When your child is offering his or her babysitting services, they’re focused on behaving responsibly in the parent’s home, taking great care of the kids, and having fun in the process! But, what should your child do if someone makes them feel uncomfortable at a babysitting job?
The first rule is to only allow your child to provide babysitting services for people they know and trust. Never let your kids post babysitter flyers or ads online as this is a very unsafe way to get babysitting jobs – you never know who might answer that ad.
However, even if a child only offers babysitting services for friends or family, someone might still do something that makes him or her feel very uncomfortable. Here are a few scenarios that might come up during a babysitting job and how to react:
*One or both parents come home drunk. This can be an awkward situation during a babysitting job. Discuss the best way to deal with this situation with your child before they start babysitting: they need to leave as soon as possible. Your child should never accept a ride from a parent who’s been drinking. A great way to deal with an uncomfortable situation is to come up with a code word for you and your child to use, so that even if they don’t feel comfortable saying “no,” at the time, they can still safely get out of the situation.
For example, if the code word is “I’m coming home now,” your child can simply call you and say the magic words, and you’ll know to head over and pick them up. Your child can tell the client that you are already on your way, avoiding a situation where the client is offering a ride. In the future, you and your child can decide if they will provide babysitting services for that client again.
*A parent or friend/family member of the parent acts inappropriately. If someone is talking in a way that makes your child feel uncomfortable or afraid, or someone touches him/her at a babysitting job, he or she should understand that they need to react right away and call you for help.
The next step is to contact your local police department and report the sexual assault. Don’t hesitate – this is a criminal offense and needs to be reported right away.
Kidproof’s Babysitter Training course can help prepare your child to be a safe, confident babysitter, and to deal with difficult situations on the job.
For more info about Kidproof and their great programs for kids, contact Kelly at ottawa@kidproofcanada.com
