A concise field guide to Alex.

[rivka]

Alex and I are spending next week at my parents' house, because Michael will be in Kentucky for a mandatory nine-day business trip. The day after we all get back, I'm starting back to work and the babysitter is coming. Therefore, this week I need to put together an information sheet for the babysitter. I have some idea of what goes into something like that, but I'd love feedback about anything I've left out or misphrased.

This is a single large-print sheet, which I'm planning to post on the refrigerator. I'll be able to update it easily as she gets older (e.g., new feeding amounts, medication dosages, favorite things).

Alexandra Wald (Alex)
Date of birth: 4/11/05

Important numbers:
Mom at work: (number)
Mom's cell phone: (number)
Dad at work: (number)
Dad's cell phone: (number)

Pediatrician – Dr. Fragetta: (number)

Emergency: 911
Our address is: (street address)
House phone number: (number)

Health:
Alex has gastric reflux disease. She takes 0.5ml Zantac at 8am, 4pm, and 12am. Zantac and medicine dropper can be found in the diaper bag (inner mesh pocket).

Infant Tylenol in diaper bag – 0.6ml, only on doctor's orders.

Shield her skin from direct sunlight. She is too young for sunscreen.

Routine:
Alex is fed on demand. She currently takes about 4oz of formula or expressed breast milk every 3-4 hours. During feeding and for 30 minutes afterward, she should not lie flat – hold or prop her upright. Burp her carefully and expect spit-up. She is usually awake 1-2 hours between naps. She naps in the sling, in arms, or sometimes in her car seat.

Alex especially likes walks (stroller or sling – avoid the hottest part of day), ceiling fans, mirrors, lying on her back on a blanket, the mobile over her changing table, her bouncy seat (upstairs in Rebecca and Michael's room), and being held. Her current favorite toys and books are kept in a basket on or under the coffee table.

Where to find:
[gives locations of baby soap, bath thermometer, bathtub, blankets, books, bottles, breast milk, burp cloths, clothes, diaper rash cream, diapers, formula, nail clippers, nasal aspirator, thermometer (rectal), towels, toys, Tylenol, washcloths, wipes, Zantac]

Dirty laundry can be dropped directly into washer and left there for next load of wash.

Comments

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

Do you and the babysitter have an agreement on what sorts of places Alex is allowed to be taken? Should you?

Is she allowed to watch videos or kids' TV? If so, what? Does she listen to music? Are there restrictions on what kinds of music?

[wiredferret.livejournal.com]

Rituals for going to sleep, and diaper changing (if any)
Position you feed her in
Her abilities to sit/roll/move (not such an issue now, but boy were my parents surprised at how fast Carolyn is.)

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

how long it would take each of you to get home from work. if you'd like to be visited at work by the kidlet and the babysitter, and if so, under what conditions. does she eat anything besides formula/milk? um um um.

it seems likely that you'll have a babysitter who is more experienced with babies than i am, so i will stop offering suggestions here. i love me some babies, as you know, but haven't a lot of direct experience.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

i love me some babies, as you know, but haven't a lot of direct experience.

"Alex's toes are tasty." I wonder what section that would go under.

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

up at the top, riiiight under the emergency numbers. since it's so important!

[shelly-rae.livejournal.com]

A couple things from a former nanny...
Every phone in the house should have a list of numbers next or attached to it. Along with the numbers you've listed I'd consider adding...
the poison hotline (kids will put anything in their mouth)

Does the babysitter drive? If not, add numbers for a taxi or car service to the list. Also consider providing a car seat if necessary. That way you get to choose a good one. The sitter may not need to take her anywhere by car but I say, plan for the unexpected.

Also consider creating a checklist for the sitter of when/where/how things were done during the day. That way you'll know when/what/howmuch she ate. And if there's anything to know concerning the content of diapers.

Establish how often you wish to be called or will be calling.

Give yourself, Alex and the sitter time to settle everday before you leave. Rushing stresses everyone out--the transition between should be as mellow and low key as possible--but do let her know you're leaving.

I admire your planning ahead!
Anon,

[bibliotrope.livejournal.com]

More on poison control centers here (http://www.aapcc.org/findyour.htm) including links to local ones as well as the National Toll-Free Number 1-800-222-1222.

Alex is kinda little for that yet, but once she starts crawling and toddling and exploring and getting into stuff ... better to be safe than sorry.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Except in an emergency, Alex is not to ride in the sitter's car. Actually, since the sitter lives four blocks away, her car won't even be at our house. Fortunately we live in a good walking neighborhood.

[caille.livejournal.com]

That suggestion about making sure every telephone in the house has a list of numbers attached to it is so important. I don't babysit, but I do housesit. I don't memorize the phone numbers of the places I stay - it'd be just too many numbers for my little brain. So...thinking in terms of an emergency, I'd probably be at a loss for either the home phone number or possibly the street address. I'd have to run and find my appointment book. A cheat sheet at every telephone would make all the difference.

