How to Dress your Baby - day & night, all seasons

How to dress baby in Winter

Daytime
You must always be careful not to over dress baby especially when wearing formal children's wear! A new born (who does not move a great deal) will only need one more layer than the adults. Older children who are walking don't need more layers.

Use a long sleeve body under clothes. Padded overalls are very practical, enabling baby to be perfectly warm to enjoy his outing regardless of the bitter cold weather. Take care to protect baby's head, ears and neck - a hood or hat is essential.

Night time
Baby’s bedroom should ideally have a constant temperature of 19 to 20 degrees centigrade. Dress baby with a long sleeve body, a long sleeve sleep suite and in their sleeping bag if over 3 months. Lay baby on their back, a cuddle, a lullaby and good night.

How to dress baby in Spring and Autumn

Daytime
Spring weather is very unsettled, often rainy; baby must therefore be protected from rain. An all-in-one overall if they are in a sling or carry cot; the push chair must have a rain cover. If they are bigger a raincoat, rain hat and boots as they love jumping in the paddles and adore the rain.

How to dress baby in Summer

Daytime
If it is hot enough for short sleeves for you then short sleeves for baby also - but always have a cardigan ready in case the weather cools. And don't forget when baby is wearing formal dresses or clothing pay extra attention to their temperature.

For all garments close to the skin choose cotton.

In summer sleeveless vests are more comfortable than bodies as they allow small amount of air to circulate which is very pleasant.

Bare feet is OK - but never leave baby under direct hot sun and never without clothes and sun cream. Remember their skin is very sensitive. Cover baby’s head and protect the eyes from intense sun light. Do not forget to make him drink during the day.

Night time
No more sleeping bag if the weather is 23 to 24 degrees centigrade, let baby sleep in pyjamas or a sleep suit. If the temperature is above 26 degrees centigrade pyjamas or sleep suits are not essential.

Baby Shower Hand Cream

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Indulge guests with these tiny cases of luxurious hand cream as lotion favors.

This delicate "whipped" blend of peonies, jasmine and white lilies is sure to become every girl's favorite.

The perfect size to pop into your pocket or handbag for on-the-go hand replenishment.

These luxurious hand cremes come personalized with your chosen text, color and design - a "goo goo" baby symbolizing the sweet bundle on it's way, a onesie to coordinate with the shower details, or a little ducky to show your playful side.

Personalized Hand Cremes arrive separate from the labels, some assembly required (attaching the self-stick labels to the cases).

Each clear plastic case has a screw on lid and measures approximately 1.2" in diameter.

Minimum order is 36.

Home Made Baby Foods

YOU HAVE NEW DECISIONS TO MAKE!
When your baby is 4 to 12 months old, your doctor, nurse or nutritionist will recommend starting your baby on semi-solid foods. This pamphlet answers some of the questions concerning this new stage in your baby's development.

Schedule for Starting Semi-Solid Foods

WHEN TO ADD FOODS	TYPE OF FOOD	SUGGESTED FOODS
4 to 5 months	cereals	iron-fortified baby rice, barley or oatmeal cereal (dry)
5 to 6 months	vegetables	carrots*, squash. sweet potatoes, peas, green beans, spinach* and beets*
6 to 7 months	fruits, oven-dried	apple juice**, strained fruits; wheat, toast (without butter) mixed and high protein baby cereals (dry)
7 to 8 months	meat and meat alternates	strained meats: beef, liver, turkey alternates chicken, egg yolks. cooked dried beans (put through a sieve to remove skins), (no gravy nor salt); easily mashed vegetables and fruits.
8 to 10 months	cheese, plain yogurt, finger foods sliced meats and casserole    combinations ions soft cooked meats	cottage cheese, mild yellow cheesesoft cooked vegetables green beans, carrot coins cut in quarters, broccoli crackers macaroni and cheese, spaghetti. beans and rice, homemade soups and stews crumbled hamburger, some meatloaf. tender chicken and tuna fish (water- packed)
10 to 12 months	finger foods whole egg (at 1 2 months)	banana slices, pear slices. peach slices,watermelon. cantaloupe, crackers,cheese slices and macaroni

** do not give citrus juices until after the baby is one year old.

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Making Your Own Baby Food
It is a simple, inexpensive way to feed your baby and can be just as easy for you as baby food in jars maybe even easier!
TIPS FOR SAFE BABY FOOD
Before You Start -

• Wash your hands before preparing food.
• Use clean cutting board, equipment and containers to cook and store food.
• Always wash and peel fruits and vegetables and remove seeds and pits before using.

