17. Do not expect the sitter to automatically remember things that you request verbally such as feeding, bath, and bed times for all of the children. Have this written down and placed in a central location along with a list of any food allergies the sitter should be aware of if you haven't prepared the food yourself before leaving. This list will be the schedule for the children, so if there is a "cut-off time" for television or playing, add it to this list. (As a side note here, many parents will not require bath time on the nights a sitter is with the children due to the safety risk factors.)
18. Show the sitter where fire extinguishers and the first aid kit are kept, and show her the fire escape route from various areas of your home.
19. Be sure the sitter knows the address and phone number of your home in case an emergency needs to be reported.
20. When the sitter arrives, show her where everything is kept that she will need to use, and where you have put the emergency numbers and special instructions.
21. Talk with the sitter about discipline and what is acceptable and not acceptable. It seems as if it should already be clear, but not so... if you don't want your children physically spanked, you need to tell the sitter that. It is something that is too important to forget. If a "time out" in separate rooms for half an hour is acceptable for when older children fight, tell her that, too, but any other forms of discipline, if they are off limits to the sitter, need to be mentioned.
22. Go over security issues if you have hired a younger sitter, such as not opening the door to strangers, or not divulging that no one older is in the house. This would include how to answer the telephone, things such as saying you are busy instead of saying you are not home, etc.