Be a Successful Babysitter

Babysitting can be a difficult job, especially if it's your first time. In order to gain the skills necessary for babysitting, you should educate yourself on childcare and first aid procedures. This will help give you more confidence in your ability. To be successful as a babysitter, you should gather important information ahead of time, prepare for entertaining and caring for the children, and consider actions that will set you apart from other babysitters. The more experience you gain, the more confident and successful you will become as a babysitter.

Steps

Educating Yourself

1. Take a babysitting course. In order to feel confident and comfortable looking after children, it is a good idea to take a program specifically designed for babysitter training. It will also make your potential employers more comfortable knowing you have been educated and certified in babysitting. A few organizations that provide babysitter certification courses include, The Red Cross, YMCA, and Safe Sitter.
   • Certification courses cost between $65 and $85 depending on the extent of the course and the provider.
2. Get certified in first aid and CPR. Being able to handle emergencies and injuries is important for a babysitter, as there is always the potential for something serious to occur while caring for children. Be prepared to handle these situations by getting certified through one of these organizations: The Red Cross, Lifesaving Society, St. John Ambulance, American Heart Association, etc.
   • First aid and CPR certification is usually valid for 2-3 years.
3. Learn basic skills involved in childcare. Some skills that may be required of you as a babysitter include: changing diapers, preparing meals, and bathing children. If you don’t have experience in these areas you should familiarize yourself with the basics.
   • You can find resources online through sites such as safesitter.com.
   • You could also ask your parents to help teach you some of these skills. If you have a younger sibling you could assist your parents in the practical application of these skills.

Getting Babysitting Jobs

1. Ask families of children you already know. When you first begin babysitting it is a good idea to start working for a family you already know. This allows you to gain experience in a setting where you are comfortable and have a preexisting relationship with the family.
   • This could include family members, friends, or neighbours.
2. Advertise your services. Once you have some experience and are ready to take on more work, you need to make it known to others that you are looking for babysitting jobs. You can ask friends and family for a referral, if they know anyone who might be looking for a good babysitter.
   • You can also use social media to let your contacts know that you are available for childcare or create pages devoted to your babysitting business.
   • Additionally, you can create fliers to promote your services and post them on community center bulletin boards or other community or childcare job boards.
3. Present yourself professionally. Word of mouth is very important and people tend to use recommendations from friends when hiring a babysitter. Displaying that you are responsible, dependable, punctual, respectful, and enthusiastic about babysitting will help you gain a positive reputation as a babysitter.
   • For example, don’t cancel on a job at the last minute. Show that you are dependable and if you have to cancel a job, make sure you give the parents enough time to find another sitter.
   • Always arrive at an appropriate time. Don't be late and if it's your first time babysitting for a family arrive 10 to 15 minutes early to go over information with the parents before they leave.
   • You should present yourself as someone who enjoys babysitting and spending time with children. It doesn’t look good if you seem annoyed by children or apathetic about the job.

Gathering Important Information

1. Get a clear picture of the job before accepting. It is important to know exactly what is being asked of you when babysitting. It is okay to decline a job if you don’t feel capable of handling it safely. Before you accept a job make sure you know the following:
   • The number of kids you will be looking after and their ages.
   • How long you will be babysitting.
   • If the children have any disabilities or require special needs.
   • If the children are sick or require any medical attention.
2. Agree upon payment. You should negotiate your pay in advance, in order to ensure you are compensated appropriately. Payment will vary from job to job but you should have a base understanding of what you consider appropriate for your time.
   • To get a better understanding of the going rate for babysitting you can ask friends who also babysit or ask a local employment agency.
   • The average hourly rate for babysitting in the US is $12.75/hr. This rate can vary depending on geographic location, the number of children being cared for, and the years of experience of the babysitter.
3. Ask about safety procedures and medical information. Before babysitting make sure you have contact information for the parents, a secondary emergency contact, as well as important emergency numbers readily available. You should also be aware of any relevant medical information about the children.
   • For example, do they have any allergies or special dietary requirements. They may need to carry an EpiPen with them for bee stings or other allergies.
   • You should also know where to find things in the house. For example, you should know where a first aid kit is located.
4. Find out details about the child and their routines. It is important to know the timeline and structure of the children’s daily routine while you are babysitting them. Children like and respond well to routine and structure. You should try to follow their structure for mealtimes, naps, baths, and bedtime.
   • You may also want to be aware of other behaviours, interests, or routines specific to the child you are babysitting. For example, is there a certain toy or blanket that the child needs to have in order to go to sleep?
   • Write down these details so that you can refer back to them if necessary.
5. Listen to the parent’s rules and guidelines. You should be aware of and enforce any rules set by the parents. This could include how much computer or screen time the child is allowed to have at night, the child's set bedtime, the types of snacks and treats that are permitted, etc.
   • You should also learn about their preferred discipline tactics. Ask ahead of time if they have tips or certain strategies that their child responds well to, such as a time out, if the child is misbehaving.

