Babysitting is a job that requires endless energy. Either you keep the kids occupied or they keep you on your toes. Keeping them occupied is not so simple, however. Kids lose interest in a toy or an activity sooner than you think. Moreover, boredom makes kids whiny and irritable. Babysitter games come in handy here. There are plenty of such babysitter games and activities, which are interactive, educative, and fun.
If you are taking care of more than one child, the following group activities can be organized.
• Red Light, Green Light: Traffic rules can be taught early through this babysitter game. One child stands with arms outstretched and gives red and green light signals which have to be followed by the rest standing at the other end. Children are required to run on a green signal and freeze on a red signal.
• Duck Duck Goose: The kids are made to sit in a circle. One child walks around tapping each one’s head saying duck or goose. On “goose,” the child tapped (goose) must run after the tapper around the circle and reach his seat before the tapper; else, the kid will have to sit in the middle of the circle.
• Hide and Seek: One child searches the rest who hide within a defined area. The kid found first searches the rest and the game continues until all the children are found.
• Treasure Hunt: A popular babysitter game for kids above the age of three, it involves hunting for a treasure (any object) in a defined area. The child who finds it first wins. You can make it even more interesting by giving clues.
There are some babysitter games which can be played in groups or even with a single child.
• Simon Says: In this game, “Simon” gives instructions and everyone follows. Whoever fails to follows the commands is ousted and the most accurate player wins.
• Paper Bag Guess: Familiar objects in the house are collected in a bag and the children take turns feeling the object and guessing what is it.
• Silly Faces: Funny faces make kids laugh no end. Ask the kids to stand in front of the mirror and let them make scary, happy, sad, and crazy faces.
• Food Creations: Lunch time can be playtime also. Use fruits and other healthy foods to create interesting shapes and lifelike characters. You can make the kids eat by amusing them at the same time. Involving older kids can be even more enjoyable.
Hiring a babysitter often becomes essential at times, especially if you have to attend to an important task outside the house. However, many parents are not entirely comfortable with the idea of leaving their child in the hands of a complete stranger. It is important that the babysitter you hire should be capable enough of handling different possible situations in your absence.
What are your expectations of your teenage babysitter?
We have three kids (almost 9, 4 and almost 2) and our eldest id very self sufficient. We pay our babysitter $10 per hour. We leave the house spottless, lots of food to eat and instructions for the sitter. When we come home, the house is a disaster, dishes are left with uneaten food in them, kitchen is not wiped down (if juice or something spills, it is not cleaned up), kids go outside without hats (we live in Canada) and oh, she very often forgets to change the baby’s diaper. The kids like her because she plays with them but hey…. shouldn’t she at least clean up? When I baby sat, the parents ALWAYS came back to a house just like they left it with their kids clean. Should we talk to her OR look for a new one?
~~~If you have talked to you babysitter about this and she hasnt changed,,,,you might want to find a new one,,,,but……first think about this,,,,if she is spending quality time with the children,,,truley getting down on the floor and playing games,,reading books,,,and if your children really look forward to her comming over,,,then mabey I would think twice. Do you want a babysitter that spends quality time with the children and kinda doesnt do house work,,,,or do you want a babysitter that does house work and sometimes pays attention to the children. Personally when you hire a babysitter so you can have a night out…think about this,,,,its a night for the kids too. But when it comes to dressing the children properly,,,and changing the little ones diaper,,,yes I would talk to her about that,,,,,give her the benifit of the doubt for now when it comes to keeping house. The children are more important than dirty dishes for one evening…..plus if you know they are having fun,,,,you will enjoy your evening out even more,,,,,,
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