Free guide and printable
What to write in your babysitter notes
Most babysitter notes are written in the last four minutes before leaving, which is why they tend to cover the easy things and miss the one that matters at 1am. Here is what to write, in the order a sitter reads it, with a printable you can fill in ahead of time.
What to write, in order
- 1. Where you are and how to reach youYour number first, then a second person who will definitely answer. Say which is the reliable one tonight. A sitter who cannot reach you will wait far longer than you would want before doing anything.
- 2. When you will be backA real time, not “later”. If it might slip, say what to do if it does — carry on to bedtime, or ring you.
- 3. Anything that could hurt themAllergies, medication, anything a child must never be given or allowed to do. Write it against each child by name, even if it feels repetitive. If there is no allergy, write “none” — a blank space reads like a question you forgot to answer.
- 4. Food, and whenWhat to serve, roughly when, where it is, and what is off limits. Include drinks and whether anything is a treat-only.
- 5. Bedtime, step by stepNot just the time. The order of the wind-down, how long it usually takes, what the room should look like, and the exact comfort object by name.
- 6. What happens if they wakeThe most useful line in the whole note and the one most often missing. Say what you want done first, what you would rather was not done, and when to ring you rather than wait it out.
- 7. Who may collect themBy name. And what to do if anybody else arrives, however well known.
- 8. The houseDoors, alarms, gates that stay shut, where the first-aid kit is, and anything the sitter should not need to go looking for.
Printable babysitter notes
Tonight
Date, and when we will be homeParent name and numberSecond contact, relationship and numberWhich number is the reliable oneFor each child
Name and ageAllergies — what to avoid and what to do (write “none” if none)Medicine — what, when, where it isFood and drinks — what, when, whereBedtime and the wind-down, in orderComfort object, by nameIf they wake
What to try firstWhat not to doWhen to ring rather than waitHouse and rules
Who may collect each child, by nameDoors, alarm, gates, first-aid kitScreens, snacks, answering the doorIn an emergency
Ring the parent first; in an emergency ring your local emergency numberThis is a blank template: once you fill it in, keeping it accurate is on you, and a printed sheet is believed long after it stops being true. Care Handover generates the same thing from a plan you have approved, so it cannot silently go out of date — and your carer sees what is happening now rather than what was true when you printed it.
Five things people leave out
- Writing a paragraph. A sitter scans; they do not read prose while holding a toddler.
- Leaving allergies to memory because “they know”. Write it down anyway.
- Giving a bedtime without the wind-down that gets you there.
- Forgetting to say what counts as worth ringing you about — so they never ring.
- Leaving the note somewhere other than where the sitter will stand.
A note is right when you write it and wrong an hour later
Paper cannot tell your sitter that the nap ran long, so everything after it has moved. Care Handover takes the same answers and gives your sitter a private link showing what is happening now, what comes next, and the changes you approved in advance. You review it before anyone sees it, and you can switch the link off whenever you like.
Common questions
- What notes should you leave for a babysitter?
- Leave how to reach you and when you will be back, anything that could hurt the child such as allergies or medicine, what and when to feed them, the bedtime routine in order, what to do if the child wakes, who may collect them, and where the first-aid kit and door keys are.
- What should go on a babysitting card?
- A babysitting card is the short version: the child's name, two contacts in the order to try them, one line for any allergy or medicine, the doctor's number, and what to do in an emergency. Keep door codes and your full address off it, because a card can be dropped or left in a pocket.
- How long should babysitter notes be?
- Short enough to scan while holding a toddler. Use headed sections and one line per point rather than paragraphs, and put the things that change what someone does — allergies, medicine, who may collect — at the top.
- Where should you leave babysitter notes?
- Where the sitter will actually stand, usually by the kettle or on the fridge, rather than in a drawer. Keep a photo of it on your own phone so you can read it out if you are not there.
Other free guides
- An emergency contact card for your childOne card a carer can read in seconds, or hand to someone else — and what not to put on it.
- Allergy and medication information for a carerHow to write down what your doctor told you so a sitter can follow it exactly.
- Leaving your child with a sitter for the first timeWhat to cover before the first time, and what is worth saying out loud at the door.
- Babysitter information sheetEverything a sitter needs in one sheet, with a free printable template.
- Leaving your child with grandparents overnightWhat to say before the first overnight, including what to do at 2am.
- Babysitting siblings with different routinesBriefing a sitter for two or more children whose evenings collide.
- Questions to ask a babysitter before you hire themWhat to ask before you leave your child with someone, and what the answers tell you.
- What to tell a wedding or hotel babysitterThe hardest handover: a sitter you have not met, in a room your child does not know.
This guide helps you organise your own instructions; it is not medical or safeguarding advice. In an emergency, ring your local emergency number — 112 or 999 in Ireland, 999 in the UK, 911 in the US.