Babysitter doesn’t have as easy and relaxed job as a beginner may think. You’re not just coming to someone’s house to hang out and watch TV or do your own thing and mind kids meanwhile. It’s much more than that. Sometimes kids, no matter of what age, are really hard to work with. Even their own parents can’t handle their tantrums and misbehavior in certain situations. Needless to say that a complete stranger has much less impact on a young tempestuous sole than parents or even other relatives. Besides, it takes time and effort to find that special connection with a child that ensures mutual understanding and respect, the will to spend time together and do what the adult says.
Your relationship with a child determines everything. It requires special features of person’s character, many skills and desire to be successful at babysitting and become kid’s mentor, friend and playing buddy. Hiring a babysitter or sending kids to daycare, parents usually look not only for a person who can stay with their kids while they’re away and make sure they don’t get into trouble (although, this part of the job is quite challenging as well). They also want their kids have a good time, be entertained, fed, safe and do useful and interesting things for their education and development while parents can’t join them and engage their little ones into different activities. Even newborns need that, as they won’t be happy with a person, who doesn’t want to take proper care of them or simply doesn’t know how to do that. And, child’s happiness is the only thing that matters to a parent.
Moreover, you should learn how to respect the household rules and people’s different approaches to upbringing, as it’s absolutely necessary to follow them and continue the parents ‘policy’ to ensure consistent and coordinate child rearing and stable environment for developing minds. And, of course, not to break anything or cause other harm to the house people entrusted you to stay in.
So, if you’re new to the babysitting job or just want to improve your skills, here’re some tips on how to babysit and become successful at the job. This will also help you keep kids happy and entertained, and parents – satisfied with your work.
1. How to get hired as a babysitter
Obviously, in order to get the job, you have to meet some important criteria. You have to be reliable and honest person, who loves kids and knows how to take proper care of them. It’s better if you have some kind of a certificate that you went through babysitters’ training courses or reviews and recommendations from your previous clients. If you’re a teenager, you may ask your teachers for some references about you (your responsibility, communication skills, etc.).
Your professional skills are not enough. People have to know that you’re actually willing to provide this kind of services. So, spread the word all over your social media, throughout friends and family. You may post an ad with your short resume, age of children you can work with and a schedule you may agree on. Visit HireRush.com and add your advertisement along with contact phone numbers and e-mail address. As our service allows customers get all necessary information about people they’re looking for to hire and easy ways of how to contact them, you may receive a message or a call shortly after you’ve left an ad. Then, the only thing you should do is to make a good impression and show your best qualities and abilities.
2. At the interview
At a meeting, keep calm, listen to your prospect employer attentively and give honest answers to their questions. Describe your previous experiences and show recommendations. If you don’t have those, convince parents that you can do the job by being as professional as possible and showing the desire to work with kids. Let them know that you’re aware of basic rules of babysitting. Tell them about the methods you’re able to imply, what fun and educational activities you may do with kids.
Reassure parents that, as a reliable babysitter, you’ll have their child’s safety and happiness as your first priority and that you’re ready to follow reasonable rules and requirements. Don’t be shy and ask for any information you want to know, like child’s age, interests, medical conditions, engagements, your future timetable, obligations and salary. Don’t promise something you’re not able to do.
Anyway, the child’s reaction on you and your ability to establish a connection during the first meeting is the decisive factor parents are going to take into the consideration when deciding, whether they’re going to hire you. Just be yourself, talk to a child (or children) as to a friend and try your best to make him like you.
These steps will help you out and ensure better chances of being hired as a babysitter and getting a decent income. Just post an ad and get started!
3. Organize your timetable and actions
If you work for multiple families, then figure out your schedule and write down all hours and days you work on and which kid you’re supposed to stay with. You may even create your own babysitting calendar to mark you free and occupied hours and days on.
Also, it’s good to have a notebook to write down all the information and always have it on you. You should have all the home addresses, parents’ and doctor’s offices phone numbers, school and different dance lessons or other activities’ addresses. Devote several pages to each kid you babysit and fill it with the information about his/her habits, preferences, schedule, medical conditions you should be aware of. Maybe, a kid doesn’t go to bed without his favorite stuffed animal or doesn’t like this or that kind of music. Or maybe a child has to take vitamins or other pills at a certain time.
