Family Members As Carer For Your Child

Child Care Guide

Having a family member as the carer for your child during your absence can provide benefits all round, you know the person and you know your child will be safe and well looked after, also cost is kept down as putting your child into a day care center can be very expensive.

For this type of arrangement to work out however both party's must be happy with the arrangement. If the relative is not a parent themselves you should also consider if they are fit enough to take care of the demands looking after a child can have.

The relative can either look after your child in your home or their own home, but if they choose to look after your child in their own home be sure to make sure the home is safe for a child.

The pros of having a relative look after your child

* A family member will love your child almost as much as you do.

* Your child will probably feel more at ease with a relative than a stranger.

* If using a grandparent or mother then they will have had years of experience in looking after children.

* They will be more flexible.

* They will live locally.

* Your child will be in familiar surroundings.

The cons of having a relative take care of your child

* If the relative is elderly then taking care of a young child might become stressful or tiring for them.

* They could have different ideas regarding discipline, toilet training, sleeping and homework and may not see things your way.

* Their home might not be child proof.

* If your employer contributes towards child care costs then the costs might not cover using a relative as a carer.

* Informal arrangements can often cause problems between families.

* If your relative is older they may not be able to take part in activities with your child.

* If the relative has problems with eye sight or hearing due to age then they may not be as fully aware of dangers.

Don't expect them to child mind for free

Don't take a relative for granted, just because it is a family member that is looking after your child doesn't mean they should do it for free. Sometimes it is wise to draw up an informal contract with a relative, you should talk about how many hours they can look after your child, time they need to themselves, anything they are particularly worried about for example if your child takes medication for a problem such as asthma.

Talk about money and offer them a fair set amount for taking care of your child and insist that they take it, take into account how much a day care center would cost you when offering them money and point out how much they are saving you if they feel bad about taking money from you.

Points you should make clear to a relative

* Make sure they are aware of any medical problem your child has and how to deal with the problem and giving medication for example in the case of an asthma attack.

* Make sure they know how to get in touch with you in an emergency.

* Point out if your child sleeps with a favorite toy or pacifier.

* Make sure they know how to change a young baby, if the person is older they may not be used to disposable nappies.

* Make sure they know if your child is allergic to any foods.

* Make sure they are not too lenient with your child, grandparents often have trouble saying no.

* Keep checking to make sure they are not doing too much, child care can be tiring on an elderly parent.

* Once in a while go over any informal contracts that you may have agreed upon to make sure conditions are still right.

* Make sure your relative knows how you prefer them to handle any chastisement .

Filed under: Child Care Guide

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