You can typically find free samples and discount coupons by navigating your browser directly to a manufacturer’s website. To find these websites, do an online search for your favorite brands of formula, diapers, and baby foods.

You can also often get free trial subscriptions to leading parenting magazines. At the time of this writing, you can get a free 6-month subscription to American Baby magazine and a free 12-month subscription to Baby Talk magazine directly at the publications’ websites.

A word of caution about signing up for baby freebies, newsletters, and sweepstakes. Make sure you read the fine print, as well as a site’s privacy policy before you enter your name and email address on the company’s registration form. Each time you are signing up for something, you are probably being put on a mailing list. You may want to have a secondary email address that you use only on registration pages and, if the page asks you if you would like additional mailings from partners, opt out. Read the rest

Your oldest child may become angry, frustrated, and possessive of her toys and gear—and, of course, possessive of you. No matter how she expresses her discontent, what she is actually saying is “Don’t forget me! I need you too! This is difficult. Do you still love me?” Responding to these concerns is an important part of managing sibling rivalry and creating a home environment where everyone feels valued.

When Your Firstborn Meets Your Newborn

photo credit: i am brad
What you worry about is a critical difference between a first and second pregnancy. During the first pregnancy, you worried about whether you would be a good parent. The second time around, as a parenting pro your concern focuses on how your older child will react to your newborn. In fact, you probably wonder about your own reaction: “I love my child so much—how can I ever love a second child in the same way?” The truth is that the heart of a parent only expands and becomes more beautiful with each addition to the family.

You can address your concern by taking steps to prepare your firstborn for your soon-to-be arrival. Decide when you want to tell your child about the baby. There are different theories about the right time to do this. Go with what works for you given your situation and child’s age. Refer to the pregnancy as “our baby” and “my other baby” so your child feels included. Have your child go with you to prenatal visits where he can hear the heart beat and see the baby on the sonogram machine. Let your child step on the scale just as you do and meet your doctor. These activities frame the idea of a new family member in a way that actively involves your firstborn.

Whether your firstborn will have a new room is another area of preparation. Whatever you decide, make the transition as gradual as possible. Have your child learn the color of his new room—or help pick a new color if it’s to be repainted—and help organize it. Try to move your child several months before the baby’s birth, or if the newborn will be in a bassinette in your room, several months afterward. This time frame prevents your firstborn from feeling displaced by the new baby.While these are all helpful, proactive strategies, the reality is that your firstborn will not actually know what it is like to have a sibling until the baby arrives. To help make the homecoming go smoothly, have someone other than the primary caretaker(s) bring the baby through the doorway upon your return. This helps your child ease into the idea of a new addition and reassures him that your arms are still available for him, not just for the baby.

Friends, family, and colleagues will send presents for the new baby. Rather than having your firstborn watch the outpouring of gifts in dismay, have a stash of presents stowed away for him. They don’t have to be expensive or elaborate, but are gestures that reassure your oldest he is loved and valued.

Try to spend one-to-one time with your older child each day. Of course, the ability to do this depends upon your schedule and child care arrangements. One-to-one outings assure him of your undivided attention and the special relationship you share.

Toddler-Preschool Rivalry
Your older child may actually have no problem with the addition of a newborn to the family. Things may progress smoothly until something happens—your newborn stops being a newborn. A new relationship world is entered when your second child becomes a toddler. Now your preschooler may start to have real feelings about her younger sibling that get expressed through statements like “No!” and “Mine!” Your oldest may hide toys, refrain from sharing, and even hit her younger sibling.

“Why the drastic change?” you wonder. A newborn is less threatening to your firstborn—he can’t play with your older child’s toys, interrupt her conversation, or talk back. Sibling rivalry often erupts at this juncture because your oldest child is upset about the new behaviors her toddler sibling has acquired.

As with the transition from a one-child to a two-child family, several strategies can help you manage toddler-preschooler rivalry. A first step is to assess your family context. How do you manage conflict? Children observe and imitate adult behaviors. They will learn by watching you model effective negotiation and conflict resolution.

Do not make comparisons between your children. Statements like “Eat your food like Quentin does” only heighten feelings of conflict between siblings. Remember that each child is unique and embodies different ways of being in the world.

Allow your children to express their feelings in safe ways. Your preschooler may be angry about a toy broken by her younger brother. Giving your child the space to express angry feelings while you listen is validating and supportive. If hitting occurs between siblings, clearly communicate a no-violence policy.

