March 2017 - EASTERN OREGON PARENT - 3
Babysitting basics: Setting up your teen as a sitter
By JENNIFER COLTON
So your child wants to babysit.
Once you’ve decided she – or he
– is ready and able to supervise
younger children, it’s time to get
active. Making a few conscious
decisions and preparations can
help keep your potential sitter
safe and in control of a business
where they’ll learn responsibility,
problem-solving and a little money
management.
First steps
If your child is ready to begin
babysitting, talk about what age
kids he or she would like to care for.
Is your child able to change a dia-
per? Is your child comfortable hav-
ing control over older kids? These
are all questions to talk about while
you make a business plan. Make a
plan that covers what types of chil-
dren your sitter will watch, what his
or her hours will be, and what he
or she will charge. Will your sitter
offer a discount for multiple kids?
Will you charge by the hour or a flat
rate? Make sure your child has a
basic idea before going into nego-
tiations with parents.
Certification and training
Having certification means your
sitter-to-be has taken classes to
understand some of the responsi-
bilities and potential challenges of
babysitting. It’s not only a good op-
tion for all sitters, it’s also evidence
of your child’s preparedness for
parents who may not have a back-
ground with your child.
The longest standing and most
well known babysitting certifica-
tion comes from the American
Red Cross. The organization offers
classroom and online options for
all ages, as well as optional first aid
and CPR certifications.
In Hermiston, Good Shepherd
Medical Center offers “Babysit-
ting Basics 101” for babysitters
ages 10 to 15. It’s a full day
class – typically 9 a.m. until 3
p.m. on a Saturday – covering
childcare techniques, what to
expect, and basic first aid. The
class is about $35, and pre-
registration is required. You
can call 541-667-3509 for more
information. Although St. An-
thony’s Hospital in Pendleton
doesn’t offer a regular baby-
sitting class, it does offer tips for
choosing a babysitter and making
sure your child is ready:
• Get references and make sure
sitters have a track record of
demonstrating common sense,
maturity and ability to follow
instructions.
• Require first-aid training: At the
minimum, sitters should know
the Heimlich maneuver and how
to use everything in a general
first aid kit.
The Pendleton hospital also rec-
ommends making sure a babysitter
knows the quickest route to the
hospital and who to contact in an
emergency.
Safety and security
Sending your child out into the
world – even for an hour – has its
share of fears and risks, and baby-
sitting is just as much about the
safety of the sitter as it is the kids
he or she is watching. Do your best
to minimize those risks by talking
with your child about all expecta-
tions and setting clear rules.
Whenever you deal with parents
you don’t know, you may want to
drop your child off to make sure
you know where they are while
babysitting and meet the parents.
Make sure the home environment
local post offices, libraries and
stores have community boards
where families may post about
needing sitters – or your sitter
can put up a flier advertising
his or her new business ven-
ture. If you go with any public
marketing, make sure you
proofread what your child is
submitting to make sure they
aren’t giving away too much
personal information.
Balancing school and sitting
is safe before you leave your child
Just like any student job, babysit-
alone, and help them know how
ting requires striking a balance be-
to stay in control in an unfamiliar
tween school and work. While the
house.
money and responsibility can be a
This is also a good time to talk
nice bonus, it should never come at
about what the family’s rules are
the expense of school work. Before
and if any kids have allergies or spe- your child begins taking babysitting
cial needs.
assignments, sit down and draft
Marketing and finding work
out a series of rules – including
The best place to start gaining
how late they can be out on school
babysitting experience is with peo- nights. Going into the experience
ple and places your child is familiar with a plan gives your student a
with. If you have other children, an clear idea of what she or he should
older sibling can gain experience
say no to.
in your own home, and if you have
When looking at the balance
friends who could use a sitter for a
between babysitting, school, clubs,
few hours, it can make it easier on
and sports, having a calendar can
both the children and your bud-
make a difference. Even if you have
ding babysitter if they already know a family calendar, give your po-
each other.
tential sitter a calendar – digital or
Once your child is ready to ex-
paper – of his or her own to keep
tend past your immediate circle, he track of commitments and make
or she can try advertising on Face-
sure they don’t accept a babysit-
book or other local social media
ting job when they have a concert
opportunities, and larger websites
or a sporting event. While the class
may also be an option. The web-
schedule may stay the same, sports
site Care.com, for example, allows
and other activities vary, and you
prospective babysitters and nannies never want to leave a client without
to sign up and set up a profile. The
a sitter because your child forgot
site works in the same way an em-
about another commitment.
ployment or dating website would:
________
would-be babysitters make profiles
and connect with parents looking
Jennifer Colton is news director of
for a sitter.
KOHU and KQFM, and mother of
If you live in a small town, some three, based in Pendleton.