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Sitting Safely Page 2 BY KATHY JOHNSON © Copyright 1999 by Parents' Press Never be pressured into doing a job you are not ready for. On the other hand, don't let nervousness stop you from trying something new if you are ready Jessica, age 12, felt nervous about watching her sister for a few hours one evening while her parents ran errands. She had watched her sister a few times before during the day. She still felt new at sitting and unsure of her abilities. A week after the job, she had very mixed feelings about the experience. After a sitting job, pat yourself on the back for things you did right and when things go well. Think about what went wrong ­ and things will sometimes go wrong. A sitter will make mistakes, no matter how good she is. Learn from these by talking with your trusted adult or another sitter about what happened. Think about what you can do better next time. Keep emergency information in the sitter kit. You never know when accidents might happen and others might need to know who to call and any special care you might need. My nephew, Daren, is diabetic, so he keeps medication and emergency information (including his doctor's phone number) with him. If you bring medication with you, store it safely so children won't get into it. Some sitters keep their kit in a plastic lock box, while others use a backpack and put rings and a combination lock on the zipper pull. But keep the emergency information in an unlocked, easily found place. Be careful around pets. Pets can be aggressive to strangers, especially when children are upset or nervous about parents leaving. For an especially energetic or aggressive pet, ask the parents about keeping it in a separate room or outside while you are sitting. If you are bitten, wash the bite out immediately. For a severe bite, call your doctor and your parents. Put the pet in a secluded place like the bathroom. If you aren't able to handle the animal yourself, call your trusted adult for help. Let the parents know what happened and be sure to get rabies vaccination information from them. Call a parent or trusted adult whenever a situation feels out of control. When Elizabeth sat for a 10-month-old, it was the child's first time with a sitter, and she cried and cried. Elizabeth tried everything she could think of, but the child was still very upset. Elizabeth called the child's parents, and the parents decided to return. While the parents were on their way back, the child settled down. If you feel overwhelmed or upset, the children can pick up on those feelings and become upset too. A teen can feel more in control by planning what to do when things seem scary or overwhelming. For example, you could call a trusted adult, or change the activity to something relaxing like reading a story or listening to soft music. next > calling for back-up Doll art courtesy of auntie.com