It's every new parent's biggest fear...leaving your little one in the care of someone else.  I know that it took me forever to finally take the leap and let my parents watch Riley for the night while Michael and I went on a date, but it was the right thing to do both for me and my marriage.

Parents need to recharge their batteries on a regular basis and put down the mommy or daddy role for a few hours every now and then.  So how can you prepare both yourself and your babysitter for the inevitable separation between you and your child?  Keep reading for some expert tips from Safety 1st Consumer Safety Expert, Julie Vallese:

A Safety 1st Thermometer Will Help Prepare Your Babysitter in Case of an Emergency

Contact Information

Before leaving your child with someone, you and your sitter should always be prepared for any situation.

• Leave contact information available for your babysitter. Provide your sitter with a note that includes your cell phone, the baby's doctor and a back-up person to contact, such as a friend or neighbor. Put this list in an easy to find spot like the fridge.
• Leave the baby's insurance card and health information with your sitter. You should also leave a written and signed note authorizing your sitter to use this insurance card if your child needs to be taken to the emergency room for any reason.
• Make sure your cell phone is fully charged and on in case your sitter needs to contact you.
• Most importantly, make sure the sitter knows to contact 911 immediately if there is an emergency. It is also best to have a sitter call from a home phone so emergency responders can pin-point her exact location.

Important Items

Before you leave, walk the sitter through the house, showing her what she'll need in the kitchen, your child's room, and play toys.

• Having a monitor on hand will help keep your sitter at ease while the baby is sleeping in another room. Make sure a monitor is set up and the sitter knows how to use it.
• Inform your sitter about the dangers of cords. Never put the infant portion of the monitoring system too close to the crib or play yard. Babies can get strangled in the cords – keep all monitors at least 6 feet away.
• In addition to a monitor, you'll want to make sure you have a Safety 1st thermometer or a Baby Care Essentials kit handy, just in case.
• The Safety 1^st Baby Care Essentials is great for traveling, and also makes it easy for a sitter to have important items, band-aids or alcohol wipes all in one spot – without having to search through a drawer or cabinet.

Rules: Stay on the Same Page

Children are very smart, and toddlers can figure out how to get away with more when the rules are inconsistent.

• If a child is not allowed to eat certain foods make sure you let your sitter know.
• Keep nap and bedtime consistent.
• Keep your sitter aware of the house rules so your child doesn't try to get away with something.

Disclosure:  I received the VersaScan TALKING Thermometer from Safety 1st in order to facilitate my review. No other compensation was received. This product review is based on my own personal experiences with this item and is completely honest and objective.