Babysitting Tips
Babysitting is a great and rewarding job, but there are several ways that it can go wrong, and many ways to make a job go easier for you, the sitter. Here are some tips for babysitting, including how to handle different emergencies that may arise.
Love kids. This may seem like a given, but the fact is, if you do not love kids- interacting with them, playing their games, reading to them , and talking to them, you will not make a good babysitter. The best way for you and the kids to get along is to have a relationship with them- in fact; many babysitters have an easier time with the kids than their parents do.
Choose your clients carefully. The right clients will make all the difference to whether or not you enjoy your babysitting experience. The best way to find clients is to use the contacts you have among your parent’s friends, your friends, and any community organization s you may be involved in. If your clients are really strict when it comes to rules about their house and their babysitting needs, make sure that they are paying you on a scale that is appropriate for their needs. Don’t make a lot of extra work for yourself by taking on high-maintenance, low-pay jobs. It will only stress you out.
Know your own limits. If you have never looked after a really small baby before, then the first times you do so you should only really have the baby to worry about. They need a lot of attention, and having another little one running around can be quite a handful. As the age range of the kids gets older, it generally becomes easier to look after more at a time. There are more options as far as activities to do, and older siblings are usually very helpful for babysitters when it comes to younger charges. Still, you should never baby sit for more than three kids under five at the same time, and never more than four in total by yourself.
If this is the first time you are working for a client, and you will be at their house when the kids have gone to bed, bring along a movie, some homework, a book, or something else to do at night. There is no guarantee that they will have television or even a DVD player, and it is inappropriate to ask. You don’t want the hours to tick away with nothing to do, or it will be a long night.
Before the parents leave, make sure that they leave you a number where you can reach them. You should only use this in a real emergency, or in the event that you cannot find some kind of important item. Also feel free to phone your own parents if you have any questions or become frightened for any reason, they will know what to do.
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