Before you take on the responsibilities that come with being a team coach, it’s best to reflect on what is best for you and your child. It might be coaching, but if it’s not, you might fall into the following categories.

1. Being Careful with Favoritism – Showing your kid too much love and attention over the other kids on the team could cause some friction. While it would be easy to focus all of your energy on your own child, you want to also consider the feelings of the other children on the team.
2. Too much pressure put on the kid – Being both dad and a coach could apply some unwanted pressure on your child. Your expectations as the hybrid dad-coach for your own child might be higher than what is expected from other team members. Unwanted pressure from a parent could cause strain in the relationship.
3. Too much pressure on the dad – The pressure to win and get the kids to have fun might be a little too much for some dads. There is also team planning, practices and games they have to prepare for, and some dads might not have that time outside of their jobs.
4. Dad might not be a good coach – Dad might be stepping into a word that he has little to no knowledge of. His understanding of the sport might not be up to the level of other dads and coaches, so it might be wise to pass the torch to someone else. It’s alright to be one of the team assistants on the first go-round.
5. Might be too harsh on your own kid – If your kid makes a mistake in the game or during practice, there is a chance you might come down a little too hard on your kid. Expectations might be higher for your own kid, and as a coach, you would have to fight the discipline urges.
6. Jealousy – The flip side of being too harsh on your own kid is giving the kid more attention and praise than other members of the team. It can lead to jealousy among the team when it came to playing time.
7. Might cause friction with other team parents – Team parents for a youth squad get a unique bonding opportunity. They get to watch kids grow and play together, but if you are the dad and coach, it could cause problems with fellow parents. Some parents may believe they have a better idea of how the team should be run, and that could lead to friction.
8. Siblings might be jealous that dad coaches their team – If you are the dad of multiple children, be careful of a little sibling rivalry. Younger children might not fully grasp why you are coaching the team and not focusing your attention with them. If you do decide to coach, it might be best to put in some coaching time with the other kids to balance everything out.
9. Dad might be a bad sport – There is a chance that the dad could just be a bad sport somewhere deep down. Competitive juices could rise up and lead to friction among the team and other team parents. If there is a tendency that dad is a bad sport, maybe it is best that he not coach the team.
10. Miss out on watching own child play – One of the great joys of being a parent of a sporting child is watching that child play and grow within the game. As a coach, you might struggle with staying objective and keeping your emotions in check. Watching from the stands will give fathers the chance to enjoy their child’s play and not worry about the pressures of coaching.

1. If you’re planning to give your sitter a cash holiday bonus, a good rule of thumb is to pay the equivalent of one week’s salary for a full-time or live-in care giver, one or two evenings’ pay for a regular sitter. Supplement that with a small gift from the children.
2. Gift cards are a great way to say thank you, and can be purchased in any major retailer, for any amount. You could buy a gift card at a store where she shops for the amount you would have tipped her. It adds a bit more of a personal touch than giving cash, and gives her an excuse to shop.
3. Concert tickets are another alternative for your babysitter’s bonus. If you’ve got a sitter who’s been there for you all year, you might want to buy her a pair of tickets to see her favorite musical artist as a holiday gift.
4. On that subject: another tip for tipping your sitter is to be certain that your gift is age appropriate and approved by her parents where necessary, such as the aforementioned concert tickets.
5. Aside from a tip, you can express your appreciation in other ways. For example, if you’re having a barbecue at the house, you could invite her and a guest over. As an added bonus, invite other potential employers, friends of yours who might also need a sitter.
6. If your sitter is available for more work, you could include a list of leads for potential sitting jobs. Offer to have them contact her, and include their names and phone numbers in a card with her holiday tip.
7. As a way of showing your appreciation for exceptional work (taking jobs on short notice, late nights, etc.), you may also consider offering some perks throughout the year in addition to a bonus.
8. Let the kids choose how they would like to express their gratitude toward their sitter. You could turn it into a fun project for them to create something of their own to give her, or just let them pick out a gift.
9. As an alternative, or addition, to tipping your sitter, consider making a donation to a favorite charity. She may even be a member of an organization or sports league that can benefit from your contribution.
10. Remember, however you choose to express your thanks, that while there are no hard and fast rules as to the amount or the type of gift, your gift should reflect your level of satisfaction in the job she’s doing for you and your family.

