LIFE

1. Wear them out during the day, but stop the active or outdoor activities an hour before bedtime and start with more relaxed play.

2. As bedtime fast approaches, avoid turning on the TV or popping in a movie. This will only make it harder to get the kids to bed.

3. Have them put on their PJs twenty or thirty minutes before they have to be in bed.

4. When the time comes, be serious. If the kids know you mean business, they won’t question your authority.

5. Bedtime stories with happy endings set kids up for a restful night of sleep.

Even after the closets have been checked for monsters, stories have been read, and children are fast asleep, you’re still on the job! Here are some tips for babysitting after everyone is tucked in.

1. Do the dishes. The last thing parents want to come home to is a sink full of dirty plates and silverware!

2. Straighten up the play area. It is inevitable that the kids will have made a bit of a mess and it’s always good to get everything back in order.

3. Sweep the kitchen. This is a small detail that parents are sure to notice.

Once the house is spick and span, do a quiet activity like reading a book or finishing up some homework. If the parents come home to kids sound asleep and a clean house, you’re sure to get called back for another gig.

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