How Can I Find a Babysitting Job Near Me?

You love kids and you love money, so why not get a babysitting job and blend the two together? The problem is parents are skeptical of who they leave their children with, so you can't just knock on random people's doors saying, "Can I watch your kids?" However, if you think outside the box, you may find that there are more opportunities to babysit children than you thought there were.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Visit different daycare centers to see if they're looking for additional help. The whole purpose of daycare centers is to watch other people's children. You don't necessarily have to sit in someone's home or have a child in your home to babysit. Babysitting in a company location is essentially the same thing. Start-up daycares usually need help with finding children to bring to their locations, and parents may be more comfortable with a licensed daycare company than they would an individual person so marketing the company can help with your babysitting needs. And if you're hired, there's plenty to do.

2. Post signs in a local church. Not every child is sitting in Bible study or scrambling around near their parents in church. Sometimes a parent needs a babysitter so they can participate in quiet church ceremonies or other church activities. If you already attend the church and the parents know you, the parents may feel more comfortable letting you babysit their children. Sometimes you may not even have to leave the church; just keep the children busy in an alternate area.

3. Talk to the principals at local schools. Although schools have after-school programs where the faculty may be willing to babysit children, most times teachers are overworked and underpaid. If you make a good impression on the principal, he may notify the teachers who will then notify parents of your babysitting services. Maybe instead of the parents shelling out money for after-school programs or daycare, the children can come to your place to be babysat until the parents are available.

4. Ask your parents about their friends' children. Parents tend to stick together, so they always know someone who has a child and needs a babysitter. For the most part, parents don't mind being their children's promoters, so if they want to go out for a night on the town with a friend and you don't have anything to do, encourage your parents to say, "___________ can watch the kids while we go out. She's trustworthy." The other parents may be more receptive to the idea if they know your parents.

5. Sell yourself. Buy business cards, make signs on your computer and create a website to make it official. Saying "I babysit" sounds casual, but if you have taken the time to create documentation of your location, credentials, contact information and references, maybe an outside party can Google you to see if they want you to watch their kids too.

6. Consider taking education courses and finance courses in your college years. Although babysitters don't necessarily need a degree to watch someone's child, you may decide later that you want to open your own daycare. Taking classes to figure out the financial side and how to entertain children through education (not just video games and fast food restaurants) will make the parents think you're more qualified. This also looks excellent on your resume.