How to Start Babysitting

Tips to Prepare Your Child for This Popular Job

Babysitting jobs have always been a popular job for kids. If your child enjoys playing with children younger than they are and is responsible, babysitting is an ideal way they can earn money. After you gauge your child's interest, you'll need to find out how your child can start babysitting and find resources about babysitting jobs.

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Appropriate Age to Start Babysitting

Babysitter chopping peppers for pizza.
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The age when children start babysitting varies based on their degree of maturity and whether or not they've had the opportunity to babysit for a younger brother or sister. However, most girls and boys begin babysitting for younger children around age 12. Children younger than age 12 can work as a mother's helper until they are ready to set off on their own.

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The Importance of Taking a Babysitting Course

Children who are interested in launching a babysitting career should always take a safety course first. It's a very big deal, indeed, to be responsible for another child or toddler and a lot of things can go wrong. The Red Cross babysitting course is an excellent program and is available for 11 to 15-year-olds. The course focuses on the basics of childcare, safety issues that may arise while babysitting, and advertising tips so your son or daughter can find clients.

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How to Find Babysitting Jobs

Once your child has taken a babysitting course they are equipped to start booking babysitting gigs, as soon as they find babysitting jobs. One of the best ways to find people to babysit for is to get referrals from family and friends. These are the people that know your child well (many probably since he or she was born) and can speak to your child's character. So, now it's up to you to make everyone in your world aware of the fact that your child is ready to babysit.

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How to Advertise Babysitting Services

To advertise a babysitting business, have your child create babysitting flyers and post them on neighborhood bulletin boards, at your local YMCA, your friendly pharmacy, or your local hardware store. In addition, your child can easily create business cards to hand out to family and friends which will make them seem professional and serious about the job.

Word of mouth, however, is the most powerful advertising tool your child has at their disposal to start a babysitting business. Once your child has found a family to babysit for, have your child ask them to refer them to their friends that have children. This is a win-win scenario because every parent is in the market for a reliable babysit from time to time.

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Babysitting Game Toolkit

Once your child starts babysitting, they can amp up their babysitting service by putting on their "creativity" hat. Have your child create a babysitting bag full of different games and activities that they can take with them on babysitting jobs.

This does not have to be an expensive endeavor. Depending on the age of the child they are taking care of, they can bring a deck of cards (that you can pick up at any convenience store), jacks, pick-up sticks, or cardboard paper, glue, and crayons.

Your son or daughter will surely have some toys left from their own childhood, and they can bring these along. Bringing along their own toys will not only keep the child occupied, but the parents will also be impressed with your child's babysitting abilities.