Any advice about watching a 6 month old?

I'm watching a 6 month old little girl tomorrow night. I've never met the baby, and I'm kind of nervous.


Mothers- what would you want me to ask before you leave the baby with me? This is the first time they've left the baby with a sitter and it's their first child. We live down the street so my mom is only 2 houses away, but is there anything specific that will help me make the parents more comfortable? It's only for a few hours- they're going to a wedding. Thanks!


BTW- I'm 15 and babysit a lot, but mostly for kids three and over.



I would ask about her bedtime routine - she probably has one, and it will be impt if you are putting her to bed. Also, you will probably giving her her last feeding - does she get a set amount of milk/formula, or can she have more if she still acts hungry? Are there special diapers she wears at night? Is there a way they prefer you calm her if she has trouble gonig to sleep (some people are paranoid about creating bad habits and just want you to verbally reassure, some are ok if you take baby out of the crib, etc) Hopefully the parents will tell you all of this anyway!!!





One thing you should know about this age is that they are very grabby - they will lunge for things, so anything remotely nearby them is in danger - your hair, the glass near the edge of the table, the cell phone someone left lying around. And everything will go right in their mouth! So just be careful about expecting sudden movements and about getting to dangerous items before they do!





I'm sure you will do a great job, especially since you are taking the trouble to do some preparation like this ahead of time!




Dress nice first impression is very important. When talking to the parents don't use slang. Make sure you get there cell numbers just in case. Ask them when the baby takes naps, when you should put it to bed, when to feed the baby, also ask the how to prepare the bottles if you are unsure. Also when the baby is sleeping try to not make alot of noise. Make sure not to awake the baby from a nap let the baby wake up by itself. hope i helped :)




The fact that you don't even know what kind of questions you should ask and that the questions are for the purpose of making the parents feel comfortable instead of for the knowledge of taking care of the baby makes me think you are not ready to watch a baby of this age.




feed, change diaper, play


Don't freak out if baby cries just make sure she eats if need, change the diaper if need, talk to her nice




wow, I'd never leave my two year old let alone a six month old baby with a 15 year old. no offense!!!! just my opinion on that but to answer you question...


some things to ask:


- what time does she usually go to sleep?


- is she allergic to anything?


- how much formula do i give her, how do i mix it?


- what do you do to keep her entertained?


- is there anything special done before she goes to bed? (such as story time, bath, song... etc..)





Make sure you have her parents contact information just in case anything happens!





well thats all i can think of off the top of my head, i'm sure im missing a lot.