1. Hormones: When kids hit puberty strange things start to happen.  No, not those things.  Kids experience this increase in hormones and boys can get into fights because their hormones are so out of whack.  Your normally calm and level-headed child has just lost their temper and punched another kid.  Afterwards they will feel bad, stupid and not really understand why it all happened.
2. Pushing boundaries: Kids will always push boundaries, but teenagers seem to push a bit harder than other age groups.  They want to experience everything and they should, but sometimes they aren’t ready to do everything.  That’s where parents come in and should be setting limits to keep their kids safe.  How many of us stayed out past curfew?  If you are reading this then you lived to tell the tale.  We will be pushed, but we need to know when to push back and when to give a little.
3. Becoming an adult: At first I don’t think that teenagers realize that they are becoming adults, but once teens get old enough to drive and think about college it all becomes very real to them.  They may think that since they drive and work that they can do everything that adults do.  This may include drinking and smoking.  If teens are brought up around stuff like this they will likely try it.  It’s really stupid, but they aren’t thinking about ramifications at this point.  Do what you can to raise responsible kids prior to this point and hopefully they won’t be too stupid when they reach their teens.
4. No fear: I think there are a lot of kids who have no fear, but teens especially feel like they are invincible.  You are a teenager and you have your whole life in front of you, why would you be concerned about dying?  You wouldn’t and they aren’t.  They jump off cliffs into the water, they zip line, and they take crazy risks.  It’s all part of growing up. 
5. Peer pressure: This might just be the biggest reason that most teenagers do insanely stupid things.  They get into a group of other kids and either everyone else is doing it and they don’t want to be thought of as being weak or everyone is chanting for them to do something.  You have to raise an incredibly strong child to hold their ground against peer pressure.
6. Stress: The farther along in school that teenagers get the more stress they are under.  They are constantly being reminded by teachers and parents that they need to make good grades or they need to score the winning goal, touchdown or basket in order to get into college.  Often that will cause kids to take drugs to stay awake so they can study longer or to try steroids so they can be stronger and better on the field or court.  Insanely stupid and dangerous, but they are under so much pressure to perform that they aren’t thinking about the ramifications.  Keep communication lines open.
7. Honor: If someone insults them or someone they care about a teenager is liable to do something insanely stupid.  Other teens will offer up challenges and in order to protect their honor other teens will do these often stupid and dangerous challenges.  Or if someone insults a boy’s mother he might get into a fight to defend her honor.
8. First loves: After peer pressure I would say doing insanely stupid things for the person you love might come next.  Or if you don’t love them yet you would like to get to know them well enough to try to love them.  Whether it’s doing stupid stunts to impress them or climbing up a trellis to knock on their window teens do some insanely stupid things for love.
9. Testing themselves: Teens are going through puberty and becoming stronger and faster.  In order to test themselves teens will do some pretty dumb things.  Running down the street to catch a ball, but not looking where they are going and they crash through a plate glass door.  I knew someone who did that.  Or running a race as fast as they can even when their body is telling them to stop.
10. Push their parents’ buttons: Now this might have gone along with pushing boundaries, but not really because sometimes teenagers will do things just because they know their parents don’t want them to.  That’s why teenagers cause their parents to have so much gray hair.  Someday the most we can hope is that our teenager will realize that their parents aren’t as stupid as they thought and that there was a reason we didn’t want them doing stupid things.

