Here it is: as a babysitter we are at a disadvantage with your children. Why? For the simple fact that we aren’t their parents. This may seem obvious, and it is, but here’s the thing: kids don’t behave the same way with babysitters as they do with their parents, and we don’t have the same tools for discipline as parents.
With that being said; when your kids are doing whatever they want, and the babysitter is telling them that putting peanut butter in their sister’s hair, or using it to paint the wall aren’t good ideas, unless parents have set good discipline in place themselves with their kids, the babysitter is handicapped.
If parents refuse to set a discipline routine for their kids, including consequences when boundaries are broken then you might be one of “those” families that have a hard time securing babysitters, and getting babysitters to return. Normally when the kids are told no by a babysitter they scream, throw themselves on the floor, refuse to do anything the babysitter requests even if it’s simply asking them to brush their teeth. Since the babysitter isn’t the parent we have no authority to get them to do anything including basic routines.
When consistent discipline is implemented in a family not only can a babysitter easily slip into the family routine BUT the family routine gets easier too. Kids know what to expect with every decision they make, it helps children be more secure, and understand how to negotiate “real” life.
In a time when discipline is a philosophy that is frowned upon it really is essential for our children because they can better handle real life, school, etc when they get older.