Entering the world of siblings is like embarking on a new adventure. A growing family, the love that develops between siblings, and the pride you feel while you watch your children thrive are all guideposts along the way. Managing sibling rivalry means you strengthen relationships among all family members and in so doing, build a solid foundation for the future.

Tags: sibling birth order, child sibling rivalry, sibling fighting, sibling rivalry, bloodline sibling rivalry, sibling rivalry toddlers, articles on sibling rivalry, sibling sisters, how to stop sibling rivalry, sibling brothers, dealing with sibling rivalry, sibling jealousy

photo credit: krazydad / jbum

Raising Baby Saving Cost Tips

• Babies grow fast in their first year. They also don’t wear anything out. If you’ve been blessed with an abundance of new baby clothes from a baby shower, be practical. Keep a reasonable amount of newborn sizes and exchange newborn sizes for bigger sizes, all the way up to one year.
• Never refuse bags of hand-me-downs or pass-along clothes. Stains happen. Babies just do that. An outfit that is slightly stained is perfect for wear at home and most times when you’re out and about, the baby is tucked into a carrier or stroller or something, and no one is going to see the little stain. Not to mention that no one is looking for stains, they’re looking at the gorgeous little angel you’ve got instead!
• The pass-along clothes apply to older kids as well. The kids could wear these pass-along clothes when they camp. It makes you don’t worry if an already worn-a-bit shirt gets hit with mud, fish-guts or snagged and ripped on a tree. The clothing didn’t cost me anything and the boys get to be boys without worrying about clothes.
• Do not hesitate to shop for kids clothes at tag sales and thrift stores. If you find a great outfit in bigger sizes than you currently need, store them in a bin. You’ll go “shopping” for those bigger sizes eventually, trust me, they grow FAST.
• Let’s talk diapers. Cloth is a cheaper way to go if you wash your own. I admit we did not do cloth. So, that said, expensive disposables are just that-expensive! After having babies that could blow out the best of the disposables, we started trying the less expensive brands and found that they worked just as well, at a fraction of the cost! When it came to disposables, got whatever was cheapest, be it with a coupon and sale or sale alone. I did find a brand of generics I didn’t like and avoided, but for the most part, they did the job.
• Baby wipes. Here is a medical fact for you. Human urine is sterile. It does not contain bacteria (unless there is an infection-different story). You wipe the urine off the baby because uric acid crystals will form and irritate the skin. That said, you don’t have to reach for an expensive baby wipe with each wet diaper. I used a baby type face cloth that I rinsed off between diaper changes (each day was a fresh towel).
• For diapers that are a little more “messy” shall we say, you can use the wash clothes but you’ll need to wash them in hot water with bleach to kill bacteria (which works well if you’ve gone with cloth diapers). We preferred to use homemade baby wipes, which were much cheaper and just as effective. If memory serves, a container of generic wipes was about $1.99. I figured the cost of my homemade version to be about .50 maybe .75 but not more than that.
• Here is a recipe for homemade wipes. This is a great way to use up all those bottles of baby supplies you’ll get at a shower, by the way! : Buy good quality paper towels. I bought the select-a-size brand at the warehouse store to save cutting the paper towel roll in half and it kept the cost down. Fold halved towel in half again. Place into plastic container (recycled wipes containers do work well). Then mix 2 cups of water with 2 TBS of baby lotion (or creamy style baby oil) and 1 TBS of baby wash. Microwave or heat well for two minutes, pour over wipes.
• Babies do not need special laundry detergents unless they develop skin sensitivities. This is another one of those things new parents think is a must (well the ads would make you think you needed this!) If they do develop sensitivities, switching to one of the “free” type detergents might be all you need.
• Children do not need lots expensive toys. Seriously, think of that commercial with the expensive toy and the toddler with the box that the expensive toy came in. That kid plays with the box, not the toy! A recent trip to the toy store made us laugh. They had this electronic drum for babies/toddlers for 12.99. Your baby may could found sheer joy and pleasure by sitting on your kitchen floor with pots, pans, bowls and a wooden spoon to banging away. Sure the pots and pans didn’t need batteries either. Basically, think twice and three times before buying costly toys. A little imagination (or a book) goes a long way in turning basic household things into fun toys.
• Make your own baby food. Eliminate salt and extra spices and just cook longer and then run through a chopping machine. Baby food freezes in ice cube trays quite nicely. Don’t be fooled by “baby” juice. 100% fruit juice is just that, 100% fruit juice. Buy the big bottle of apple juice on sale for .99 and water it down (most pediatricians recommend a limited amount of fruit juice anyways and watering it down stretches that).
• Daycare. You have to really consider avoiding this expense. Daycare cost you a lot of money!
• Needs versus Wants. This is especially true if money is tight. Don’t hesitate to think twice before you buy something for kids. Manufacturers would have you think you need it all, but the reality is, your mother and your grandmother did without a lot of this stuff so chances are you can, too.

