If you’re a babysitter, your charges’ safety isn’t the only thing you have to worry about. Make sure you’re safe in the family’s home and during transit.

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises:

• Your parents should always know where you are and how to reach you. They should also know what time you will be home, and how you will get to your babysitting job. Consider using a code word with your parents in case of emergency.
• Never allow anyone who has been drinking alcohol or using drugs to drive you home.
• Make sure there is always someone to escort you home from a babysitting job at night.
• Explain to the parents of the children you are babysitting that you have a mandatory curfew. Ask that they call if they are running late.
• If the home has a security system, find out how to use it.
• Always call the child’s parents if the child won’t stop crying or seems sick, or if you don’t feel safe.

Source: HealthDay

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