You finally have a chance to go out and enjoy an adult evening.   Don’t let the experience be ruined by guilt or worry.  Make sure your baby sitter and your children know what to expect, and include these key items:

-Contact Information:  Make sure the baby sitter knows where you will be and how you can be reached.  If you have a cell phone, make sure he or she also has that number.  If you are going somewhere that you will need to be paged, explain the process carefully to your sitter.  If you decide to go somewhere else after the main event, be sure to call home and let the sitter know where to find you. 

-Emergency Contacts:  Aside from the usual emergency numbers such as fire, you should also list a friend or family member that can reach your home quickly if a situation arises.  An ambulance may not be necessary, while a trip to the doctor might.  If you can’t get home quickly, your emergency person can help out, and you can meet him or her and you children at the care center or clinic. 

-Medications:  Leave a list of medications that your child may take, where the medicine is located, the dosage amount, how often the medicine may be given, and under which circumstances it may be given.  Ask that the babysitter record the type of medicine and the time it was last given, so you can pick up where he or she left off when you arrive.