Sitter Secret #15: Soothing Voice

It's hard to soothe a scared baby, because they can't understand what you say! But they CAN understand voice tones.

Talk to them in a low, soothing voice, and say things like "There, there, it'll be okay." You can also pat them on the back gently, or rub their tummy.

Sitter Secret #14: Paper Basketball

A great way to keep older kids entertained is to work on their basketball skills, inside!

Just grab a wastebasket, and some paper. Give each kid the same amount of wadded-up paper balls, and let them see how many baskets they can make.

Sitter Secret #13: Dance!

Dancing is an awesome way to keep kids occupied!

Plus, it works with all ages! Sway an infant to music, hold a toddler's hands and twirl them around, and play freeze dance with the kids. 

Sitter Secret #12: Where's The Ball?

If you have a small ball ( but not small enough to choke a baby! ) and a bored baby, Where's The Ball? is a great game to play!

Roll the ball to the baby, and say "Look! There's the ball! Can you roll it back to me?". If they can't, then guide their hands to roll it back to yourself. Soon, they'll catch on. 

Sitter Secret #11: Reassure Them

Sometimes A lot of times, kids will overreact when their parents leave. A great way to fix this is to tell them that their parents will be home soon.

A lot of times, kids think that their parents are gone FOR GOOD and they're never coming back. Tell them that whenever they wake up in the morning ( or at a certain time ), their parents will be right back at home. 

Sitter Secret #10: Get To Know The Kids

Whenever the parents leave, get to know the kids! How can you get to know them?

Ask them about their toys, what they like to do for fun, their favorite songs, what they want to do while their parents are gone, or pull out a few toys from your babysitting bag. If you get to know them, they'll be more an more comfortable with you. 

Sitter Secret #9: Compromise

If a kid says their parents always let them have hot chocolate in bed, and you say no to that immediately because you're afraid of accidents, this might happen..

To avoid this, COMPROMISE. Maybe they can.. have milk or juice in the kitchen while you clean up or read them a bedtime story? This should avoid a lot of problems in the long run.