No matter how lovely looking a little kid may be, any experienced baby- sitter can attest that it will only take a minute after his parents leave the house before this cute one turn into a monstrous kid brewing of mischief and naughtiness. And you’ll probably want to scream out for help or call  911 for rescue as the kid you’re taking care of pulls your hair, puts things on your back or drives your sanity away.

But this article is not supposed to scare off those who want to baby-sit. Aside from the fact that not all kids you’re going to deal with are Dennis the Menace, this article will also give you some useful tricks to help you keep the kid you’re baby-sitting behaved and entertained.

1. Establish authority but keep a friendly face. When a kid senses that you’re nervous or tense or that you’re a little scared of him and the possibility that he can do mean things to you, he will take this to his advantage and use it against you. The more he knows that, the more he’s likely to be mischievous and naughty.

However if he senses that you’re the authority around the house while his parents are gone and that you mean business (not monkey business) in instilling discipline, he is more likely to cooperate and be behaved.
    
Be sure that you don’t get him to be too scared of you though, enough to send him nightmares of you being a witch and eating him up. Maintain a friendly relationship with the kid you’re baby-sitting by playing games with him but be strict when it comes to doing things that are prohibited.

2. Engage him to play with toys to keep him entertained. Bringing weapons is important when you’re going to a battle. And in this struggle to keep the peace between you and the kid you’re baby-sitting, toys can be your best armory. The best kinds of toys that will keep a kid entertained for long hours are building toys like wooden trains.

Bring a wooden train set he can use to build wooden trains and tracks as well as buildings, houses and bridges. This will surely keep him entertained as he figures out how to construct the wooden train.

What’s great about this toy train is not only does it provide endless opportunities for fun and exciting activities but are also very effective in enhancing a variety of skills such as creativity and imagination, fine motor skills and problem solving skills.

The parents of the kid will surely appreciate the fact that you brought an educational toy such as a wooden train to their house and would probably buy their kid the same set to acquire the many benefits that come with playing with wooden toy trains.

3. Give out rewards for good behavior. Positive reinforcement works better than punishment as most child psychologists would say. For example if he behaves during the whole time you’re baby-sitting him, reward him by giving him food treats or by playing with him.

Baby-sitting is never a cinch. It is always a demanding and challenging task that will test your patience and resourcefulness. But at the end of the day when you win the heart of the kid you’re baby-sitting, you’ll surely say that this is a rewarding experience.