The ever-changing world of technology affects everything, including everyday tasks like baby-sitting.

The American Red Cross Babysitter's Training course has been restructured and now includes lessons about cell phone use, Internet safety and other tips for teens who take on this job.

The last time the Red Cross updated the course was in the late 1990s, before the Internet boom.

Now, there are added safety issues for teens who take on baby-sitting jobs, Kelly Schaeffer, training fulfillment coordinator for the American Red Cross, said.

"It's not the same world, and there are extra precautions that should be taken," Schaeffer said.

Though it may seem harmless for a sitter to post on a Facebook page where he or she will be baby-sitting, for example, people may be able to use that information against the sitter or the family.

"You are basically announcing to the world that you are a young teen who is alone with children and the adults are gone," Schaeffer said.

Many teens are equipped with cell phones and may be tempted to call friends while on the job.

"In our courses, we tell teens that it is important to stay off the cell phones and texts while you are watching the children," Schaeffer said.

It's also important to keep the sitting experience fresh for sitters.

"This can be the parents' job," Schaeffer said.

Look into local library programs and establish a way for the sitter and your children to get around. Bus passes can be a good investment for non-drivers and also can provide an adventure for the kids.

For those who need a sitter on a daily basis, work with the sitter to set up a routine that will be followed throughout the school year, so the kids don't think every day is a free-for-all, Schaeffer said.

"The new course also provides sitters with a DVD that has resources to use — coloring pages, activities and games," Schaeffer said.

Establish rules for not only your children but also the sitter.

Maggie French, an au pair coordinator for Cultural Care Au Pair, works with parents and the live-in baby sitters they hire to keep the lines of communication open. She will meet with the family and the au pair assigned to the family to be sure all rules are understood.

"Get everything out in the open immediately so there is no second-guessing the rules," French said.

If you do not want them to have visitors while they are caring for your child, make that clear from the start. No phone calls? Say that, too.

"Don't leave any room for confusion," she said.

According to Schaeffer, the Red Cross's training provides sitters with some questions and worksheets that can be followed during the hiring process.

This, she said, "allows (the sitters) to be sure they have all of the information they need."

Parents should follow up with their sitter to be sure there are no problems. Have these meetings alone, not with the children present, French said.

"If the children are there, the sitter may not feel as if she can be honest about any problems," French explained.

Be sure your sitter is aware of any emergency plan for your household. If there isn't an emergency plan in place, create one. Establish a meeting place outside the home where family members and the sitter can meet if there is some kind of emergency, Kathy Smyser of the American Red Cross said.

Post all emergency contact numbers in a prominent place in the house, and be sure to educate the sitter about the list and who is on it.

Give your sitter a tour of the neighborhood and introduce her to your immediate neighbors. This will make everyone more comfortable and neighbors won't question who is coming and going at your house.

Parents will sometimes feel like they shouldn't check up on the sitter but should trust that all is well. However, it will also give your sitter peace of mind to know you are easily reached and accessible.

"Be a little overcautious and overzealous in planning," Schaeffer said. "It will give you piece of mind while you are at work."

Baby sitter checklist

When family's in charge

There are other child care dynamics to consider when relatives are pitching in to help out. Rules can get a little muddled when Grandma or Auntie Sarah is taking care of your child.

"When relatives are the caregivers, they may sometimes feel as if they have the right to break or bend the rules a little," Schaeffer said.

No matter how hard being consistent can seem, following the rules should be done.

"It can be confusing to the child, and he may wonder whose rules are the ones he should follow," Schaeffer said. "If a paid sitter was doing something you didn't like, you would say something."

The York Chapter of the Red Cross offers a course that addresses this issue in a grandparents' baby-sitting course.

Keep in mind that you have established rules for a reason: the physical and mental well-being of your children, according to the www.sittercity.com.

There are ways to address the rule-breaking, and the issue can be better handled if it's done sooner, rather than later.

Some suggestions:

• Bring up the topic when the children are not around, just in case things don't go smoothly.

"You don't want the children to be put in the middle of the issue," Schaeffer said.

• Be diplomatic and calm.

• Stick to the key points and don't introduce anything that does not pertain to the child care issues. Doing this can make the discussion longer and more involved than needed.

• Don't blame. Be sure to say that you know they love and care about the child, but that you are the parent and have rules that must be followed.

• Offer suggestions to make following the rules easier. If unhealthy snacks are being offered, be sure to have healthy ones available or send them along. If TV time rules are being broken, post the schedule or rules by the TV as a reminder.

• If all else fails, hire a sitter instead of using a relative.

— Sources: sittercity.com, American Red Cross.

E-mail: cesbenshade@lnpnews.com