Review Approved Disciplinary Actions

Your child may typically be angelic, but all children react to new people -- and babysitters -- in a variety of ways. Sometimes a very passive child may try to bend the rules a bit with a new person, thinking that the unfamiliar face is also unfamiliar with the rules. Parents and babysitters alike can avoid this sticky situation by discussing how discipline should be handled ahead of time. Parents should inform sitters of what requires a punishment and the types of punishment they approve of. Babysitters should never use means of punishment that the parent has not approved of. If a situation occurs that is more serious than any party expected, the parent should be called immediately for advice. If the parent is unreachable, one of the emergency contacts should be called and informed of the situation. Truth be told, there are few situations in which an immediate disciplinary response is absolutely necessary. If at any point, the babysitter feels overwhelmed, the parent should have a phone handy and be able to respond. After all, both babysitter and parent are part of a team with the child's best interests in mind.