Tuesday, June 28, 2011

The Binder

We have been very lucky the past few weeks to be able to get away and rely on our beloved family to watch the boys.

Between Buffett and the wedding, we've had two fabulous nights out - child-free!

In order to make things easier for those brave folks who offer, oh-so-kindly, to watch the boys - I have created:

The Binder


It looks innocuous, no?
But think of it like a life raft.

The Binder contains everything one might need to know when it comes to the care and feeding of my two littles.

First and foremost, what to do in an emergency! (Sorry, I'm a nurse.)

This page has our street address, the boys' vital statistics
and the number for poison control.

I know this seems silly, but what I have learned from my life as a nurse is that emergencies do happen, and the best way to get through them is with an idiot-proof plan, because in an emergency, your brain just doesn't function as well as it normally does.

The rest of the binder is not so scary.

It contains a page of directions for using our tv. With diagrams!


Fancy, no? Thanks Hubs.

It contains a run down on diapers, meal times and three pages describing the bedtime routine.

How to get them in bed unscathed.

And of course there's an assortment of local places for take-out, and some cash.


I could go for pizza.

I included a page of "translations" i.e. if the Big Boy asks for "da udder mama's cereal" he means the granola/wheaties mix.

I know this may seem like overkill - but I gotta say - those who have watched the boys seem to have appreciated it.

I want those beloved folks who care for my little guys to relax, have fun, and feel appreciated. This is my way of making things easier.

Hooray for the binder!

7 comments:

  1. you are one smart cookie (well organized) but smart cookie ..i know the babysitters appreciate it and don't sell the tv instructions short, i could use them over at sis's house..
    love,nana

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  2. Great idea, I'm sure those that are watching your boys appreciate it. I could use a diagram like that for my t.v. remote. :)

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  3. Can your hubby make a diagram like that for our tv setup? Captain Husband could have used it on this last visit home! :D

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  4. Well, aren't you good to your sitters, leaving money for pizza!! Good idea to write everything down once rather than each and every time, as we tend to do on those rare occasions when we hire sitters.

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  5. Wow, that is pretty impressive! I usually hand mine over and say "Make sure they're still alive when we get home." Kidding, but I definitely could use a binder. I LOVE the diagrams!

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  6. It's awesome! and I know sitters appreciate having that info handy. Especially the kiddo dictionary...trying to figure out what your kid is saying can drive a sitter nutso :) Thankfully, one of my sons is old enough to show his sitters how to use the tv remote!

    Jessica in CA

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  7. That is a babysitter's dream! Cannot tell you how many times I have had a new kiddo ask for something and I haven't a clue as to what it could possibly be...and then spend ten minutes trying to find a sibling or even another two year old to "translate" what exactly an ahkba juber is...it's fruit snacks by the way. The pizza cash should have the high school / college kids battling to work for you.

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