This was sent to me from a friend who is warming up to being an aunt for the first time. Here are some preliminary tips on babysitting for the first time:

'What I've learned so far from the many hours of babysitting James:

1) When you are trying to place a baby in car seat, lean down far enough so that you don't bump the baby's head on car. (I cried for a long time after I bumped his head.)

2) If you are tired, and the baby is not, place him in a playpen just in case you drop off to sleep and he falls off the bed before you wake up. (I had a pillow there, and he still fell off! It wasn't his first time though, but I know God protected him from hurting himself)

3) When you place the baby in his stationery seat, make sure you don't have a napkin in your hand and accidentally leave the napkin in the seat with the baby. The baby will sit quietly and contently tearing up the napkin into little pieces while you are out of the room, and will likely eat some of it. You will then worry that Bounty Napkins are filled with poison, and that bits of napkin are caught in the baby's lungs. You will then give the baby a bottle of juice to make sure all of the bits of napkin go down. And you will pray a lot that the baby is okay, and consider leaving the baby with his mother from then on.'

These are just some ideas to show that although kids are a lot of work, they are well worth it.