Babysitting Jobs for Kids

Girl feeding baby brother at table
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Help your child find the perfect job! If your child enjoys kids here are some points to consider when evaluating if a babysitting job might be a good fit for your child.

Babysitting Job Pros

  • Babysitting is a fun job if your child enjoys kids. Your child will probably already be familiar with outings, games, and crafts that kids will enjoy.
  • Training is available. The Red Cross babysitting course is available to prepare 11 to 15-year-olds for babysitting.
  • Depending on the location and the family, kids can earn a higher hourly wage for babysitting than some of the other jobs for kids at their age. Of course, the pay can range anywhere from a few dollars an hour to over $12 per hour.
  • Babysitting jobs can be fit in around other obligations like schoolwork and extracurricular activities. Jobs could be limited to free weekends. It is great for a child with a busy social life in areas where there are lots of kids; jobs are plentiful. Parents continually need babysitters for date nights, running errands, and adult social activities.
  • Various aged children can babysit. Your child can begin as a mother's helper when she is younger (the parent remains at home during the babysitting job) and babysit throughout their pre-teen and teen years. If your child enjoys it, she can also babysit later, even while attending college.
  • Babysitting will help your child learn patience.
  • Your child can often remain close by. They can babysit for neighbors and relatives that you know and feel comfortable with.
  • Babysitting jobs will often repeat. Families that become familiar with your child will begin to call regularly.

Babysitting Job Cons

  • The number of jobs your child gets and how much she earns will be variable.
  • Scheduling can be difficult; sometimes calls for babysitting jobs come at the last minute. Also, parents are usually looking for sitters at night and on the weekends, the same time that your child may want to participate in their own social events.
  • Kids get sick and are exposed to lots of viruses, so babysitters will often get sick too.
  • Dealing with children is sometimes difficult. If they are caring for an overtired or mischievous child, your child may be exhausted.
  • Parents can sometimes be hard to deal with. As a parent, you always want what is best for your child, but that isn't always easy for the babysitter.
  • Breaking into the babysitting circuit can be hard if neighbors already have a list of sitters they use regularly.

How to Start Babysitting

Once your child determines a babysitting job is a right match, explore how to start babysitting for ideas on starting a babysitting business.

How to Find a Babysitting Job

For ideas on places to look for a babysitting job, see how to find a babysitting job or search the Indeed job search engine.

What Kids Learn About Money

  • Negotiation
    Since each parent typically pays a different rate, kids will learn that different jobs and responsibilities have different pay rates. Also, they will have an opportunity to learn negotiation if they are asked how much they charge.
  • Advertising
    Word-of-mouth, posting babysitting flyers on local bulletin boards, and websites all offer potential advertising options that your child can explore.
  • Trade-offs
    There will ultimately be a point where a babysitting job and a social event are at the same time. Your child will need to decide if earning money or having fun is more important.
  • Income Variability
    Because babysitting money will not be regular, they'll need to plan for it if they are depending on the money to pay a fixed cost each month.