Entertaining and Caring for Children

1. Make safety your first priority. As a babysitter your main responsibility is keeping the children and yourself safe. You should always be watching them and aware of where they are at all times.
   • Some incidents are bound to happen and small scrapes and bumps are common for kids, but they shouldn’t be happening constantly and should be handled responsibly.
2. Follow parent’s instructions. If parents give you specific directions for how to go about doing certain things, such as feeding, bathing, and bedtime routines you should do as directed. For example, if they give instructions on what the kids should eat for dinner, you should stick to the options they provide.
   • Usually they are giving detailed instructions because this is how they want things done or they are the best options for you as a babysitter.
3. Play and interact with the child. A good babysitter won’t just supervise the children. You should interact and play with them as well. The more engaged you are with their games and activities the more fun they will have and you can build a positive connection with them.
4. Be creative and bring activities or games with you. In order to ensure the children have a fun time and don’t get bored, it is a good idea to have some pre-planned activities and games.
   • For example, you could plan a fun craft to create with the kids. This will also show their parents that you were actively engaged with their kids and the kids have something to show their parents.

Setting Yourself Apart

1. Clean up before the parents get home. When parents come home to a clean and tidy house this is a great bonus. They will likely be grateful of the added care you took while in their home.
   • Tidy up after each game or activity to keep on top of the mess.
   • Clean up food and dishes after meals and snacks. You might not have time to fully do all the dishes, but you should try to tidy up and rinse the dishes.
2. Be flexible and available. The more you are able to fit with a family’s schedule and are okay with taking on additional time the more likely you will be hired back.
   • For example, if parents aren’t sure of the exact time that they will be home and you are flexible to stay between a time range (i.e. they will be home at some point between 9:30 and 11:00pm), that can be very helpful.
3. Give parents a recap of what you did with the kids. It is reassuring to the parents when you are able to tell them what you and the kids were up to while they were out. This shows that you were actively engaged and paying attention to the children.
   • You can also provide feedback on their child’s behaviour, whether positive or negative.
   • You should also inform parents of any problems or incidents, including injuries, even if they were small.
4. Be willing to do extras. There are little things that you can do to set yourself apart. This could include things such as, helping kids with their homework or looking after pets while you babysit. Parents will recognize these helpful additional tasks you do while babysitting and see you as an exceptional babysitter.

Tips

• If a parent instructs you to keep their child inside, follow their directions.
• In the event of an emergency stay calm and never leave the kids alone.
• You may want to bring a first aid kit with you in case the family does not have one in the home.
• Do not let the kids have friends over while babysitting, unless the parents have approved this and discussed it with you ahead of time.
• Put emergency numbers in your phone to have on you at all times.
• Do not let the children stay up too late past their bedtime. A few minutes late is okay, but if they're up too late, they will likely be grouchy the next day and the parents won't be inclined to hire you again.

Warnings

• Not every child is going to like you. It's okay if you have to give up a job because of the family.

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Sources and Citations

See also

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• Play With Kids While Babysitting
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