When You Are Done -

• Cover and refrigerate or freeze cooked food immediately after it is prepared.
• Keep pureed food in a covered container in the refrigerator for no more than three days.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED
The following items are useful EQUIPMENT for making baby food, but really only a fork is necessary to get started.

Blender                  Sharp Knife                      Heavy Saucepan                         Fork                      Rubber Spatula                 Steamer                         Strainer                  Vegetable Brush                Food Mill

WAYS TO MAKE BABY FOOD - You don’t need to use all methods, just find one or two that will work for you                                                                       .
MASH
Use a fork to mash soft food. Ripe bananas and cooked foods with no skins or  seeds can be used. Cooked apple, white or sweet potatoes, squash, carrots and egg yolks are easy to mash.
SIEVE OR STRAINER
You can use a strainer or clean, fine mesh wire and spoon to push the food   through.  Repeat the process if results are lumpy.
FOOD MILL
Cut the food into pieces. Put the cooked food through the food mill. (The skin and  seeds will stay in the mill.)

CHOP
Foods can be finely chopped or scraped with a knife, then mixed with liquid.

FOOD GRINDER
A food grinder can be used to grind up meats when the baby is ready for junior foods (about 9 to 12 months old).

BLENDER
Read the directions with your blender. Put a little formula or fruit juice, or juice from the food you are making or water into the blender. Cut food into cubes and add to the juice. Blend to desired consistency. Use a rubber spatula to push food  own to blades when motor is turned off Using the blender is the easy and fast way to make baby food.

HOW TO FREEZE BABY FOODS?
An easy way to freeze baby foods is in FOOD CUBES.  Food cubes are a perfect size for smaller babies and a good way to introduce new foods.
To make them:

1. Freeze baby foods in plastic ice cube trays.
2. Pop out the frozen cubes and store in clean ziploc or plastic bags in the freezer for up to one or two months. DO NOT TURN BREAD BAGS inside out to reuse.

Food cubes are also handy for traveling or visiting. Since baby food does not always have to be heated, thaw the cubes in the refrigerator and feed at room temperature within 30 minutes of removing from refrigerator. As his or her appetite grows, use more cubes!
Now you are ready to start learning a few basic recipes.  Try one recipe at a time .... soon you will be comfortable enough to prepare larger amounts of food at the same time.

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Basic Recipes for Baby Foods

FRUITS

Cooked Fruits
Wash fresh fruit. Cook in a little bit of boiling water until soft. Puree or strain so all of the lumps are gone. Make sure there are no seeds or skin in the fruit. Rinse canned fruits to remove part of the sugar if canned in syrup. If using home canned products, make sure proper canning guidelines were followed.
Ripe Banana and Other Fresh Fruit
Ripe bananas have a brown skin with spots. Mash a little bit. Other fresh fruits can be ripe cantaloupe, peaches, apricots, pears, prunes
-prunes are especially good for constipated babies.
Frozen Fruits
Frozen unsweetened fruits purchased in bags can be slightly thawed, then blended and frozen in ice cube trays no need to cook them as long as equipment is clean and things are done quickly.
An 18-ounce bag of frozen fruits and vegetables will fill an ice cube tray.
VEGETABLES

(See chart above)

To cook: Boil, Steam or Bake, then blend or mash.

If the baby foods are too thin, add Baby Rice Cereal, and if they are too thick, add fruit juices, formula, or juice from the cooked vegetables.

DO NOT add salt, sugar or fat.
DO NOT feed corn to babies.

By 5 months of age, spinach, beets, carrots and turnip or collard greens, whether home grown or commercially prepared, should be tolerated. For some infants who are sensitive to high nitrate levels, only commercially prepared strained or junior spinach, beets, carrots, turnip or collard greens should be served. As a general precaution for all infants, feed only I to 2 tablespoons of home grown or canned spinach, beets, carrots, turnip or collard greens at a time.

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MEAT AND MEAT ALTERNATES
(Do not add salt or fat)

One pound of meat equals one and a half cups pureed (blended) meat, about 8 to 10 food cubes. Do not use pre-cooked luncheon meats such as bologna or bacon because of too much salt and additives.

Basic Meat Recipe

Half a cup finely cubed meat that is well-cooked, and 2 tablespoons (more or less) formula or unsalted meat broth.

