CRASH COURSES FOR BABY SITTERS.

Byline: Jenifer Hanrahan Daily News Staff Writer

It's a baby sitter's nightmare: The 2-year-old who starts screaming when his parents walk out the door and won't let up. The 5-year-old who refuses to go to bed.

The parents who come home hours late - too sloshed to drive you home.

What's a smart sitter to do?

These are just a few of the scenarios that will be discussed during a ``Super Sitters'' baby-sitting class on June 4 at Glendale Adventist Medical Center.

``For many of the kids, it's their first job,'' said Eva Dittes, a licensed vocational nurse who has taught the course for several years. ``We try to teach the kids some things that can help them and the children they're taking care of, so they can go to their jobs with a little bit of self-confidence.''

The three-hour course includes information about dealing with medical emergencies, such as choking and infant-and-child CPR, which is taught by a paramedic or police officer.

Other topics include:

Discipline: ``I tell baby sitters that they do not raise another parent's child, only watch it. If it's an unruly child, don't baby-sit,'' Dittes said.

Sitter's safety: Sitters should not go into the homes of strangers unless they take an adult to meet them ahead of time, Dittes said.

Kid's safety: Sitters should make sure the parents leave a phone number where they'll be and a phone number for emergencies. Most importantly, baby sitters should never leave the child unattended.

Responsibility: Baby sitters are hired to mind the children, not to do housework, Dittes said. Sitters should set prices ahead of time.

``Your baby-sitting job is a contract, like in a business deal. You owe the parents and they owe you,'' Dittes said. ``The parents owe the baby sitter respect inasmuch as they don't leave their house in a dumpy mess. They don't go out until all hours in the morning.''

A similar two-day course called ``Safe Sitter'' will be offered July 16 and 17 at St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank. The course offers certification in infant and child cardiopulmonary resuscitation and information about age-appropriate toys, feeding and starting a business.

Debbie Noble, nurse manager for maternal child education at St. Joseph, said the skills taught during the baby-sitting class can help the sitters in other situations.

``It's getting them on the right track to becoming more responsible teen-agers and parents,'' Noble said.

Debbie Sayovitz of La Canada had her 13-year-old son, Mark, take the class at Glendale Adventist before she let him mind her 10-year-old son.

MEMO: Glendale Adventist's ``Super Sitter'' class on June 4 runs from 5 to 8:30 p.m for baby sitters ages 9 to 18. Cost is $10. Call [phone] for information or to sign-up.

St. Joseph's ``Safe Sitter'' program on July 16 and 17 runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m for baby sitters from grades six to nine. Cost is $40. Call [phone] for information or to register.

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Randy Stephenson/Knight-Ridde r Tribune