Information About Babysitting
From LoveToKnow Teens
Have you wanted to begin your own babysitting service but needed more information about babysitting? LoveToKnow interviewed Jeanne Sites, a professional babysitter, to find out some dos and don’ts about this popular teen job.
Professional Babysitting Jobs
LTK: What is it like to work for a babysitting service? Do you get better jobs by working for a service?
Jeanne: Working for a babysitting service is fun because you get to meet new people and experience different types of families. It also gives you experience that could help you later in life in other jobs, either through job contacts or educational knowledge.
LTK: How to you get a job working for a "professional" babysitting service?
Jeanne: The service I worked for was through a referral of another friend. I made my own contact and then went for the interview. They asked me about my experiences with children and how I would handle certain situations that may arise during a job.
Information about Babysitting
LTK: What should a teen know before she starts babysitting?
Jeanne: If you are a young person wanting to get into babysitting through a professional service, I would recommend taking some training courses in first aid and babysitting. Most services want students or young people who are responsible and dependable. Be ready to share any experiences you have or any school related recommendations you may have.
Babysitting Training
LTK: Do you find that parents and clients like you to have any special background in caring for children?
Jeanne: The parents that I worked for liked that I was a teacher. My general experience with people is that they prefer to know that you have some training and can provide references.
What to Charge
LTK: When you aren't working for a service, how do you determine how much to charge?
Jeanne: When you are not working for a service, I would look at what the general public is making and what the family is expecting of you. I also think your experience matters. In most cases, when I was not working for the service I made about $10 an hour. But if a family is demanding a lot more than just babysitting (such as doing any house work), I think you should sit down and discuss expectations with the family and decide on fair compensation.
What Not to Do
LTK: Are there any things you should never do when babysitting?
Jeanne: I think you should always maintain a professional demeanor and never let the child get the best of you. The child or children need to know that you are in charge. Don't do anything that could be looked at as degrading or questionable. If the children are too much and will not cooperate with your rules or guidelines set up by their parents, then maybe the parents should recruit another sitter. Think about everything you do or say. Kids do remember.
LTK: Have you ever refused to baby sit a child again?
Jeanne: I never did refuse, but I mostly worked for the same families. You will find that once you start sitting you will develop a client base. In most cases, you will be a repeat sitter.
What You Should Bring to a Job
LTK: What should every good babysitter bring with him or her to a job?
Jeanne: If the child is independent, then you may want to bring something to keep you busy. But some young children need to be entertained. Books, puzzles, stickers, etc. are things you could bring with you to the job.
What to Expect
LTK: Do you have any babysitting stories or other information about babysitting that you would like to share with teens who want to baby sit?
Jeanne: I mostly worked for one client. She had me doing a lot of things, such as going to the zoo, taking the kids to practices and going out to eat.
However, there was one boy who was a little different to baby sit. He was very imaginative and he liked to pretend he was policemen and in the army. He was very demanding and it took a lot of energy. You never knew what to expect with him!
Lining Up Jobs
If you are really interested in starting your own babysitting business, start by getting some training. Take classes at your local YMCA, YWCA, 4-H or Girl Scout clubs. While you are enrolled you can also ask about where to get jobs in your area. Don't forget to post babysitting fliers to advertise your services and be sure to let parents you already know that you are available to baby sit.
About Jeanne Sites
Jeanne Sites has been babysitting and teaching in the Columbus, Ohio school district for 19 years. She holds a B.S. in Education and an M.S. in Reading. She resides in Columbus with two young boys, Trevor and Cory.
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Comments
Hi Tymra, David and Billie, Hopefully you're advertising your services where you live locally and not depending on people to find you on the Internet. If you don't know where to start with advertising, read our article Babysitting Flyers. Good luck in finding jobs!
-- Contributed by: Charlotte GerberHi, my name is Billiejean, you can call me Billie. I'm 13 going on 14 and I have watched children before for my dad and I didn't really do it for money but I enjoyed it. Now that I'm getting older and starting to like kids even more I would love to babysit.
-- Contributed by: Billiejean PoolWell Hi. My name is David. I live in Califorina. I like kids. I think they are fun and I hope to see some kids that like to have fun and get to know one another.
-- Contributed by: DAVID
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