Babysitting requires knowledge of certain safety rules to be respected and taken into account when looking after a child.
Safety rules at home
- The first rule of safety that a babysitter must respect is never to leave a child alone, because the child could be in danger. You may not think about it, but there are many dangerous things in a house for a child.
- Dangerous products or medicines are a source of risk for the child, who may be attracted by the new things he or she discovers.
- Electrical outlets should also be monitored when looking after a child: it is best to install socket covers to block children’s access to them.
- Some household appliances can also be physically harmful to the child in your care. For example, the oven, if it is on and within the child’s reach, can be a source of burn risk for the infant or child, as can cooking pots. Also make sure that hot liquids are not left within reach.
- When bathing, supervision is even more important as the risk of drowning is high. Make sure you are always present next to your child and pay attention to what he or she is doing. The water temperature should not exceed 37°C to avoid burning the child. Finally, do not leave electrical appliances near the water as there could be a risk of electrocution.
- Care should also be taken with furniture such as the cot, as this could be physically harmful to the infant. It is preferable to equip the room with a bed with bars for the little ones. Table corners also put the child at risk and could cause some bruises to the child. Also think about protecting the stairs because a fall can happen very quickly!
- Certain objects should also be kept away from children and infants, such as plastic bags, which can cause a child to choke.
All these sources of danger must therefore be kept out of the child’s reach so that he or she does not have access to them. For example, install high cabinets so that dangerous products are not accessible to the child. There are also safeguards that can be put in place such as safety gates or corner guards to prevent injury to children.
Outdoor safety rules
When looking after a child outdoors, new safety rules and gestures must be respected:
- You have to make sure that the place where the child is looked after is fenced in, so that the child cannot leave and disappear from the babysitter’s field of vision.
- Swimming pools also put children at great risk: drowning happens very quickly and children under 6 years of age are the main victims of accidental drowning.
- Also remember to protect your children according to the climate: dress them accordingly if the weather requires it or bring sun cream and sunglasses if the sun is out!
Medical problems
In the event of a medical problem, it is necessary to contact the parents immediately as they know their child best and can potentially deal with the problem. In the event of a medical emergency, the babysitter must contact the fire brigade or emergency services who will advise her of the safety procedures to follow. The emergency numbers are as follows:
- 15 for the SAMU (France)
- 18 for the fire brigade (France)
- 080 for the fire brigade (Spain)
- 061 for the ambulance (Spain)
- 112 or 999 for emergencies (UK)
If it is a less serious injury, always have a first aid kit with you: then disinfect the wound and clean it to avoid infection. Then put on a bandage to preserve the wound so that it heals quickly. Remember to inform your parents as soon as you return home if you have any scratches.
Training courses
Finally, there are training courses that raise awareness of the prevention of potential accidents that can occur when looking after an infant or even a child. For children, the “Introduction to child and infant first aid” course is the best option. The “Introduction to first aid” course can be a good start and you can continue with courses such as “First aid” or “Civic prevention and rescue”.
All of these safety precautions should then be taught to children so that they understand the potential dangers they face. Thus, babysitting requires care and attention so that the child does not face any danger or potential risk.
See also our article on the qualities required to be a babysitter.
That’s it! We hope we have been able to help you. If you are interested in becoming a babysitter, go to Marypop and become one of our many babysitters. And if you still have questions, don’t hesitate to contact us, we will answer all your questions. See you soon on Marypop!
Follow all our news on
www.instagram.com/marypopandthekids and on www.facebook.com/marypop.babysitters