House Tour

"And here's where we keep the extra diapers..."

If your babysitter is going to be operating in your house (this is almost always the case), he or she is going to need a good idea of what they've got at their disposal.

The house tour is just that: a chance to whisk your babysitter through your humble abode and point out its many luxuries, quirks, machines and safety features. So where should you begin, what's relevant and what's not? We'll run you through a typical house tour that will help your sitter get her bearings.

Safety Features

Show your babysitter where the fire extinguisher is. (This is great because it will probably remind you where it is, too.) Show her where the fire alarms are in the house and how to make sure they are on. (Don't always assume that a blinking light means it's on - we knew of one that blinked for two months before the homeowner realized that it was blinking to indicate that it needed a change in batteries.)

Emergency Information

Even though this information is almost always on the fridge, make sure you show the sitter your particular list and how it works. Does your list include just emergency numbers and your cell phone? Also give the babysitter your address book as a supplement so she has the personal numbers and friends and family if all else fails. Then give your babysitter a sheet with common emergency numbers. Make sure your emergency list always includes 911, local fire, local police, local doctor, poison control, your cell, a significant other's cell if applicable and the phone number of one other trusted family member.

Child Locks

You've gone to the trouble of putting them in, so show them off! A friend of ours loves to pretend to get her finger stuck in hers and watch the babysitter stare in horror, but then again, she's also a fan of every hidden camera show ever created. You choose how to show yours off in your own zany way, folks. But remember, the goal isn't to scare the sitter off before she's even sat for you.

Personal Items

Show your babysitter where to put her wet boots, coat and umbrella during rainy days. This saves you from discovering them on your white carpet later.

Computer and Phone

If you're going to allow your babysitter to use your computer, then password-protect it first and give the sitter her own password to get in. With this arrangement, you don't have to worry about her perusing your tax returns and wondering why she can't get a bonus if you spent $4,000 in shoes last year. Also, show your babysitter the intricacies of your answering machine - despite how easy everyone claims these machines are, we've never encountered a single one that didn't practically foam at the outlet or destroy messages. If your babysitter will be taking messages, tell her how you prefer them to be taken. We suggest you ask them to write down the number and name of the person that is calling on a single pad on the fridge without a message, or otherwise, you might be getting "Mr. Chow, called number on sticky on fridge, wants to know if you want mustard stain removed from suede bra?"

Security System

Because it's so easy to forget that your even have one of these, let your babysitter know how to activate and deactivate your security system. If there's a special code, let your babysitter know - you can always change it later if you part ways. And don't activate the system while your babysitter is in the house without telling her! She'll be forever scarred and too terrified to ever open the door for fear of an ear-splitting alarm.

The Regulars

Certain people might stop by the house regularly, such as the milkman, postman or your mother-in-law (fun). Let your babysitter know who these regulars are and give a brief description. Then, let her know if you want her to answer the door to any of them, or if you'd rather she just ignore them. Either option works, though some parents prefer the latter since it's easier and doesn't open the house to anyone. (Let your mother-in-law have her own key to head off the inevitable ruckus that would occur if she can't get to her grandkids.)

The Diaper Station

A woman we know named Denise, a chef in Soho, has her diaper station set up like a taco station, complete with little drawings of chile peppers. Everyone that enters her house, not just her babysitters, gets a tour. While you don't have to have anything this elaborate, give a quick tour of your diaper station so that the babysitter knows where the baby powder, ointments and most importantly the smell-free garbage is. And for pete's sake, explain to the sitter how to use the diaper genie. You'll thank yourself later.

Formula

If you have a baby and need formula prepared, demonstrate one preparation for your babysitter, since every mom makes formula differently. Also, make sure the babysitter knows which scrubby-brush and boiling techniques to use for the bottles, and how to properly heat and store formula in the fridge.

Spare Cash

It's a great idea to always have some spare cash around the house in case of emergencies. We suggest that you put the money in a lockbox somewhere reasonably close to the kitchen but out of sight. A good emergency fund is around $100 and can cover everything from an impromptu pizza night to an emergency trip to the hospital. Make sure to tell your babysitter to report what she's spent after a job so you can keep the stash up-to-date and make sure it's being spent on good causes. You're not here to fund her latest trip to the mall.

Washer, Dryer, Vacuum, TV

Since every good babysitter should clean up after herself, show her how to operate the big four. Most parents these days ask for either clean-as-you-go sitting, or specifically include light housekeeping on the job (most of the time, they include a little extra cash for this too).