The job description for parent, and surrogate parent, includes a sense of structure tempered with a great deal of flexibility; also required is the willingness to accept responsibility for supervision and care—and a nearly bottomless well of patience. You’ll begin with the basics: getting the kids up in the morning, getting them dressed, fed, off to school, met after school, fed again, focused on homework, and back to bed. Mix in after-school activities, sports, playgroups, and pets. Then come the weekends and holidays, when the kids may be home all day or may need to be shuttled about to sports, to clubs, and to play with friends. Finally, there are unexpected responsibilities that cannot be planned: illnesses, accidents, and problems with the house. Before you accept a job, you should ask the parents to do the following:
• Give you a letter granting you permission to authorize necessary emergency medical care, and providing full details on health insurance (including an insurance card or a photocopy of the card) and the names of family doctors, dentists, and other health care providers
• Provide a to-whom-it-may-concern letter granting you permission to enter their home and reside there
• If it’s part of the deal, give you written permission to use the family car, along with its registration and insurance information
• Notify neighbors, schoolteachers, and others that you will be in the home while the parents are away
Those questions above are intended to help you when doing this kind of job very well.