Liver

Liver is the easiest meat to blend. It also is very rich in iron. Steam liver in a small amount of water in a covered pan about 8 to 10 minutes and blend.

Hard-Cooked Egg

Put a fresh egg in water. Bring water to a boil. Turn off the heat and let the egg sit in the hot water 20 minutes. Remove the cooked yolk and mash with a fork. Do not serve the egg white to the baby until baby is 12 months old.

Egg Custard

Put one egg yolk, ¼ cup milk, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a pan. Stir over medium heat until mixture is thick.

FINGER FOODS FOR THE TEETHING INFANT
Hard bread roll, toast (without butter) or bagel Banana pieces
Chicken drumstick (remove gristle)
Avoid using sweet cookies, cakes, pretzels and pastries for the teething infant. Children will learn to eat sweets and salty snacks soon enough as they grow up.

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JUNIOR FOODS

As your baby approaches 9 months of age, junior foods can be introduced (see page two for new foods to try)
Besides trying new foods, continue with the fruits, meats and vegetables your child enjoys eating. Simply blend foods for shorter periods of time to leave food "chunky".
When using strongly flavored foods such as chili or beans and rice, serve small amounts first to see if your baby is ready for them.
If you decide to BUY BABY FOOD already prepared, there are a few things to know:
I. It is best to buy strained fruits, strained vegetables, strained meats. This way you know what you are feeding your baby.
2. Read the labels on jars cans and boxes, especially the words following "Ingredients".

When to start Solid foods for baby and Baby Feeding Schedule 83

when to start baby on solid foods

Feeding your baby

baby food

When to start baby on solid foods

Your baby's intestinal tract is not as fully developed during the first few months and introducing solids at this time can be too much to handle. Waiting until six months to introduce solid foods into your baby's diet will help minimise the risk of her developing adverse reactions to foods and allergies. This is particularly important if you have a family history of allergies, as the incidence of adverse food reactions, allergies and celiac disease does decrease if you delay weaning until this time.
Another reason for holding off on solids is your baby's inability to swallow solids correctly before 4 to 6 months of age and this can potentially cause choking. And contrary to the popular myth, starting solid foods and feeding schedule early will not help your child to sleep through the night. If you feel your baby needs to start solid foods before five months, do discuss it with your health care provider first. This is particularly important if your baby was born prematurely. Doctors state that starting solid foods for baby and feeding schedule should not be introduced before the end of your baby's fourth month. If you do decide to wean your baby onto solids before five months, there are a number of foods that need to be avoided. Make sure you pay attention to the ingredients, try to avoid anything containing gluten, eggs, cheese, dairy products, fish and shellfish as they could provoke an allergic reaction.
Baby feeding schedule and feeding chart is also discussed in detail below and in a picture form. Please refer to the baby feeding chart picture below for a quick recap.
Here are some signs to tell when to start baby solid foods

• He or she is atleast 4 or 6 months old.
• Doubles birth weight and weighs at least 13-15 pounds.
• Seems hungry after 8 to 10 breastfeedings a day or drinks 32 ounces of formula a day.
• He or she can sit with support, allowing her to lean forward when she wants another spoonful and backward to refuse.
• He or she is drinking at least 32-40 ounces of formula per 24-hours and still wants more.
• He or she is breast feeding at least 8-10 times per 24-hours (after the first few weeks), empties both breasts at each feeding, and still wants more.
• The time between feedings becomes shorter and shorter over a period of several days Baby can bring object in their hand directly to their mouth.
• Shows interest in others eating around them.
• Baby becomes fussy in the middle of the night, whereas before the baby slept with no problem. Or sleep periods becoming shorter and shorter instead of longer.

This will help determine when to introduce solid foods to your baby and also the baby feeding schedule.

Baby feeding schedule

Baby solid foods:

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Baby Feeding Schedule

Baby solid foods for 4-5 months baby:

At this age, breast milk or formula is the only food that your baby needs and he should be taking 4-6 feedings each day (24-32 ounces), but you can start to familiarize your baby with the feel of a spoon and introduce solid foods.

When to start baby on rice cereal?

