Leaving your child with a ‘stranger’ is scary, and it should be.
The first day at day-care, a babysitter, a crèche, the first day at school, all times when you are essentially leaving your child with a stranger.
Children are natural adventurers; it is often the parent that drives the fear. Where does this fear come from?
- Fear is about our conditioning in our upbringing.
- Fear is also about those around us that are happy to impose their fearful opinions on us.
- The media loves to focus on reporting negative stories every day. You cannot watch the news without some “horror” story.
Will my child be safe?
If at a centre, crèche or school, the facility has standards they must adhere too. They are caring for children all the time; their environment is constantly checked. If at home, it is your house. Their safety will depend on how your house is set up. The babysitter or nanny is there to supervise and interact with your child, that is their focus. They will possibly spend more time supervising your child than you do when you are busy at home.
How will my child cope if I leave them? Will my child be listened to, understood, and be able to express themselves?
Sometimes I don’t’ think we give enough credit to our child for their resilience. Children can communicate in a variety of ways, verbally, in their body language, in their demeanour, their behaviour. They may take some time to adapt to the change in environment and people, but they will adapt if given the support from you and the new person caring for them. Remember that they will react to your anxiety about leaving them, so be careful not to put your issues onto them. As both children and adults, we are constantly placed in new environments, we need to learn to embrace these situations.
Will the person caring for my child be a nice person? Will they be kind and listen to my child? Will they play with them, so they have fun while I am out? Is it good for my child to be cared for by other people?
The world is made up of a whole range of personalities and being exposed to different people at a young age will make your child more accepting of different social situations.
When you book a babysitter, if after a couple of sessions, you feel that it she is not working out, you always have the option to change that person, it is absolutely ok, because it is all about you feeling relaxed and confident and your child feeling comfortable and having fun while you are not there. How wonderful for both of you when the babysitter is a great fit for your family. Your child gets to build more connections, and for you to have peace of mind.
How do I do this?
The first time leaving your child is always the hardest. Out of your comfort zone and worried about the ‘what if’s’. Do your research to put your own mind at ease, be optimistic and let that show for your child, and undertake strategies such as a transition plan and positive self-talk to make it easier on both yourself and your child?
It is healthy for children to have a community around them, and for parents to have time to maintain their own individual identity. Are your fears working against the best interests of your child and yourself?
Cherished Cherubs Babysitting is a long-established business with many very happy client reviews. We are mums in the office and totally get it and understand your fears, we went through them ourselves. Give us a phone call, we are more than happy to have chat and reassure you about the wonderful team we have and how professional they are.
Please phone us on 0417 927 525 to book a professional and trustworthy babysitter now.