Well, I hope this article help you a bit saving your money

Tags: baby budgets, family financial planning, ways to save money, cost of raising baby, tips to save money, raising baby, family financial, how to save your money, save money

photo credit: maureen_sill

Ever wonder why you tend to go ga-ga when they see a baby? Well, now it is scientifically proved that look at the baby can light up your life.

Recent studies report that sophisticated imaging showed that seeing a baby’s face lit up a specific region of the adult brain associated with reward circuitry. This “Christmas tree” effect did not occur when adults looked at another adult face, suggesting there’s a neural basis for protective, nurturing feelings triggered by babies.

The study results were published Feb. 27 in the journal Plos ONE. Using an imaging technique called magnetoencephalography, scientists led by researchers at the University of Oxford in England scanned the faces of 12 adults as they looked at images of 13 infant and 13 adult faces. The study participants had never seen the images before. The faces were matched for emotional content, attractiveness and other features.

Brain activity started in the medial orbitofrontal cortex region of the brain within one-seventh of a second after seeing infant faces, but not adult faces. The responses were considered too rapid to be consciously controlled.

This region of the brain has been implicated in reward behavior; it also appears to be involved in visual object recognition. And depression has been linked to another region of the brain — the subgenual cingulate cortex — that is connected to the medial orbitofrontal cortex.

However, other experts were divided on the clinical implications of the findings. Here is the quote from Washington Post:

Paul Sanberg, director of the University of South Florida Center for Aging and Brain Repair said that the findings are interesting that clearly a brain area may be related to an instinctive behavior such as looking at a baby’s face. “I think (the study authors) are right that this could (be related to) an underlying brain mechanism of postnatal depression, where this part of the brain may be altered and could effect the ability of mothers to respond to infants’ cues.” Sandberg said.

But Dr. Jonathan Friedman, assistant professor of surgery and neuroscience and experimental therapeutics at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, was a bit more cautious when discussing the findings’ significance. “It’s an interesting finding without question — it’s never been recorded before,” said Friedman, who is also director of the Texas Brain and Spine Institute in College Station. “It’s not known if it (the new study) will have clinical significance.”

In the 19th century, famed naturalist Charles Darwin noticed that something about infants caused adults to respond instinctively and care for them. In his paradigm, this increased the chances that one’s own genes would endure.

Sanberg said, the next step, would be to see how the adult brain reacts to one’s own child. “It could be worth taking this further to see if this is involved in imprinting,” he said. “Are there different connections when it’s your own child? It’s of interest from an evolutionary point of view.”

The findings could also shed some light on postnatal depression, which affects some 13 percent of new mothers, the study authors said.

Well, I think it’s unbeatable that looking for a baby can make you smile and light up your life. No scientifically proof needed! (Am I in Friedman side?)

Tags: cute baby pictures, baby smile, baby pictures

The baby’s crib will be the largest and one of the most necessary items in the room so the style of the bed is crucial in our small space. Something sleek and simple that doesn’t command a lot of visual or physical space is best. If you’ve never been a fan of modern design now might be the time to make your peace with minimalist decor. At the very least you will want a bed that doesn’t call for large matching pieces to look as if it belongs in your space.

If you think that a section of the baby’s nursery is a prime location for that huge French armoire that you inherited, please reconsider. Large, bulky furnishings will only make your small nursery appear stuffed and crowded. Choose only the bare necessities in furniture. Perhaps you could make the most of her nursery closet and skip not only the armoire but the baby changing table and dresser combination. If there is no closet, a tall, narrow chest of drawers will give the illusion of space much better than a short, wide dresser.

Use every inch of space that you have carefully. Choose furnishings that can do double duty as storage spaces. Keep shopping for a bench until you can locate one that offers storage under a lift up seat. Buy a baby crib that has a large rollout drawer under the baby’s mattress.