Rice cereal is the first baby solid food you should give your baby and you can mix with it breast milk, formula or water. Always start with iron fortified rice cereal or oatmeal. Feed your baby solid foods from an infant spoon, not a bottle. Start with a thin mixture and gradually make thicker as the baby learns to handle solid foods. Build up the amount, as the appetite demands, usually 3-4 tablespoons of dry cereal. This can be given in one or two meals. Do not give mixed cereal until you are sure the baby can tolerate rice, oatmeal and barley alone. If your baby pushes the spoon out with their tongue, try to be patient. You can wait a day or two and then try again. There is not rush to get them to eat solid foods.

Feeding schedule for 6-7 months baby

When to start baby on vegetables?

While continuing to give 4-5 feedings of breast milk or formula (24-32 ounces) and 4 or more tablespoons of cereal each day, you can also start yellow or orange vegetables first. Carrots, squash and sweet potato are good choices to start. You can give the step 1 baby solid foods, or you can puree your own vegetables at home. You can also try mild tasting vegetable such as green beans and peas and gradually increase to 4-5 tablespoons one or two times each day. After 3-4 days, introduce another vegetable, and then try a green. If the baby does not like green veggies, mix in a yellow one. Always start with just a few teaspoons and work up to more at your baby's own pace.

When to start baby on fruits?

Start fruits about a month after starting vegetables and again, gradually increase to 4-5 tablespoons one or two times each day. Always start with applesauce, pears or bananas. You can try one fruit for 3-4 days. Then introduce another fruit if your baby has no reactions. Remember to buy fruits without tapioca or starches added. Once your baby gets used to different textures you may mash up a banana or other soft fruit on your own.
You can also begin to offer 2-4 ounces of 100% fruit juices. Start by mixing one part juice with two parts of water and offer it in a bottle.

Feeding schedule and sample meal plan for 6-7 months baby

Breakfast: 4-6 tablespoons baby cereal, 6-8 oz breast milk feeding or formula
Mid-morning: 2-4 oz breast milk feeding or formula
Lunch: 2-4 tablespoons cooked strained vegetables (carrots, squash, green beans), 6-8 oz breast milk feeding or formula
Mid-afternoon: 4-6 oz breast milk feeding or formula
Evening snack: 2-4 tablespoons cooked fruits (applesauce, pears or bananas)
Dinner: 2-4 tablespoons cooked strained vegetables or rice cereal, 6-8 oz breast milk feeding or formula.

Baby Feeding Chart

Baby Feeding Schedule

Solid foods for 8-9 months baby

While continuing to give 3-4 feedings of breast milk or formula (24-32 ounces) and 4 or more tablespoons of cereal, vegetables and fruit one or two times each day, you can now start to give more protein containing solid foods. These include well cooked, strained meats (chicken), mild cheese and egg yolks (no egg whites as there is a high chance of allergic reactions in infants less than 12 months old baby). You can also give cheese, yogurt, cooked mashed beans and lentils.
You can also begin to offer 3-4 ounces of formula or 100% fruit juice in a cup at this time.

Solid foods for 10-12 months baby:

Your baby's diet will begin to resemble that of the rest of the families, with 3 meals and 2 snacks each day and will include 3-4 feedings of breast milk or formula, iron fortified cereal (1/4 - 1/2 cup at breakfast), vegetables and fruits (1/2 cup/jar at lunch and dinner), protein foods (2-4 tablespoons each day), 100% fruit juice (2-6 ounces in a cup each day), and some finger foods.
It is important to offer a variety of foods to encourage good eating habits later.

When to start baby on table foods:

You can also start to offer soft baby table foods and finger foods at this age. You can give table foods like dry cheerios, soft table vegetables, some fresh fruit, cottage cheese, pasta, graham or saltine crackers, but do not give these foods if the child is going to be unattended in case of choking.

How do you know if your baby is food sensitive?

Severe diarrhea or vomiting, a rash, or wheezing may be symptoms of sensitivity to a specific food. On the other hand, they may just be coincidence. If you think your baby reacts to a food, stop feeding that food. Try it again in a few weeks. Always call your health care provider for any information.

Baby Food Suggestions

Whole-grain kokkoh cereal can be introduced after 8 months to 1 year as main food. It is made from four parts brown rice (short grain), 3 parts sweet brown rice, 1 part barley, always cooked with a piece of kombu, (which does not always have to be eaten). The proportion of water to grains is about 10:1, 7:1, or 3:1, depending upon the age of the baby. (Younger babies require more water.) Millet and oats can be included from time to time. Buckwheat, wheat, and rye are usually not given.

