If you’ve just turned 13 and need some extra cash, babysitting is one of the few jobs traditionally available to you. But getting a babysitting gig isn’t always a sure thing. You need to prove to the parents that you have the skills and responsibility required to watch over their little ones. Fortunately, that’s an easy thing to do, with a little work and effort on your part. Here’s how to get yourself hired as a babysitter!
Start Small
Before being entrusted with children, you need to prove that you can handle the basics of childcare enough to be left alone with a toddler or another young child. Ask your mom or dad (or other relatives) if you can mind younger siblings. Another thing to consider is offering your services as a parent’s helper. A parent’s helper watches over kids while the mom or dad is at home. With new parents, this is a tremendous help, as it gives them time to catch a snooze or have a little alone time after many hours of taking care of the baby while they remain nearby in case of emergencies. Either job will help you build experience and give you references you can share with potential clients. Good word-of-mouth is vital to babysitting.
Let Them Know You Can Be a Literal Lifesaver
Take time to learn first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and other lifesaving techniques. Courses are available at school, park districts, online, and elsewhere, and you can be officially certified in all of them. Hopefully, you’ll never have to use those skills, but it can put a parents’ mind at ease knowing not only that you can protect their children but also that you were considerate and conscientious enough to learn how to do so.
Learn How To Schedule Your Time
Before you offer your services, figure out how you can balance babysitting with school, extracurricular activities, and everything else going on in your life. Create a schedule and stick to it, and keep in mind that certain times, like weekend evenings, are more likely to generate customers than others. If clients know that you’ll be available when you say you’re available, you’ll build a good reputation, and they’ll be more likely to recommend you to other parents.
Understand How Little Kids Work
You were a little kid not too long ago, but you may have forgotten all the special needs young children have because, well, someone took care of them for you. When figuring out how to get yourself hired as a babysitter, bone up on what kids do and require. Babies need to be fed, burped, and changed, so be ready for all the gross sights and smells that come with the territory. Toddlers need bathroom help sometimes, as well as naps, so ask older relatives how to handle those times. Mostly, prepare to be a parent, entertainer, gym coach, teacher, and more. It’s what their parents do every day, and what they’ll likewise expect from you!