange “essential” to include on the list, but stick with me. When kids are bored, tired, hungry, or have hurt themselves, the absolute best tool you can have in your arsenal to stop arguments and whinging is a distraction. And for kids, bubbles are pure magic. They can transform a child’s mood in the blink of an eye.
These are the basis of our essential packing list for the sitter. What else would you add to the list?