Many decorators recommend painting the walls in light shades. I believe that you can successfully use any color for your nursery walls that you choose so long as you keep the living area of the nursery as clutter-less as possible. Keep decorative accessories to a bare minimum and allow lots of empty spaces between your baby furniture items.

When selecting your artwork for the nursery walls consider mirrors. Mirrors are excellent for adding light to otherwise dim rooms and an illusion of space to cramped areas. Your little prince or princess will enjoy looking at their reflections in nicely framed mirrors.

The best way to decorate the windows in a small nursery might be to forgo window treatments completely. Allow the light and outdoor scenery to reflect out of your carefully chosen mirrors on the opposite walls. If you feel that you must have some sort of window treatments for privacy, blinds or shades with a simple tailored valance across the header would be best.

Choose proper floor coverings for a spacious look. If the baby’s nursery floor has wall to wall carpeting the addition of area rugs would be a decorating mistake. No matter how well it ties into your baby’s nursery theme it will chop up the area and make it seem even smaller. Busy patterns and designs will only draw attention to the lack of floor space in the room.

Making a small baby nursery seem larger boils down to one basic room design concept; the least amount of visual breaks in your room the larger it will appear. No matter how precious your decorations are, they have no function in a room where space is at a premium. Choosing decorative elements for a tiny room is challenging and often emotionally brutal decisions must be made. We are not out to take the personal touches out of nursery décor, but to get the most out of a small area it may be necessary to display no more than one or two sentimental pieces at any given time. Regular rotation on a single wall shelf will keep your decorations interesting and at a minimum. By keeping clutter to a minimum, your baby’s bedroom should be a peaceful and beautiful place to build memories.

Tags: baby nursery, baby nursery room, baby room ideas

Using this principle – that your child is intensely interested in and paying attention to some things — you can help your child focus in situations where she currently is falling short. The main strategy is to channel your child’s energy and interest to promote the development of persistence in other tasks.

1. Sometimes kids lack persistence because they doubt their own abilities. By not trying they can preserve their dignity by saying “I failed because I didn’t even try.” You can channel your child’s enthusiasm for a sports hero or a favorite movie or cartoon character by telling him to pretend like he is his favorite hero. If your child is mesmerized by Lance Armstrong, invite your child to walk and talk like Lance would. By pretending to have a lot of confidence, your child will get the feeling for what it is like to have confidence and have the foundation for acting from that place.
2. Sometimes kids lack persistence because they feel if they have a disorder why should they even try since there is already something wrong with them. Using a person whom your child is fascinated with — his or her hero — you can ask your child to tell you what would have happened if that person said “Why Try?” If your child is obsessed with Harry Potter ask her what would have happened if he had just given up and didn’t try to overcome the many obstacles he faced.
3. Use your child’s areas of intense interest to develop basic skills that will help him in learning things that are not so interesting. For example, if you child is obsessed with cars you can help him find books or manuals about cars. In this way he will begin to develop some skills with reading that will carry over to other areas.
4. Let your child play and exercise in nature. A recent study (Faber-Taylor et al., 2001) has shown that playing in “green settings” helps children to focus and pay attention. The findings suggest that letting your child have a little bit of play time outside in nature before sitting down to do her homework might help her to concentrate, complete tasks and follow directions.
5. Become an advocate for your child in school settings. Sometimes your child needs little adjustments to help him focus in school. As a parent, if you can advocate for small changes, you can make a profound difference in your child’s behavior at school. For example, one parent found that by asking the teacher to let her child get out of her seat occasionally without being punished, the child was able to pay attention more in class just by making this one change.
6. Develop an appreciation for what your child does pay attention to. For example, often a child is not paying attention to the course work in school, but he is paying attention to what all the other kids are doing. Tell your child that his interest in other students shows a lot of caring and concern for others and intelligence about how other people get along and interact. Ask him to share his insights with you and comment on his abilities to understand what other people are thinking and doing. Praise your child at any opportunity for what they are paying attention to and find a way to reframe it as a strength rather than a deficit.
7. Find out what your child is paying attention to and encourage her interest in that arena. For example, if your child is interested in sports, rather than being discouraged that his interest will not lead to academic success, find a way to show him that you honor his interest and find ways to channel that interest. When parents try to discourage interests in their children, the child will feel that the parent does not understand him and feel alone. As an example, you could use an interest in sports to an exploration of the human body and how to encourage optimal functioning. This could lead to increased interest in science classes.