The sitter also needs to know which keys unlock which doors. Lots of doors have finicky sorts of locks, so it helps to know (for example) that the top lock turns to the left, and the door-knob lock won't turn at all unless you're pressing on the door a little.... Also, she needs to know if there is an extra key stashed somewhere. And she needs to know if anyone other than the parents have keys to the place. You want to make it so that the sitter doesn't feel obligated to answer the door or let anyone in if you haven't cleared it in advance. You want her to be able to call you or 911 rather than having to use her discretion about whether a neighbor dropping something off, or Uncle Rory coming by to say hey is on the up-and-up.

Also clarify if the sitter is ever allowed to have anyone over. I mean, like if her mom is visiting, surely it'd be okay for the mom to join the sitter and Alex for lunch. But in most other circumstances, you'll want to say no from the start.

[casperflea.livejournal.com]

Our first sitter suggested using a date-book to note feedings, changings, and naps. We got the kind with quarter-hours marked on it, so we could come home at the end of the day and see that she'd napped from 11:15-12:30, then taken 3 ounces of milk, then pooped, etc. I found this vastly reassuring, to have access to all these details, but it does take a diligent (not to say obsessive) sitter to keep it up. On days my husband was home with the baby, he'd trail off on the date-book at about noon, and I'd say, "honey, did she nap in the afternoon?" and he'd say, "um, yeah? Maybe for, um, 45 minutes? I don't know?" Argh!

This becomes much less necessary when/if your kid develops a routine.

[hawkida.livejournal.com]

I'd want good instructions on how to give her the Zantac medicine. In fact, I might like to see you do that, feed her, and change her. I could probably manage, and as a babysitter I might have relevant recent experience but I want to do it *your* way for your kid.

[richtermom.livejournal.com]

Stroller location and where things are in your neighborhood?
What the nanny can and should not use -- food allowed for meals for nanny, phone or internet connection, etc.

Clothing organization? (warm weather v. cooler weather? onesies v. outfits? socks? Does she use mittens?

Does she use a pacifier or not? Does she use teething items yet or not?

Pediatrician's address w/some directions. (Our sitter is NEXT DOOR TO our doc's!)

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Fortunately, the nanny lives just a few blocks away, so she knows the neighborhood well. I'm fine with her using her own judgment about what Alex should wear given the weather. Mentioning the pacifier is a good idea, because I know that a lot of parents disapprove of them. (Alex is a big pacifier fan, and the lactation consultant told us it will help her reflux because the sucking keeps things moving in the right direction.)

We would come home if Alex needed to be taken to the pediatrician. If she needs to be seen before we can get home, the sitter should be calling 911 or taking the baby to the emergency room (one block away).

[chiefted]

Some have already said Poison Control Hotline.

Along with the address and telephone number for
the 911 dispatchers put down the cross street
(the systems I have seen have that standard but baby
sitter should have it just in case) and color of house.
Anything you can give to the dispatcher, goddess forbid
something happens, to cut the response time down is
worth having on that sheet.

Along with the 911 stuff, make sure that baby sitter has
rough weight, last time meds were administered.

Nother thing: If baby sitter has a cell phone, have them
talk to the provide to find out where, if she had to call
911 on their cell, the 911 call is directed. She may want
to have the local, non-911, emergency number for the County
or city police and fire department programed in.

Example: For me when I have had to call 911 from my cell
phone I get the SF City 911 dispatch center (since mine
area code on the cell is 415). I could be in Marin or
Sonoma county it doesn't matter it still goes to SF.

Again with the programing of the number it would save time
if she had to use the cell phone in an emergency.

What about phone numbers to power and/or gas companies?

[therealjae.livejournal.com]

Hee! This sounds like such a Rivka thing to do. I am tickled.

-J

[rivka.livejournal.com]

I think all parents do something like this for the sitter, but I am glad you're tickled anyway. ;-)

Tylenol and other meds

[(Anonymous)]

Children can get seriously ill or even die from suprisingly small overdoses of Tylenol. I would NOT allow anyone other than either you or your husband (but only one of you, not both) to ever give Alex Tylenol. That is the best way to ensure she never gets an overdose.

You may have no choice about the Zantac but otherwise I would never allow a sitter to ever give a child any medication, OTC or prescription. (It may actually be illegal for them to give prescription meds; most services will not allow their employees to give meds.) I would be very strict and say she can only have such and so by mouth; zero discretion on the part of the sitter.

Grandma S (also known as Worrywort)

Re: Tylenol and other meds

[rivka.livejournal.com]

The sheet says "on doctor's orders only" to cover situations such as Alex suddenly developing a fever while with the sitter, and Alex's pediatrician directing her over the phone to give a dose of Tylenol. If an urgent situation develops, I wouldn't want Alex to have to wait until we get home to receive necessary treatment.

Services don't allow their employees to give meds because they're worried about liability. We didn't hire our sitter through a service, so that shouldn't be an issue. And yes, she does need to be able to give Alex her Zantac or Alex might have painful feeds in the late afternoon.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

You may find it convenient to get a second course of Zantac so that one bottle stays at home and one stays in the diaper bag for travel. How is Zantac administered?