1. Stamina – Your parents have largely retired from active parenthood. At least that part of ‘active’ that requires one to keep up with a two-year old hellion. This factor alone can be a big cause for reason number two, namely …
2. Concessions – For a moment’s peace, and the chance to perhaps recharge their pacemaker batteries, your folks are apt to give anything to your child. You can’t blame a 60-year old for wanting a little quiet time after 4 straight hours and 112 choruses of the SpongeBob theme song, but it’ll wind up costing you too, eventually.
3. Spoiling – Grandparents often miss having little ones around the house. Nothing cures that like getting their wish, we say. Still, they are just as often apt to lavish the little ones with attention, toys, and assorted privileges. On the subject of toys, …
4. Revenge – Remember the torment entertainment you provided your parents as a child when playing that toy drum kit? Perhaps you also recall that their parents gave it to you for Christmas. Now it’s Junior’s turn to be the next Ringo Starr. Aren’t family traditions wonderful?
5. Discipline – For better or worse, in a lot of ways our ideas about parenting differ from our parents. Your child’s grandparents may not be 100% on board with your own ideas about discipline, and how to raise your child.
6. Draft Dodgers – The truth is that, contrary to popular misconception, grandparents aren’t exactly what you’d call an all-volunteer force. If your folks are among those grandparents who have had their fill of tending to toddlers, they would indeed make a terrible choice for sitters.
7. Overtime? – On the flip side, if your folks just can’t get enough quality time with your children, it may be a little tough getting them to go back home. Your one night out may turn into a month-long visit from the folks.
8. Privacy – Let’s be honest, some parents would just as soon not have their own parents spending any time in their homes unattended. For whatever reasons – and we don’t pry or judge here – you would prefer to have the neighbor’s daughter babysit instead. At least she just raids the fridge.
9. Health – In situations where a grandparent’s, or child’s, health might be genuinely at risk assuming the responsibilities of babysitting, it would most definitely be wise to look elsewhere.
10. Sharing Home – Grandparents who live in the same home as their family most likely need at least as much of a break from the kids as do the parents. In such cases, it isn’t a good idea to automatically assume that the grandparents will be agreeable to babysit.

As you can see, it is not always a good idea to have grandparents as the babysitter. That doesn’t mean they don’t love their grand-children, but it does mean they you will have to look elsewhere for childcare. Play it smart and give Gramps a break.

1. The Yodel – This technique will often cover eight full octaves, and can be sustained for several minutes by seasoned users. The object is to create sufficient discomfort in the intended victim so as to render them incapable of defensive maneuvers.
2. The Rhythmic Head Bang – A combination aural and physical assault, it has the power to render mothers daft, fearing for the physical well-being of their child, as he pounds his forehead into the headboard of his bed in time with his piercing wails.
3. The Foot-Stomp Screech – This one is generally employed during full-tantrum mode, as a last resort when other attempts fail to gain conciliatory gestures from the victim.
4. The Two-Part Harmony – A two-pronged frontal assault on the eardrums. This one requires the joint effort of two assailants, transmitting at slightly different frequencies, to produce a quivering, belly-churning wall of sonic waves.
5. The Morse Code – Can be employed with devastating effect when combined with the Yodel. Alternating between sustained crescendos and staccato squeals, this tactic has been known to leave victims dazed for extended periods.
6. The 9-1-1 – As an attention-grabbing maneuver, this tactic is second to none. Designed to elicit sympathetic cries from neighboring homes, and incite calls for law enforcement and Child Services assistance.
7. The Hoover Maneuver – So-named because of the assailant’s use of deep, rapid inhalations of air between extreme bursts of sounds. While holding his breath, the assailant will often keep his mouth agape as if suffocating, and feign epileptic symptoms with dramatic effect.
8. The Public Enemy – As a means of achieving quick results and low resistance, this tactic is most effective when implemented in mixed company or in highly public areas. The uninitiated victim will at times be reticent to launch immediate countermeasures.
9. The Gag Order – Used in conjunction with a silencing device such as a blanket or towel, to muffle the screams and create the illusion of gagging oneself. As with the Rhythmic Head Bang and the Hoover Maneuver, mothers tend to be most susceptible to this tactic.
10. The Boogeyman – A panic-induced wail for immediate nighttime assistance, triggered by a boogeyman alert. Most often false alarms, they nevertheless require a prompt and compassionate response.