In summary, the main principles of change are to maintain a positive perspective of your child and to stay connected to your child. By honoring his or her areas of intense interest you can transform your child’s problems into strengths.

First, make sure your pets are up-to-date with veterinary checkups and vaccinations, since you may not have time for such things in the first few months after the baby’s birth. Give your pets plenty of special attention. Play with your cats and dogs on a regular basis; exercise helps them to relax, and it relieves stress for the whole family. If you have a dog, consider taking him or her in for a training refresher course. Find a trainer who uses positive reinforcement. A trainer who has experience with babies and children is ideal, since he or she can design a training, exercise, and safety plan for your family. It will save you a lot of time and frustration when you are busy with the baby if your dog knows key commands, such as “drop it,” “leave it,” “wait,” and “down/stay.” Make sure you practice the commands daily with your dog.

Both cats and dogs can benefit from familiarity with babies before you bring your new one home. Invite friends over who have babies and small children. Watch your animals closely to see how they react. If your pets seem unduly frightened, you might want to seek help from a behaviorist; your veterinarian may be able to refer you to someone. Never, ever leave a baby or child unsupervised with the animals. Start using baby products such as lotion, bath soap, powder, and laundry soap. If you and the rest of the family smell like baby products, the baby will have a familiar smell when he or she arrives.

Set up the baby’s room as soon as possible, so your animals will accept the new arrangement long before the baby comes home. A screen door can be very helpful to keep cats and dogs away from the sleeping baby. You can practice going into the room and reading aloud or talking in tones you will use with the baby. The animals will learn to wait (probably at the door) for your return.

Tags: veterinary checkups, newborn baby, pets

Paint Job
Make a quick run to the hardware store to pick up blue and pink paint swatches. Tape them to the wall in your future nursery and when your husband gets home bring him into the room and ask him which color would look better in this room.

Shop-a-holic
Does your husband know you for always coming home with new shopping bags? This time come home with a new maternity outfit, try it on and say, “How do you think this looks on me? Of course it doesn’t fit quite yet, but in another nine months it will!”

Baby Blog
Are you two habitual bloggers? Starting a new blog to chronicle your pregnancy can be a great way to keep long distance friends and family up to date. Make your first post a picture of your positive pregnancy test then make sure to send the link to your husband first to let him know of your new adventure!

Grocery List
Call your husband at work and ask if he wouldn’t mind stopping at the store on his way home. Tell him you need some; saltines, ginger ale, decaf coffee, pickles and ice cream, non alcoholic beer, prenatal vitamins etc… If he still doesn’t get it, add to the list some Parenting magazines, diapers, and baby food.

Vacation Time
Get out the calendar and tell your husband that you were hoping he could take a few weeks off in about nine months. Tell him you have a luxurious stay at your local hospital booked, complete with sleepless nights and regular bouts of spit up on your shoulders scheduled.

Rearview Mirror
If your husband is the first to leave for work sneak into his car and hang a pair of baby booties off the rear view mirror.

Sexy Mama
Who says you have to tell your husband that you’re pregnant in an innocent way? Try some ‘Sexy Mama’ undies to announce the news.

Pink and Blue Dessert
Ask your local baker to frost a few sugar cookies with pink and blue icing (if you don’t have time to do it yourself) and bring them on a plate to your husband after dinner. Let him choose if he thinks you are pregnant with a boy or girl.

Prayer time
If you and your husband say a nightly prayer together make sure to slip in a, “Bless our growing baby” and wait for the happy exclamations from your husband.

Kiss the Baby
Before your husband gives you his good night kiss tell him to ‘make sure to kiss the baby goodnight too’ and point to your belly.

However you may tell your husband about your pregnancy, it is sure to be a memorable moment for the both of you. Enjoy the nine months ahead!

Tags: pregnancy telling, family, husband and wife relation, preganancy, baby

Consolidate & reduce existing debts - It’s easy to accrue debts on credit cards, store cards and personal loans. Why not consolidate your existing debts into one place to reduce your monthly interest payments. You can consolidate debt from credit cards using a balance transfer offer such as 0% on balance transfers for 6 months. During these 6 months you should focus on reducing the debt as much as possible.

Make extra home loan repayments - If you have a home loan and are both currently employed you should use your dual incomes to make as many extra repayments on your home loan as you can manage before dropping to one income. Make sure your home loan has a free redraw facility so that you can pull any extra repayments back out at a later date should you need it. Even if you pull most of the money back out after you have the baby you will still of reduced your interest payments in the meantime and further reduced the principle balance.

