What do I do if I am babysitting and the parents don't return?
I’m brand new to 'Childcare: Babysitters'. I just got my first job scheduled and I am feeling a ton of different things. I have anxiety and often think of all of the ways that things can go wrong. And this is a big one that won’t leave my head. Would I wait until the morning to see if they were just really late or got a hotel? Do I call the police right away? I don’t know but I need to know. I know this is the worst-case scenario and most likely isn’t going to happen, but I need to be prepared.
2 answers
Any new job is really scary and what you are going through is understandable. If such a scenario happens and one is younger than 18, I think you should consider calling the parents themselves, they might just be running late and on their way. If you cannot get ahold of them, you may have to call your own parents to tell them what is happening. Then one can call the emergency contact that the employer provided just for reasons like this. What I do is to wait for a while, I try to believe that there might be a very good explanation as to why the parents did not come at the time they said they would. I continue calling them untill I get a response. If I do not get a response, I call the emergency contact who will take it from there. If you can't reach the emergency contact also and it has been more than 4 to 5 hours, you may need to call the police.
It’s completely understandable to feel that way when starting to do something new. One thing you can do is talk to the parents before they leave. Tell them that if they are running late for whatever reason to please text or call you to let you know. Most people will leave an emergency contact just in case something were to happen, so if they are late and haven’t texted or called, you or your parents should give them a call. If they are hours late, it’s probably a good idea to call the police at that point. Also, give the parents a little bit of wiggle room before freaking out. Sometimes there can be a wait at a restaurant or unexpected traffic on the way home, so give them a 30-minute late window. After that time you can think of calling for help.
