Getting away from home for some 'you time' is really important. But when your child has asthma, you may be extra concerned by the thought of leaving him with a babysitter.
Take the following into account when choosing someone to watch your child. You want to enjoy your time away, but also ensure that your child's asthma gets the best care while you are gone.
Find a Good/Experienced Sitter
When you are looking for a babysitter for your asthmatic child, trust is key. If you can find someone who has experience with asthmatic kids that is great, but you can also educate a babysitter about asthma.
Find someone who is open to learning and demonstrates the she understands the importance of following your care instructions.
Will the Babysitter Be Able to Follow Your Asthma Action Plan?
Your babysitter needs to be able to understand and implement your child's asthma care plan. He will need to recognize and act on any signs or symptoms of worsening asthma so that your child can be treated appropriately. You need to feel comfortable that your babysitter can do all of these things in your absence.
Does Your Babysitter Know Basic First Aid? Has She Taken a Babysitting Class?
The American Red Cross sponsors a class to teach adolescents basic first aid and CPR. The class covers such topics as development and how to best deal with kids of all ages, and this training may make a sitter more prepared to respond in a medical emergency.
Once you've selected a sitter, put your mind at ease by having her come to the house and babysit while you are there. Go outside to do some yard work and let the babysitter stay with your child. This will help her learn the 'house rules,' and you will be there if questions or problems come up. If you are not able to do this, it is a good idea to have them come an hour before you have to leave.
If you, for whatever reason, don't feel confident enough about the sitter's asthma know-how, consider the following options:
- Sending your child to asthma camp. Some may offer short-term stays (ex: one week), and the counselors may make great baby sitters.
- Form a co-op. Parents with asthmatic children watch asthmatic children of other parents, and vice-versa.
Setting the Ground Rules with Your Babysitter
You need to tell your babysitter your expectations up front, one of which is that your child's asthma is to be taken seriously. This may mean explaining your expectations regarding direct supervision. It is much better to have this conversation up front.Additionally, make sure your babysitter knows these 6 things before you leave.
Some additional things to consider:
Your Home or Theirs?
If your babysitter is going to care for your child in her home, there are a number of questions you need to consider. Are there allergens, irritants, or triggers in your babysitter's home that may make your child's asthma worse? Also are there other people who live in that home that smoke or have hobbies that may potentially worsen your child's asthma? Consider if any of the following might be present:
- Tobacco smoke
- Animal dander
- Dust mites
- Cockroaches
- Molds
- Pollens
- Strong odors
- Strong perfumes
- Fumes from hobbies or arts and crafts
- Air fresheners or cleaning chemicals
Make sure your babysitter understands that your home is to be smoke free. Additionally, you need to make sure that the babysitter knows that you do not want them going outside to smoke either. Because of the risk of third hand smoke, you may want to insist your babysitter be a non-smoker.
