Splish Splash, Summer Safety!

The last two weeks have been insane and hectic for me. I packed up all my belongings, and somehow managed to fit it all into my tiny car. Now I'm in Philadelphia and ready to start the next chapter: The Babysitting Company Philadelphia!!!! Spread the word!

This time of year, it doesn't matter where you are, it is HOT! Children are very sensitive to the sun and heat so I want to go over, and refresh your memories with some summer safety tips.

1) Drink plenty of water: I know you know this, but it's very important. Babies under the age of one get dehydrated the easiest, and this can lead to death. They should drink three cups of water each day. 

AGE	CUPS OF WATER
1-3	5
4-13	7-10
14+	11-15

*Please note that amount of water intake depends on size and gender of the person.  Also, the more active the child is, the more water they should drink.

2) Sunscreen: The Environmental Working Group recently put out their top sunscreen choices.  Please check them out at Best Sunscreens. When swimming, it is best for the children to wear long bathing suits, or swim shirts, a hat is also important too.  If this cannot be achieved, then make sure you put sunscreen on everywhere. Especially in kids with lighter hair, make sure you get their hair too. 

-Babies under the age of six months should not wear sunscreen.  Please keep infants in the shade and avoid going outside during the sunniest and hottest hours of the day.

-Do not forget to reapply sunscreen often.

-Even if it’s a cloudy day, sunscreen is a must

3) Pool Safety: It is important to watch the children like a hawk, but it is even more important to keep your eyes on the kids at all times when they are in or near a pool.

          -Learn where safety equipment is before the parents leave and keep a phone nearby.

          - The article Keep kids safe in, around the water from htrnews.com states, “Each year, more than 3,400 people drown in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and more than one in five fatal drowning victims are children younger than 14.”

All this summer talk is making me thirsty, how about you?!  Please be safe in the summer sun, and if the child is bright red and sweaty, maybe it is time to switch activities.  If you are alert, focused, and aware, everything should be just fine.

Enjoy your summer!

Elyssa and The Babysitting Company

How to Soothe A Crying Baby

It’s 11pm Friday night, the parents left hours ago, and do not plan to return any time soon.  You’re nice and comfortable on the couch, in a comfortable hotel room overlooking the ocean, reading your brand new book.  Then, all of a sudden.... the baby starts to cry.

So, you get up and gently rock him for a while....doesn’t work. Feed him, burp him, change his diaper, everything is failing and you start to panic.  Please do NOT panic, the baby can sense that and it only makes matters worse. Unfortunately, there could be dozens of reasons why the baby is crying, you’re not his mother, nor are you a mind reader. 

Here are the top 5 ways to soothe a crying baby (according to me):
1) Look around the room, if you see a pacifier or a stuffed animal, try giving that to the baby.  These are comfort items that lets the baby know everything is okay, and makes him feel secure. 

2) Swaddle the baby.  Wrap him up in his light blanket nice and secure.  Often newborns like to be bundled up.  I can’t blame them, that’s how they were positioned for the last nine months.

3) Sing to the baby and rock him.  My personal favorite: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. When you are walking and rocking the baby, try a change of scenery. Move into another low lit room or even stand by the window and open it for a little fresh air.

4) If you’re like me, and the singing might make the baby cry more, see if you can find some soothing music to play.  Mozart, opera, or white noises work well.

5) If the baby is teething, you can give him a teething ring and that will soothe the pain.

If all else fails, text or call the parents very calmly.  Let them know the baby woke up, and he’s fine but ask if they have any tips for you to calm him down.  Mommy and Daddy know best!

Love,
Elyssa and TBC!

Annie's Experience with TBC

"Working with The Babysitting Company has been a wonderful experience from the start. I had the most fun working with a family earlier today. While on a job, I usually spend the most time with the child/children of a client. Today was different; I spent the day with two amazing little boys and their whole family. We had a great time; in the pool, playing games, dancing, watching a puppet show and sharing stories. I am happy to be working with The Babysitting Company, especially because I have the chance to meet many wonderful people!" -Annie Benjamin

SOM for April

Rolanda Desir is the Sitter of the Month for April. In Rolanda's application she wrote that if she was accepted as a babysitter for The Babysitting Company we would be able to count on her for anything. Well that is really an understatement. Rolanda is someone that can be counted on for EVERYTHING, really! Day or night, near or far, she goes out of her way to accommodate her clients. Rolanda is most deserving as Sitter of the month for April!


"I am currently registered at FIU, my major is nursing. I also have medical assistant certificate and Emergency Medical Technician Certificate. I am interested in working with The Babysitting Company because I love children and I am always glad working with them. I consider myself willing to learn, punctual, serious and confident in my job." - Rolanda