How Can I Prepare My Baby For Her First Time With A Babysitter?

One thing that every parent needs to do at some point is leave their baby with someone else. This can be when they first go to nursery but it is probably going to occur when you have a night out or an official engagement.

At first, you’re going to feel guilty but, the simple fact is that you cannot be with your baby all the time and it’s not healthy to do so. You need recovery time and they need to learn to stay with others. That doesn’t make it easier to leave them but it does mean it’s important to find the right babysitter and prepare your baby as best as possible.

It doesn’t matter if you’re leaving them with family, a friend, or the reputable local babysitting services. The same rules apply.

Acclimatize

Your baby is used to you being around all the time, suddenly leaving is going to leave them shocked and stressed. Of course, they can’t express these emotions properly so they’ll simply scream. That’s not going to be much fun for the babysitter and is likely to mean they won’t offer their services again.

So, the first step is simply to practice leaving them alone. Babies have limited sense so you can actually step out of the room for five minutes and still watch them, without them knowing it. This will help them to accept that you do leave but you always return.

Make the babysitter known

Next, you’ll need to give the babysitter the same chance. Have them visit for a short period of time which you and they spend with your baby. This will assure your baby that the person is okay and that they will be safe with them.

The key at this stage is to let the babysitter and your baby interact but to ensure it is natural, not forced.

Make the handover quick

Once the baby is used to the new person you’re ready to try a transfer. Make sure your baby is happy doing something, like playing with their toys. Then, say goodbye, keep your voice happy and leave as soon as you’ve said goodbye. This causes the least amount of disruption. The babysitter can then pick up your baby and continue to play with them.

This will reassure your baby that everything is okay and should make it a pleasant experience for everyone involved.

All you have to do now is make sure you don’t ring every two minutes to check on the baby. If you do you’ll stress your babysitter and potentially upset your baby.

Don’t sneak

It’s tempting simply to sneak away when your baby isn’t looking. However, if you do this you’re likely to make them stressed and frightened when they realize you’re gone.

Buy developing a simple interaction that tells them you’re leaving your baby will be able to prepare themselves and will be better at accepting you’ve gone. This will carry through when you drop them at pre-school or any other venue.