In addition to that you may also write down some fun and interesting activities (like crafts or active games) you may do with kids to pull out of the sleeve to keep them busy and entertained.
If you got hired to babysit a baby, you should probably write down all the feedings, including time and amount of milk they ate.
4. How should a professional babysitter behave
If you want to get hired as a babysitter and meet the parents’ requirements, there’re few things you have to remember and stick to while babysitting:
- Family rules are mandatory. Let children watch TV only if parents allow them and limit it to the certain time they tell you beforehand. The same applies to video games and other technology. If you do cooking, always remember about the family’s and children’s eating
habits and specifics. Generally, healthy food is always a go-to. Avoid things kid is allergic to (certain foods, animals or even plants). - Follow the household rules. You should discuss with employers, what things you may use (TV, phone, kitchen supplies, etc.). Don’t let older kids invite friends over if parents are against it or if you don’t know their opinion about it.
- Stick to the schedule. Meals, naps and bedtime have to be on time to keep a child within his/her own established routine. Usually, parents will tell you about the each of their children schedules in detail, including the time they have to be picked up from school or other types of activities they’re engaged in.
- Don’t be too strict and harsh, but also don’t let the little ones take over. You’re supposed to balance in between those two things, being their friend and making them listen at the same time.
- If your work involves being a mother’s helper (it’s when the babysitter is hired to help out a stay-at-home mom when she does things around the house or works from home), always follow her instructions and remember that her decisions and opinions come first. If she doesn’t allow something, then follow the suit. Don’t argue with her, especially in children’s presence.
- If you work with kids, who go to school, make sure that they complete their homework before going to bed. Encourage children to do their chores.
- Clean up after kids. Of course, you’re not a maid, but it’s nice to keep the house in the state parents left it before going to work. So, pick up kids’ toys and clothes, wash the dishes after they ate.
- Give parents a full report on the day. Tell what you did, how kids behaved and what problems occurred. Never complain about kids or the amount of work you had to do today. But, if something wrong happened with a child or if he/she did something inappropriate, tell about it politely and offer your version of why this could have happened and how to fix the situation (e.g. a kid got bad grades at school, had a fight with someone or just didn’t feel well).
5. Plan various activities for kids
Regarding this matter, babysitting an infant is the easiest task. You just want to keep baby safe and fed, a diaper changed. Give him/her different toys so that baby learns how to hold things and discovers different shapes and textures. Babies like toys that make funny noises and the ones they may chew on. Do tummy-times. Teach babies to roll over if they’re old enough. Try to make them laugh. Read them books, as it’s important for their brain development. Though, it’s useful to do that with kids of all ages.
To babysit older kids, combine fun and entertaining activities with educational ones, devoting as little time as possible to watching TV or other similar stuff. If parents allow so, take kids to play outdoors.
Read them age-appropriate books and try to involve them in this process as much as you can. Ask them what’s on the pictures, what color that or this thing is and what they think about the character and his actions. If children can read themselves, it’s necessary to spare some time each day for reading only.
You may also play different active games with children. Make them run around a little bit and burn some energy. Use your imagination to create forts, castles, sail in a boat, become a choo-choo train or act out a scene of their favorite book or movie. Play songs, sing along or dance to them with little ones. Try memorizing the lyrics with kids.
Make puzzles, play board games (kids get so competitive!), color, learn something about animals or plants together, do crafts. The last activity is rather preferable, as it’s entertaining and educational at the same time. There’re so many things you may do with kids’ handprints, ordinary paper and paint. Try to make cards for parents or holiday-themed crafts. Use natural materials (leaves, flowers, rocks), as you may also involve kids in gathering them before starting the actual crafting process.
If you’re a babysitter of a kid, who goes to school, make sure that he/she does the homework in time and without being distracted by other things.
So, if you’re still looking for a job, then go to HireRush.com and post your ad in Teaching and Caring category. I’m sure you’ll do your best once you get hired. Kids are going to love you!