Children’s screams can be alarmingly high pitched, lengthy and painful sounding, but don’t be alarmed. Most children will stop before they actually pass out. The more attention you give them, the more often they will exercise these techniques, so your best bet is to ignore them all together. Once screaming becomes ineffective, it gradually goes away.

1. Always have a back up set of clothing – When children are babies most moms carry back up outfits in the diaper bag. As the child gets older and learns to use the potty the back up clothing is no longer much of a priority, however, no matter how old the child is it’s good to have a back up outfit stashed in the car or someplace in the event there should be a problem.
2. Don a big shirt – Little kids look cute in really big shirts. No one needs to know that the shirt is hiding a bit of a mess. Just don’t let your child sit on anyone’s lap until the problem is taken care of.
3. Use a towel – If you manage to have access to a large enough towel, even if it is a large dishtowel secure it around your child’s waist until you can get to a restroom and do some clean up.
4. Newspaper fashion – Dry the little one as best you can then fashion a newspaper bottom to cover up things until you get to a place to make it right.
5. Borrow some pants – Hopefully there will be someone around who can lend a pair of pants to your child. You may have to do some adjusting like rolling up the legs or finding a way to tighten the waist so they will stay up.
6. Use a scarf as a skirt – This will work well for a little girl. You will need to be more creative for your son, but with a few tucks and twists here and there you could turn a big scarf into a pretty snazzy pair of pantaloons.
7. Think Yoda – Remember the little sage in Star Wars who wore a long tunic? Whether it’s a jacket or sweater or whatever, put it on the little darling and cinch it at the waist.
8. Illusion – If you are out somewhere and there is not a way to physically cover up the problem then pick up your little one and cradle them in your arms and carry them out while talking to them and fussing over them. Make sure your not looking stressed and no one will know there’s been an issue.
9. Spill water on the kid – So you may have some explaining to do to your child but a cup of water spilled in the kid’s lap will certainly cover up a potty accident!
10. Buy a new outfit – If you are at the mall without a change of clothing and you’re not willing to walk around with Yoda at your side or a fashionable but short newspaper model then you might have to break down and get a new outfit so you can finish your outing in peace.

Regardless of how or if you choose to cover up a potty accident, remember that this ordeal is probably harder on your child than on you. Children want to please and going to the bathroom on oneself especially in public is cause for embarrassment. Be supportive and let your child know that accidents sometimes happen. The less embarrassment you show, the less uncomfortable the child with be with the situation.

1. Your Kids Already Know Him – A boy that your kids know and trust is very likely to make a better babysitter than a girl they don’t know and aren’t accustomed to. Instead of overlooking the teenage boy that your kids know and love, it might be a good idea to approach him about babysitting.
2. He’s Probably Not Afraid to Get Dirty – Though it’s a generalization, it’s frequently one that holds a bit of truth: boys will get dirty and play harder with your kids than a teenage girl is likely to. This lack of regard for a little bit of dirt might leave your home with some smudges, but you’ll also come home to pleasantly exhausted kids that can’t wait for the next time their babysitter comes to visit.
3. To Teach About Gender Stereotypes – As the focus on breaking traditionally-defined gender roles grows, it’s becoming an issue that parents need to address with their children. Teaching kids that boys can be babysitters is just as important as teaching that girls can be firefighters.
4. Practicing What You Preach – Simply telling your children that boys and girls can do whatever jobs they want, typically isn’t enough; the most effective way to get your point across is to practice what you preach. Overlooking a trustworthy, qualified young man in favor of an unfamiliar young girl teaches the opposite lesson.
5. He’s Likely To Be More Assertive – If your brood has a fondness for running roughshod over babysitters, an older boy might be more authoritative, simply due to his deeper voice and larger physique. Without making an effort, a boy might be able to maintain a bit more control.
6. Your Children Are All Boys – A family made up of young boys is much more likely to respond positively to having an older male babysitter. The ability to relate to their specific interests and problems might be a reason to move a male babysitter to the top of your list.
7. There Are Budding Athletes in the Family – While there are an indisputably large number of high-achieving female athletes out there, if you have a young football star in the making and are familiar with a star high-school player, it might be a good idea to approach them about babysitting. Someone that you know and trust, and also has a shared interest with your kids, is likely to be a favorite with them.
8. Your Children Are Physically Demanding – Kids who run fast, are into everything and capable of climbing tall bookshelves in seconds flat might benefit from a male babysitter, whose musculature and build helps them keep up with the physical demands.
9. You Know and Trust Him – The most important thing any babysitter can have is your trust. If you know and trust a local boy who you believe is capable of looking after your children, there’s no reason not to consider him.
10. Your Kids Look Up to Him (And He’s a Good Role Model) – Just like a teenage girl, teenage boys are likely to have their own pool of small, wide-eyed admirers. If your children look up to a neighborhood boy that you’re comfortable with, he could be a great role-model for your little ones while you’re away.

