Setting Up a Safe Environment for Babysitting at Home

Before welcoming a babysitter into your house, it’s crucial to ensure your home is a safe environment for your child to be left alone with someone less familiar with your space. Intentionally setting up your home to be safe will not only prevent accidents and injuries but also give you peace of mind while you’re away from your child. Let’s get into these tips for how to set up a safe environment for babysitting in your home. 

Childproof Your Home and Remove Hazards 

Chances are you’ve already taken steps to “childproof” your home. Still, it’s a proactive and responsible idea to double-check that you’ve anticipated any dangers before leaving your child with a babysitter.  

Important areas to childproof 

• Ensure all hazardous areas, like stairs, are blocked with baby gates and that all cabinets and drawers have locks, especially cabinets and drawers that contain sharp objects or potentially poisonous items like cleaning supplies.  

• Make sure your child can’t access any upstairs windows (window guards are a great option) and that all outlets within their reach have outlet covers.  

• If you have any heavy furniture your child might try climbing on, secure it to the wall.  

In general, it’s helpful to move through your home from your child’s perspective before a babysitter comes over. What might your child be tempted to touch, explore, or climb on? Doing so will give you a good idea of what you might need to adjust or remove in your home to help keep everyone safe.  

Create a Safe and Inviting Play Area 

In addition to removing or blocking any potentially hazardous areas, consider creating a safe and inviting play area for your child. Having a designated play space will encourage your child to spend more time in this area of your home, reducing the likelihood of accidents elsewhere. Set up a clear space with age-appropriate toys and activities for your child to engage in with your babysitter. You can also create a similar space outdoors. 

Restock Emergency Preparedness Supplies 

Part of creating a safe environment for babysitting is ensuring that your babysitter has what they need to handle any potential accidents or emergencies. Before leaving your child in your babysitter’s care, restock your first aid kit with items like bandaids, alcohol wipes, and child-safe medicine. Keep this kit in an accessible place, and go over the location of the kit and what’s inside with your babysitter. Make sure your babysitter also knows where your fire extinguishers or fire blankets are. Leave a written list of emergency contacts with your babysitter that includes personal contacts and relevant medical providers. 

Review Rules, Boundaries, and Protocols With Your Babysitter 

It’s important to review the household rules you’d like your babysitter to uphold with your child. Discuss how you’d like certain behaviors addressed. If relevant, go over after-school or bedtime routines to ensure your child receives consistency. Take the time to explain any food allergies and how to administer any medication your child might need. You can also let your sitter know how you’d like them to handle any visitors who come to the door, including any of your child’s friends who might want to play. If your child is an infant, make sure you share specific preferences and safety protocols for feeding, sleeping, and changing diapers. An experienced sitter will likely already know these things, but it’s always safer to provide more information than less when it comes to safety! 

Ready to Welcome a Babysitter into Your Home? 

Now that you’ve created a childproof home, it’s time to find an experienced sitter who knows child safety like the back of their hand. Jovie makes it easy to find expert babysitters who are well-trained in keeping things safe and fun for the little ones. Find a professional babysitter with Jovie today!