For parents of young children, it's important to hire the services of a babysitter who is skilled with infant care. A sitter must be more vigilant with a smaller child, and especially know how to prepare formula and change diapers. If you have decided to use cloth diapers for your child, you may find your chosen caregiver is reluctant to work with them. Whether it is unfamiliarity with the covers and inserts or worry for making a mess, your babysitter can be put immediately to ease with a short-term course on using cloth. This way, you don't have to worry about keeping disposables on hand when you go out.
When you know you have a date that requires securing a sitter's care for the evening, arrange a time when he or she can come by your home before the job. A day or two beforehand should be sufficient. This gives you time to introduce your sitter - assuming this person is not a close relative or friend who has spent a lot of time in your home - to your baby's environment. Present all the necessities for diapering - the covers and inserts, wipes, and the wet bag - and demonstrate how cloth diapers are essentially no different from disposables. The main difference, as you'll show, is that the covers or all in one diapers are not thrown away but placed in a specialized laundry bag for later cleaning. If you have hired the sitter to come only for a few hours, comfort him/her with the knowledge that laundry is not their concern.
If there is time, and the situation has arisen, allow your sitter to do a test run on your baby while you supervise. You may find this orientation will relieve your sitter of much unfounded worry, and you and your spouse can enjoy your evening. Don't be surprised, either, if you discover the sitter will volunteer for more work!
Kathryn Lively is a freelance writer specializing in articles on cloth diapers and green parenting tips.
