What to Expect Babysitter's Handbook

Marrying the reassuring authority and trust of all the What to Expect books with a lively, accessible voice, this guide contains everything a caregiver needs to know when minding a child, from newborn to preschooler. A mix of text, boxes, Q&As, and lists-plus plenty of blank space for parents to write in emergency numbers, specific instructions, and personal information about a child's likes and dislikes--it's the instruction manual that should be given to every caregiver, whether full-time nanny or weekend baby-sitter. It covers advice on feeding and diet, first aid, bathing an infant, potty-training, time-outs, rainy-day activities, sibling disputes, discipline problems, comforting a child, making play dates, even how to build a happy and healthy relationship with the child's family. Plus, it includes 61 of the most common questions sitters ask, from how to make mealtimes fun to what to do if you can't bond with the baby.

When you put your baby in the hands of a sitter, you want to put your sitter in the hands of an expert. Certainly no hands are better qualified than those of Heidi Murkoff, co-author of What to Expect When You're Expecting and other bestselling childcare guides with over 22 million copies in print.

Marrying the reassuring authority and trust of all the What to Expect books with a lively, accessible voice, this guide contains everything a caregiver needs to know when minding a child, from newborn to preschooler. A mix of text, boxes, Q&As, and lists-plus plenty of blank space for parents to write in emergency numbers, specific instructions, and personal information about a child's likes and dislikes--it's the instruction manual that should be given to every caregiver, whether full-time nanny or weekend baby-sitter. It covers advice on feeding and diet, first aid, bathing an infant, potty-training, time-outs, rainy-day activities, sibling disputes, discipline problems, comforting a child, making play dates, even how to build a happy and healthy relationship with the child's family. Plus, it includes 61 of the most common questions sitters ask, from how to make mealtimes fun to what to do if you can't bond with the baby.

Cherie Ilg Haas - Children's Literature

Just as What to Expect When Expecting has become the bible for women who are pregnant, this book is destined to be the bible for caregivers. Babysitters, nannies, and even seasoned grandparents can benefit by reading in from cover to cover and then by keeping it within reach as a quick reference guide when needed. It is neatly organized into subjects such as feeding and first aid. The information with each chapters is broken up into age-appropriate categories, from newborns to six year olds. Sidebars throughout add relevant information, such as useful tips on how to encourage a toddler to get dressed. Many common caregiver questions are asked and answered in a friendly, magazine-column style. As convenient as this book will be for parents, it is specifically geared to the sitter and should become the book to have on hand. Parents who use sitters may want a copy of their own as well to leave at home while they are out. A personalized section in the back of the book provides space where parents can fill in information about their child's specific needs, routines, and house rules, along with emergency contact information. Those familiar with the "What to Expect..." books will not be disappointed with this must-have—no caregiver of younger children should be without this resource. 2003, What to Expect, Ages 13 up.

Heidi Murkoff is the author of the What to Expect® series and author of Eating Well When You're Expecting, The What to Expect Pregnancy Journal & Organizer, What to Expect the First Year, The What to Expect Baby-Sitter's Handbook, and the What to Expect Kids series from HarperCollins. Her interactive website is www.whattoexpect.com, and she lives with her family in Los Angeles, California.