How is formula/breast milk prepared? What is done with used bottles? Are you using/avoiding anything in her diaper routine? What needs to be done to burp her carefully? Is there any type of play or activity that you would like to encourage the sitter to do or not do?

K. [impressed that your where-to-find list is in alpha order]

[rivka.livejournal.com]

You may find it convenient to get a second course of Zantac so that one bottle stays at home and one stays in the diaper bag for travel. How is Zantac administered?

Actually, it stays in the diaper bag because, at home or away, the diaper bag is always where the baby is. It's a liquid medication, administered with a tiny little medicine dropper (squirted into the baby's cheek pocket so she can't spit it out easily). We'll be demonstrating how to draw up and give a dose.

I'll include a section on how we like her food (heated how, and to what temperature, etc.) - that's a good idea.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Some people need two toothbrushes, some don't. I don't know which type your sitter is, i.e., is she likely to remember to put the Zantac bottle back in the diaper bag? I was just offering ideas, since you asked for some.

K. [actually does recall how to give liquid meds to babies though it has been a while since I had a baby in the house. I brought it up to suggest making certain the sitter knows how to do it well, since the downside is so bad for your little one]

[(Anonymous)]

This is great. The only tweak I'd recommend is that while you later give the location for burp cloths, you could also give the location in the "gastric reflux" paragraph, so it's all together.

Also, if you wish, laminating it is a good way to keep it undamaged, as nothing there will change too often.

[(Anonymous)]

Ok, that's weird. The anon is me and I'm not sure this'll let me leave my name either.

- Heidi8

[zencuppa.livejournal.com]

It may not feel like she's on a schedule, but I would consider keeping a detailed log of her sleep/feeding schedule and use that as a guideline for the babysitter. (i.e. provide a basic outline of her schedule)

One reason (quite frankly) is so the babysitter can figureout when she'll have a little breathing space to relax and also, so she can let *you* know if Alex completely changes her schedule . .

[geminigirl]

How does she like to be burped? On her belly, face down over your lap, on your shoulder, etc?

When she begins to meltdown, what are effective ways to soothe her? Is there a particular time during the day that she's likely to do this?

Developmental milestones that you're on the lookout for-what can she do regularly, what can she do sometimes, what is she working towards doing?

Places in the neighborhood you like Alex to go-the park, the library, etc, and places you prefer her not to go.

I'm so glad you're getting some good use out of the overalls...

[hobbitbabe.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you and Alex will have a great time at your parents' place. I will wave at you from the other side of the St Lawrence River where I'll be immersed in summer-camp. How are you travelling there? That must be an adventure by whatever mode of transport.

It's a good list!

[beckyzoole.livejournal.com]

The one important thing I'd include is this:

Where is the emergency gathering spot? In case of a sudden emergency like a gas main break, the sitter ought to grab Alex and run. She might not have her cellphone with her, or remember your phone number. Decide on a place your family will go to if the house blows up, where everyone can find each other. Choose one spot in the near neighborhood (that hospital just one block away?) and one at a safe distance in case of general disaster (your office?).

The rest are of less importance, but still...

When you put her in the crib, do you always put her on her back? Or do you prop her on her side, or vary the position?

Under what circumstances do you want to be called at work? (Once while in highschool I called a Mom after her three-year-old son ran into the edge of an open door and cut his forehead. It wasn't a large cut and he wasn't knocked out, but being a headwound it bled profusely. His Mom was annoyed that I called her. If he didn't need to go to the hospital, she didn't need to be disturbed.)

What may the sitter eat? Do you expect the sitter to wash her own dishes? What about bringing her own food into the house?

Will the sitter ever be asked to start dinner for you, or make a salad, or stir something in the crockpot? Will the sitter be expected to run the vacuum cleaner or fold laundry while Alex sleeps?

Are there any TV shows you object to the sitter watching while Alex is in the room? How about music?

She's going to be old enough for sunscreen at the end of August; plan on adding sunscreen location and instructions soon.

Re: It's a good list!

[fourgates.livejournal.com]

Where is the emergency gathering spot? In case of a sudden emergency like a gas main break, the sitter ought to grab Alex and run. She might not have her cellphone with her, or remember your phone number. Decide on a place your family will go to if the house blows up, where everyone can find each other.

Speaking of gathering spots, it's good to have a virtual one outside the city. In some large-scale emergencies, all inbound landline-based telephone calls are blocked to leave the lines open for outbound calls (though there are some exceptions), with the assumption that the system will be swamped in either direction but there are far more people wanting to call in than out. So it's good to have a designated person outside the city who would act as an information collector/disseminator in such a case. I don't believe cell phone calls are blocked in this way.

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

Would it be useful to include things that soothe Alex when she cries? (I know I'm not a parent, and I haven't been a sitter for lots of years, but it occurred to me. If I'm out of line, let me know and I'll shut up.)