Business Arrangements
 You
have a job to do and someone is paying you for your time. This is
not a time to invite a friend in or have a lengthy phone call. If
you do need to call someone, limit your conversation to a few minutes.
It is important to keep the line open for parents to call home,
or for someone else who has an important message. You should never
have visitors unless special arrangements have been made with the
parents.
Leave the house in good order. If dishes have been used, wash and
rinse them. Help the children pick up toys and games with which
they've played.
Messages for the parents should be correctly taken. Parents should
also receive a brief report about the children's behavior and any
unusual happenings.
To prevent a misunderstanding, both the sitter and the parents
need to make some business arrangements prior to babysitting for
the first time. Some of the questions to discuss include:
 Financial
Arrangements
What is a fair rate of pay? Check with others who babysit
in your community. Talk with your parents.
Do you charge by the hour or the job?
Do you charge the same for every family and every job?
How do you state your charges and collect your money? The
time to discuss the fee is when you accept the sitting date. After
discussing the job, just say "My charge is _____ an hour."
Your working time begins when you arrive and ends when the parents
return home. Make a note of the time, figure the total hours and
be prepared to give the amount. Most parents will ask "How
much do we owe you?" Be prepared to say: "That is 3 hours
at ____ an hour, so it is ______."
General Expectations
What is the expected time period that you will be babysitting?
How many hours? Will it be a regular schedule — daily, weekly,
or another time arrangement? How late can you stay? Will you babysit
during the week or weekends only?
Will you be required to do any special tasks such as washing
dishes or light cleaning?
How
will you get to their home and back again? You should not have
to walk home alone at night even for a short distance. You may not
be comfortable riding alone with a particular adult and/or riding
in a car that is being driven by an intoxicated parent. The best
solution may be to have your own parents drop you off and pick you
up again. Tell your parents immediately if a parent acts inappropriately
with you. And do not babysit there again.
If you find that you are expected to do an unreasonable amount
of work that was not mentioned in your arrangements, you may need
to cross this family off your list.
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