Free printable
The babysitter checklist
Everything your sitter needs to know, on one page. Fill it in once, stick it on the fridge, and stop re-explaining bedtime every time you go out.
Emergencies first
- Your cell and where you'll be: __________________
- Backup adult who can come over: __________________
- Home address (to give 911): __________________
- Allergies, and exactly what to do (where the EpiPen is, when to use it)
- Medications: what, how much, what time
- Pediatrician and nearest hospital
- Poison control: 1-800-222-1222 (US)
- First aid kit, flashlight, fire extinguisher: where they are
Bedtime
- Lights-out time for each kid
- The routine, in order (bath, teeth, pajamas, books, song)
- Comfort items: lovey, pacifier, white noise, nightlight
- What to do if they wake up or won't settle
- Naps: when, where, and for how long
Food
- What's for dinner and how to make it
- Snacks that are OK, and how many
- Foods that are off-limits
- Bottles or formula: amount, temperature, times
House rules
- Screen time: how much, and which shows
- Rooms or places that are off-limits
- Outside, visitors, and the front door
- What counts as "no," and how you handle meltdowns
Where things are
- Diapers, wipes, spare clothes, pajamas
- Wi-Fi name and password
- TV remote and how to work it
- Fuse box, water shutoff, spare key
Pets
- Feeding, walks, and anything the kids shouldn't do with them
Tired of the giant babysitter text?
SitterScript turns this checklist into one link. Just talk through your routine and it's organized for you. Your sitter opens the link, nothing to install, and can ask "what time is bedtime?" and get your answer instead of texting you. Allergies stay pinned to the top, and the link expires when the night ends.
Get SitterScript for iPhone, freeCommon questions
What should I tell my babysitter before I leave?
How to reach you, emergency contacts and your address, any allergies or medications, the bedtime routine, what the kids can eat, screen time and house rules, and where things are. The checklist above covers all of it.
What emergency information does a babysitter need?
Your number and where you'll be, a backup adult nearby, your address to give 911, the pediatrician and nearest hospital, poison control, and any allergies, conditions or medications with exact instructions.
How do I give a babysitter instructions without a long text?
Write it down once and reuse it for every sitter. A printed checklist on the fridge works. So does SitterScript, which keeps your notes in one link the sitter can search.