Four Tips for Babysitting Kids with Disabilities

This week we are sharing tips for babysitting kids who have special needs. Read Monday’s post here.

1. Do your research. If you know what kind of disability the child has who you will be babysitting, take a little bit of time to learn about her disability. Once you know a little bit, you can ask the parents better questions about how the disability affects their child.

2. Pay attention! When one of the kids you are babysitting needs extra attention, it can be easy to focus just on him. Remember to include his siblings!

3. Plan for fun. Get some ideas from the parents about ways to have fun with all of the kids. Ask about favorite toys or games. If you have ideas about other fun activities, make sure it is okay with the parents first!

4. Know your comfort level. Think about what you would be comfortable doing for kids with special needs. Are you okay bathing or changing diapers on an older kid? If she needs to take her medicine while you are there, do you think you could do it? If there is a special exercise or skill she needs to practice, are you willing to help out?

Come back Friday to read our other tips!