1.	Soak cereals for 2–3 hours and pressure cook with five times more water for 1 hour, or
2.	Soak cereals for 2–3 hours and boil with ten times more water until half the original volume of water is left. Use a low flame after rice comes to a boil. If rice boils over, turn off flame and start it again when rice stops boiling over.

This cereal should be soft and creamy. For babies less than 5 months old, kokkoh is best digested if mashed well (preferably in a suribachi or with a mortar and pestle). For babies less than 1 year old, rice syrup or barley malt may be added as a sweetener. Avoid kokkoh or other creamy grain cereals made from flour products. Kokkoh can be given as a replacement for mother’s milk if mother’s milk is not available.

Soup can be introduced after 5 months. Contents of vegetables and wakame or kombu seaweed may be given after well mashed in creamy form. No salt, miso, or tamari is added before 10 months old; thereafter, a slightly salty taste may be used for flavoring.

Vegetables can be introduced after 5–7 months, usually when teeth come in and grains have been given for 1 month. When introducing vegetables to children, start by giving sweet vegetables, boiled or steamed, but cooked well and mashed ( e.g., carrots, cabbage, squash, onions, daikon, chinese cabbage). Because it is usually difficult for children to eat greens, special effort should be made to make sure they eat them. (They may prefer sweet greens like kale and broccoli to watercress and mustard greens.) Very mild macrobiotic seasonings may be added to vegetables after 10 months.

Beans can be introduced after 8 months, but only small amounts of aduki, lentils, or chickpeas, cooked with kombu seaweed and mashed well.

Sea vegetables can be introduced after 1 1/2–2 years, although grains should always be cooked with kombu, and vegetables can be cooked with seaweed ( the seaweed need not be eaten).

Beverages include spring or well water boiled and cooled, bancha twig tea, cereal grain teas, apple juice warmed or hot, and amasake ( boiled with twice as much water and cooled).

Fruit and fish should be given to infants only when recommended in a particular case. Fruit, cooked and mashed, can be introduced after 1 1/2–2 years of age.

Quick, light pickles may be introduced after 2–3 years of age.

Age 4: Standard diet with mild salt, miso, seasonings, etc. (Fish is not at all necessary to give at this age.) Babies and infants should not have any fish or ginger. The taste that nourishes babies and children the most is the sweet taste.

 

 

