Legally you’re allowed to babysit at 13 years old, but it’s recommended that you take a babysitting course to get certified. You can receive this certification from the Red Cross. Parents tend to want to hire babysitters who meet all of the qualifications, and this opens you up to many other parents that are in need of a babysitter. Babysitting is a good opportunity to make easy money. However, this job comes with many responsibilities. Here are some tips to fulfill those responsibilities.
Allergies
Health is a number one priority when it comes to taking care of a kid. Before the parent’s child is left in your care, you should confirm the allergies of the child. Kids often can be careless and forget to check labels on food items before they eat them. Therefore, this is a huge responsibility that a babysitter needs to follow through with to ensure the safety of the child. It is very unlikely that parents would forget to mention their child’s allergies, but it is always good to remember in case they forget. If you’re ever in a situation where you and the parents both forget to mention allergies, just send them a quick text!
Preparation for Emergencies
Being prepared for emergencies is another top priority when it comes to babysitting. In case of an emergency it’s good to always call the parents first. However, if the situation was more serious, you should consider calling 911 first and then the parents immediately afterwards. For example, if the child is constantly crying, you should consider calling the parents to ask what you could do to calm them down. A serious situation that would involve calling 911 first would be if the child was having an allergic reaction and needed immediate care.
Don’t leave the child unattended
You should limit all distractions and direct all of your attention to the child instead. Texting, playing games, or talking to your friends on the phone are distractions that can lead to the child being unsupervised. An unsupervised child may result in possibly putting the kid in danger. This leads to my next tip, never leave the child by themselves in the house. Therefore, don’t leave the house to go hangout with your friends or to go last minute grocery shopping.
Keep the Child Entertained
Keeping the child entertained prevents tantrums from happening. Playing games like, hide and seek or tag are all good games to keep children entertained. Watching rated G appropriate movies is another alternative activity to do after playing games.
So if you’re ever looking for a way to make easy money, I would recommend trying babysitting. Although don’t let this deceive you because babysitting can be a challenge. It comes with many responsibilities and responsibilities come with consequences if you don’t follow through with them. The main purpose of babysitting is to set a good example and be a good influence for the child. You should think about this before you decide to take care of someone else’s child.