A level of maturity and the ability to handle responsibility are key elements to look for in any babysitter, regardless of gender.

1. Back to the Future: This was by far Michael J. Fox’s best movie.  Don’t forget that he did Back to the Future II and III as well.  These movies are clean with very little violence.  You’ve got to admit it was great when Biff got punched.
2. Goonies: An adorable movie where your kids will laugh at the special effects, but it’s still a funny story that I think kids can still relate to today.  The way that Chunk (Jerry O’Connell) was always being made fun of for being overweight.  He always tried to act like he was in on the joke, when all it did was hurt his feelings.  Kids can relate to stuff like that.
3. ET: This classic film starring a very young Drew Barrymore is a heart-warming story about an alien from outer space.  The close relationship between the friends is a great example for your kids.  This movie definitely had kids in mind when they shot it.  The main human character is a young boy and the story is told from his perspective.
4. Karate Kid: This is a kid’s equivalent to Rocky.  Instead of boxing it’s karate and instead of Sly Stallone it’s Ralph Macchio.  Again, this is a story that kids can relate to because it deals with bullying and having the courage to fight back.  It also sends the message that you don’t want to fight unless you have to.  Use your brains first before your fists to solve your problems. 
5. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off:  This will appeal to a little bit older kid like tweens to teens.  Ferris is always cutting school and he will get into big trouble if he cuts again, but he really want to take his girlfriend out for the day.  He pretends to be sick and he is so popular that everyone does all of these nice things for him to feel better.  The principal is trying to catch him because he figures that he’s faking it and mayhem ensues.
6. The Outsiders:  I think all kids feel like outsiders at least once in their lives.  This movie is all about a group of kids that are on the outside of society looking in.  There are two gangs.  The greasers and the socs.  The socs have money and they attack two of the greasers, Johnny (Patrick Swayze) and Pony Boy (Ralph Macchio).  This fight ends with Johnny killing one of the socs and all heck breaks lose after that.
7. Ghostbusters:  Who Ya Gonna Call?  This 1984 flick written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis and stars Bill Murray, Aykroyd and Ramis is about 3 parapsychologists that research ghosts.  Due to some weird circumstances the number of ghosts jump up dramatically and our three main characters are forced to figure out a way to capture and contain all of the ghosts.  This movie is hilarious and your kids will love it. 
8. Stand by Me: A coming of age movie narrated by Richard Dreyfuss and starring Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman, River Phoenix and Jerry O’Connell.  The movie is based on a Steven Spielberg novella named The Body.  Richard Dreyfuss tells the story as he remembers it about going to find a body in the woods when he was a kid.
9. Field of Dreams:  “Is this heaven?  No, it’s Iowa.”  I loved that line since I grew up in Iowa.  This movie is about a farmer who is contacted by a voice that tells him if he builds it they will come.  He builds a baseball field in the middle of a corn field.  He ends up meeting his deceased father as a young man and understands him better and gets to spend time with him.
10. Gremlins: Don’t get them wet, don’t expose them to bright light or feed them after midnight.  This film does have a little violence, but compared to stuff today I think it would be fine for kids 10 and up.  Probably not great for little ones as the evil gremlins aren’t very nice.  The special effects are very funny and all of the adventures regarding trying to catch the evil gremlins is fun to watch.