One Year Old Baby Food, One Year Old Baby Care Tips

Developmental Milestones for a One Year Old (13 to 24mnths)
The other day, you were quite ecstatic to see your toddler standing alone without support. Isn’t it? Well, soon you would even find her walking and taking up to running effortlessly by the end of about 20 months. Falling amidst the process is common, but still geared up to take the steps ahead. Bends down with ease to pick up that small cube of apple, whilst being able to maintain a good balance when sitted. Welcome, to life with your growing one year old.
Physical Development
By about 15 months, your child can easily balance himself when placed on his knees and simultaneously turn his head. While walking can stop and take steps backwards but may not be able to immediately do the same, if he is running. What’s more in store, when you see him being surrounded with too many toys in his room? Well, he explores the given space by enjoying doing many things at a time. Sometimes, he would seek fun riding the swinging horse cart. While at times, he would be beaming with confidence on building a tower of 5- 6 cubes. By the end of 24 mnths, you would see him grasping and releasing the ball and even kicking it well.
A child on move at around 18- 24 mnths of age gets curious day by day. Fidgeting with new objects, bringing them to their mouth, opening drawers and cabinets, closing doors are just few on the amazing list of their chores for the day. You do tend to steal some learning time for your child by reading a book and what you observe? He just starts turning the pages hurriedly, may even start scribbling all over with the little crayon stick. At around 13-18 months of age, a child may learn to hold a crayon with a better control and be able to make some circular strokes. By about 18- 24 months of age, a firm grip helps him make some distinct vertical and horizontal strokes.
He responds to your see-off gesture in return with a good bye and may even plant a peck on your cheek, if taught to. Also, reciprocates a joyful gesture with clapping.
Self Care At One Year Age
At about 13-18 months of age, you would find him feeding himself with much independence. He holds the cup with both his hands, drools less and feeds well on finger foods. He would also learn to chew his morsel and not just gulp it down. He would be learning to bring the spoon to his mouth but is still not yet skilled at it. But by 19- 24 mnths of age, you would find him eating well with a spoon but without your help. There would be less of mess with spilling and dropping happening not quite often. Gets better with taking out his shoes, pulls off his socks and learns other simpler aspects of dressing.
A child at around this age cannot understand the finer aspects of hygiene and health. You can help him get started with establishing toilet routines. Although, it’s difficult as many children may not respond to following a set pattern by the time they are 3.5 yrs old which is quite normal. But you should keep checking on the same by watching his gestures. On being gently probed, he might indicate by pointing it to his kiddo toilet seat. A nail trimming session is filled with lots of prodding and nagging. By observing others, he usually learns to wash his hands and pat it dry.
Social, Emotional and Intellectual Development
A one year old child seeks independence in every activity, even though he may not be successful at completing all of them e.g. (feeding, putting on his cap). He resists your assistance in helping him out. In the process, if he is really irritated by repeated failures then might urge through his gestures. He may indicate it just by clinging on to you for help.
He can sense the presence of other people apart from his parents. Depending on how familiar he is with them, he expresses different emotions and social skills at different situations. For e.g. May hold on to his grandfather reminding him to be taken for his evening stroll. If he happens to see some familiar faces e.g. of his fellow cousins at a gathering, might respond by giving a hug. At a shop, if he happens to be surrounded by few other children of his age group, what all you would expect? At one instance, the sight of a cranky fellow being can make him cry. But the sight of another child smiling would make him feel happy. He might just respond through simple friendly overtures like walking towards him and playfully patting his hand on the other child’s face.
At around 19- 24 months of age, you find him imitating animal sounds really well. He likes to be the centre of attention, wants all his demands to be met at the earliest. If he sees that you are not giving him that object he is eyeing for, he might just hit you or scream showing his anger. He begins to address his things well with words like ‘me’ and’ mine’ for e.g. my toy. The presence of strangers might make himself conscious. So he may coyly hide behind a chair. He would try to relate his actions with your facial expressions. Looks embarrassed on having broken something, if you had been constantly telling him not to touch that object.
By around 13-18 months of age, you begin to notice new additions in the list of words that your child uses for conversing. Looks at your face constantly when being talked to. Asks for an object by pointing at it and uttering a word for the same. By about 19- 24mnths of age, you observe him to be good at speaking one to two short sentences. Likes talking to himself, sometimes in a tone that becomes difficult to interpret. He becomes choosier with his toys, likes humming his favourite kiddie rhymes and can remain glued to that colourful picture book as well.
Every one year old will be developing at a different pace. Some may grasp certain skills earlier and quickly as compared to others, so you needn’t worry. But if you see your child to be extremely unresponsive to his surroundings, sounds and still not able to pull himself to a standing position, then its apt to discuss these issues with her doctor.

What You Should Know When Going Into Babysitting

Whether you are a young person who is hoping to earn some extra spending cash by doing some babysitting, or you are an adult who is hoping to start a babysitting business, there are some things that you need to know at the beginning.
The first area that you need to be familiar with is the area of safety. This includes basic first aid, child and infant CPR, and emergency preparation and planning. Some organizations, such as the American Red Cross, may offer babysitting courses in your area that cover some of these basic safety topics. Taking this sort of training, and becoming CPR and first aid certified, will help you to be prepared to baby-sit, as well as help you in trying to find families for whom you can baby-sit.
Next, you will need to get a firm grasp on how the babysitting market operates in your area. Do most people find babysitters by word of mouth? Are there babysitting referral services that you can either join or compete with? How much is it customary for babysitters in your area to be paid? Talk with a variety of parents to find out where they find their sitters, and how much they are paid. These conversations may also provide you with some leads to families that may need a babysitter. You can also check the yellow pages to see if there are babysitting services that can refer you to families.
Next, try to get a grasp on what activities are appropriate for certain ages. To be the best babysitter you can be, you will want to engage the children in activities, rather than just plop them in front of the television while you talk on the phone. By being involved in activities with the children, they will be happier, their parents will be happier, and you will be more likely to be invited back.
Finally, you should try to make a list of exactly what you can do and when. Are you comfortable and capable of babysitting small children under the age of two, or do you prefer older children? Would you be willing and able to baby-sit for a child with a disability? Are you available during the most demanding time for babysitters, on Friday and Saturday nights, or are you only available during the week? Are you willing to offer to perform various household chores or cooking in addition to babysitting? By thinking about these things ahead of time, you can be better prepared when you interview for a potential babysitting job.
While it may take a little bit of extra effort, you might find that being prepared in these ways will not only help you to be a better babysitter, but it will help you to find babysitting jobs, as well.