Check your Health Insurance cover - Having a baby can rack up some big healthcare bills especially is there are any complications. If you don’t have private health cover you should consider taking it out in advance of getting pregnant as many funds have a 12 month wait before they pay out for maternity expenses. If you already have health cover, check the policy and ensure maternity cover is included. If not, you may need to upgrade or shop around for another policy.

Protect your income - While an additional expense, it is seriously worth considering income and life insurance should the worse happen. The upbringing of a child create a large financial repsonsibility. You need to be confident that your home loan could be paid off and essential costs such as education and living costs covered in the event that an income is lost or something happens to one of you.

Save for your future - Think about saving for education and other future costs by starting a high interest savings account. Online only savings accounts often have higher interest rates and lower fees than tradtional banks. If you looking for bigger returns with a long term investment then you could look into managed funds or shares.

Think ahead - is your retirement plan working for you - Make sure you have your entire retirement plan in one place to avoid paying multiple account fees. Look for retirement plans with low fees and strong performance results. The thought of your children growing up may seem a long way ahead but you need to get your money working for you now to ensure a good financial position for yourself when they eventually flee the nest.

Try out living on just one income - It can be a shock moving from a dual income household to a single income household when you have a baby. To make things easier why not try and live off one income for a while before the baby is born. The other income can be put towards extra home loan repayments or reducing debt as suggested in the other tips.

Don’t spend money when you don’t have to - The great thing about having a baby is that friends and family are keen to help out. If you’ve have friends who have had babies before you why not see if they have toys, clothes or equipment that they don’t need anymore. Ebay, online classifieds and your local newspaper are also excellent places to find baby goods second hand. To save money of expensive toys that your baby will soon grow bored of you can use local toy libraries for a small cost.

Babies can save you money as well! - While there may be no shortage of costs around bringing up a child, you’ll probably notice you spend less money on entertainment such as going out to restaurants and bars, especially in the first years after having a child. They will provide you with plenty of ‘entertainment’ and keep you occupied day and night.

Maybe I should rephrase that question. When was the last time you actually took some time for your partner and yourself by utilizing the services of a paid babysitter whom you trusted and the kids loved?

Or…are you simply scared to leave your kids with a sitter? (That’s okay. It IS scary the first time.)

You already know that regular, quality time away from the responsibilities of parenting can help you be a better parent. But honestly, you’ll need peace of mind about your children’s care if you are going to truly refresh yourself while you’re away.

This is simpler than you think. You can use readily available tools to accomplish this with ease. The first tool you’ll want to take advantage of is a babysitter checklist.

A babysitter checklist can ensure peace of mind by helping you keep track of what’s most important. For example…

– Do you worry that your children won’t be properly cared for while you’re out for the evening? Then use your babysitter checklist to detail what activities, what foods and what schedule you want for your children during that time period. A bonus of this approach is that both babysitter and children will be kept busy while you’re away.

– Do you worry about safety issues while you’re gone for a few hours? Put those important numbers such as fire, emergency help, and poison control directly on your babysitter checklist. Always leave a phone number where you can personally be reached. If you have specific safety routines in your home, detail all such information on your checklist and go over it with your babysitter before leaving for the evening.

– Keep any requests on your checklist specific to avoid misinterpretation. Don’t say that movies are okay for the kids to watch…write down exactly which movies are acceptable to you. The same goes for TV programs and music choices, too. (If you need a simple and no-cost babysitter checklist for your own use, please see the author’s resource box at the end of this article.)

You will still need to find a babysitter you can trust. I have always found that a personal recommendation is best when it comes to finding a new sitter. Once you’ve located a new sitter, have a ‘test sit’ so everyone can get acquainted. You might want to consider hiring your new babysitter to care for your children while you are in another area of your home. Again, use your babysitter checklist to give as detailed instructions as you like, so that your new babysitter knows EXACTLY what is expected of him or her.

One more thing…pay your babysitter well. You are asking someone to care for your most precious treasures and, let’s face it, quality costs. If money is an issue for you then be creative with your time away and reduce your costs on that end as opposed to trying to cut your babysitter’s salary.

Coordinating and organizing your time away from your children can make such events very valuable for both you and your family. Take the time to find the right sitter and use a simple babysitter checklist to make everyone feel comfortable and secure.

Tags: babysitter, leave home without baby, baby sitter, baby sitter service