1. Short Notice – Sometimes you simply can’t avoid calling a babysitter on short notice, but you should be understanding if she’s a bit late as a result. She may not have been prepared to work when you called.
2. School Obligations – The first priority of a teenage babysitter should always be her schoolwork. If a school obligation ran longer than expected and she’s slightly late for work, you shouldn’t fault her.
3. Family Illness – An extended or serious illness in the family can put a strain on every member. If your regular sitter has an illness in the family and didn’t quite make it to your house on time because she was helping out, try to be understanding of the pressure she’s under.
4. Your Sitter Can Not Drive – Without a driver’s license, your sitter is at the mercy of the person who agrees to drive her. You should especially be lenient with her if the person driving is a resentful older sibling, who may have made her late deliberately.
5. It’s a Holiday – During the holiday season, family engagements can run later than expected. If your sitter was considerate of your needs enough to take a holiday babysitting job, it’s a good idea to cut her some slack if she’s a little behind schedule.
6. Inclement Weather – Teenagers with limited driving experience can become easily flustered by inclement weather. In potentially hazardous weather conditions, you should assume that your sitter will be late.
7. Car Accident – A sitter who is responsible enough to show up for a shift after a car accident should definitely be excuse for any resulting tardiness.
8. Running an Errand for You – If your sitter is a family member or close family friend, you probably feel comfortable enough to ask them to run a small errand or pick something up on their way to your home. If they agree and aren’t entirely punctual as a result, it’s best to let it slide.
9. She Has Younger Siblings – Most teenage girls start babysitting for friends and neighbors after years of experience with younger siblings. If both of her parents work and she’s responsible for those siblings until one of her parents arrives, the situation might be beyond her control.
10. She’s Just Late – A great sitter who loves your children and is almost always punctual should be cut a little bit of slack if she’s running late and it’s a rare occurrence. Everyone gets behind schedule on occasion; if she’s never made a habit of it, don’t give her too hard of a time.

Being forced to rearrange your schedule to accommodate a childcare provider who isn’t on time can be incredibly frustrating, but if it’s not a regularly occurring problem, it’s not worth losing a great sitter over. Finding someone who makes your children happy and is trustworthy is difficult; replacing her will be much more difficult than swallowing the urge to deliver a lecture on punctuality.

1. Monster Under the Bed – It’s unseen and usually unheard, but we know it lurks … just beneath our mattress, waiting for our feet to hit the floor. Yikes!

2. Boogeyman in the Closet – The scariest of monsters are the ones we never really see, even in pictures. So this monster has reigned in the nightmares of children for as long as there have been bedroom closets.

3. Evil Clowns – What could be more terrifying than a demonic version of those circus mascots and jesters, the clown? We confess that some of these guys, like Pennywise here, give us a real bad case of the creeps.

4. Witches – Sure, sure, we know. There are good witches and bad witches, good spells and bad spells. All we know is that hags like this one scare the crap out of kids.

5. Zombies – Heck, this bunch even has adults obsessed with their imminent invasion. They’re everywhere in pop culture now – movies, books, comics, video games. They’re everywhere and they just keep coming. That makes them very, very scary.

6. Puppets – Let’s face it, even the most charming of these still has at least a little creep factor. Children (and adults like us) have a tendency oftentimes to create our monsters out of the familiar, as with our aforementioned clowns.

7. Namahage – Leave it to the Japanese to incorporate scary monsters into their culture as a way of training their kids to behave, work hard and not be lazy. Hmmm.

8. Cuco – It appears that the Japanese have not cornered the market on scaring their young’uns into submission. Seems our Hispanic cousins have an ace up their sleeves as well, in the form of this legendary bugaboo.

9. Dolls – They walk, they talk; their heads spin and their eyes follow you around the room. They are just plain ghoulishly scary, and some of them are bigger than the kids themselves. Yikes.

10. Ghosts – Sometimes the monsters are more than monsters, beyond flesh and blood. Sometimes they’re not even living. Not in the way we think of living anyway. Spirits, ghouls, poltergeists. Call them what you will, but whatever you do, don’t call upon them, lest you be haunted evermore.