90s FAMILY : Shopping Around for the Best Baby-Sitter

Selecting an appropriate baby-sitter is the key to providing children with proper care when parents are not at home.

Prospective baby-sitters should be at least 12 years old, the age when they are physically and emotionally mature enough to handle problems that may arise.

But it’s important that parents interview potential baby-sitters to see how they interact with the children who will be in their care. Some 12-year-olds may be too emotionally immature.

When hiring a sitter, parents should also consider the length of time and the time of day when the sitter will work, along with the ages and number of children who will be in the sitter’s care. (In some instances, an older, more mature sitter may be the best choice.)

Baby-sitters need to know how to handle minor emergencies, including basic first aid. Parents should inquire whether the potential sitter has taken any training courses.

References are also important. Potential baby-sitters should have references that indicate a proven record of good judgment, maturity and ability to follow rules.

It is generally recommended that sitters do not have friends come to visit. Long telephone conversations should also be discouraged or prohibited.

Parents should be sure to discuss fees, rules and the manner of discipline that is appropriate before leaving children in a sitter’s care. Emergency telephone numbers should be posted by the phone. These numbers include:

* the local poison control center;

* the local ambulance service or 911 service (post your address by the phone in case the sitter is not familiar with it);

* where the parents can be reached;

* a nearby friend or relative;

* a pediatrician.

Sitters need to know where the first-aid kit is located. For households with young children, it’s also important to have a bottle of syrup ipecac on hand in case of accidental poisoning. But a baby-sitter should not use the ipecac unless instructed to do so by a staffer at the poison control center.

The baby-sitter should know how the doors lock, where the keys are kept and how to get out of the house in an emergency. (Smoke detectors should be in working order, and sitters should know where the fire extinguishers are located.)