When you leave your child with a babysitter a checklist may be one of the last things on your mind.  It's such a rare occasion when you get to leave the house without your toddling chaperone that you can't even remember how to get out the front door unless you're dragging a diaper bag and stroller in one hand and wrangling your toddler, his teddy bear and his blankie with the other. 

But believe me, the minute you get to that restaurant and sit down at the table, the realization will hit you - “I forgot to give the babysitter my cellphone number in case there's an emergency!”  Then here's what's going to happen next.

You're going to try to call home and the phone will ring and ring but no one will pick up.  You'll begin to imagine all sorts of horrible possibilities, all of which end with the babysitter necking on the couch with her boyfriend and your child being rushed to the hospital.  Your husband will tell you to calm down, wait a few minutes and try again.

And when you try again, there's still now answer so you drag your husband out of the restaurant, rush home, only to find your babysitter coming up the driveway with your child tucked quietly in his stroller and they're just finishing up a nice little walk before bath time.  She wasn't murdering your child when she didn't answer the phone, she was simply entertaining him – which is exactly what you hired her to do.  Now aren't you ashamed of yourself?

You don't get too many opportunities to enjoy a night on the town when you have a toddler at home.  Before you ruin another one, print out this babysitter checklist, fill in all the blanks and hang it on your refrigerator.