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Is your teenager looking for ways to make a little extra money but she isn't quite old enough to get a "real job"? Babysitting is a great option for a responsible, mature young teen to earn some cash and learn some valuable job skills.
If your teen has never done any babysitting on their own I highly recommend that they gain a little experience with kids before they venture out into babysitting on their own.
Here are a few ideas to help your teen gain valuable babysitting skills:
Babysitter Survival Plan For Your Teen
Mentoring Opportunities:
Volunteering in the church nursery or a Sunday school class as a junior helper is a great way to gain some experience. Being paired up with an adult who can guide and instruct them will help your teen gain confidence.
Have you ever heard of a "mommy's helper"? Basically the teen spends time watching the child(ren)
when the mom is home. The mom gets to do chores or relax while your teen gets to know the kids (and mom). It is like supervised babysitting.
My daughter offers this type of service to the mom for free since the mom is like a babysitting mentor for my teen (win/win for both). Not only does my teen become familiar with the kids, house and family expectations but the mom gets to know my teen who will hopefully become a regular babysitter for them in the near future. My teen daughter has been a mommy's helper to a few neighborhood mom's that resulted in future babysitting jobs.
Babysitter Emergency Info Sheet
The first time your teen babysits for a new family , whether they know the family really well or not, it is important to make sure the teen sitter is prepared in case of any emergencies that might arise. One requirement I have for my teen is to have the family she is babysitting for complete a babysitter information form before they leave.
Information like the house address, parent's cell numbers, neighbors to call, parent's full name (Mr. Smith doesn't help if there is a real emergency - you need the dad/mom's full name!), allergies and other information that your teen might need while watching the kids gets written down on the info sheet.
This handy form is right at my teens fingertips in case she has questions or if a real emergency arises.
First Aid/CPR Training
Having your teen attend a First Aid/CPR class at the local Red Cross is another great babysitting survival tool for your teen. Becoming certified in CPR is a valuable skill that shows parents how serious your teen takes their babysitting job. Being well prepared for anything is important. |
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Access To A Phone
The last piece of advice I want to impart is to have your teen ask the family they are babysitting for if they have a home phone available to use when the parents are out. Land lines are not as common as they once were and more than likely the parents (mom & dad) have their own cell phone and will be taking it with them when they go out. If your teen doesn't have a cell phone make sure to have your teen communicate this with the parents so they aren't left babysitting without a phone.
As a parent of a teen you might want to consider purchasing a pre-paid type of phone for your teen to take with them when they are babysitting. They are relatively cheap and can be "re-loaded" with time as it gets used. Always check to make sure the phone has adequate funding before a babysitting job.
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Activity Bag
When I first started babysitting I used to pack a bag to take with me filled with coloring books, crafts, games and other fun stuff to share with the kids I was babysitting. No matter what I brought the kids loved it because to them these games or crafts were something new to them - it wasn't just stuff from their own house. Kids love to explore new books, crafts and games and by bringing a few things from home I knew they would be engaged and entertained for quite some time while I was watching them.Bored kids can sometimes equal trouble so help your teen out by suggesting they bring a bag of fun stuff with them on their next babysitting job. A trip to the Dollar Store or just rummaging through your own craft supplies to find fun projects or a board game to do is simple and will pay off in the long run.
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