Things You'll Need:
- Patience
- Understanding
- This article
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Step 1
As a babysitter, your number one priority is the safety of the children in your care. It may be helpful for you to get special training on working with children, before sitting. Many schools offer child care classes, and the American Red Cross teaches a babysitting class as well as a CPR Course. There is a link to the American Red Cross under the resource section of this article.
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Step 2
Know plenty about the age group of the child or children you will be babysitting. Learn what behavior and skills should be expected from their age group. This will also help you plan age appropriate activities to do with the children.
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Step 3
The age of the children and the environment, will determine how much supervision they need. Obviously, you would not want to leave a crawling toddler alone to play by himself in the front yard, while you stay in the house. But in most cases, it would be alright to let a typically well behaved 5 year old play by himself in his room while you prepare lunch in the kitchen, as long as you checked on him every once in awhile. Keep an eye on the children, and limit yourself with distractions such as watching television or talking on the phone.
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Step 4
Make sure to respect the wishes of the child's parents. If they asked you to put the children to bed at 9, then put them to bed at this time. If they told you that the children are not aloud to have candy, then don't allow them to have candy. A lot of children will try to take advantage of their parents not being there, but you need to make sure they understand that the rules still apply. Also, make sure that you clean up any messes made in the house while you are there. A lot of parents will even pay extra for cleaning up messes you are not responsible for, but you will need to discuss this when them prior to sitting.
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Step 5
Interact and play with the children as much as you can. You should be down on the floor at their level playing and communicating with them. Also, limit the amount of time the children play on the computer and watch television, and don't let a screen do the babysitting for you. You may also want to read my article "How to Make Watching TV Healthier for Your Child" for ideas on how to make the time they do watch television more positive. You will find a link to the article under the resources of this article.
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Step 6
Realize, that it is necessary to discipline the children. Often, we think think that it is solely our jobs to be the child's friend, but children need guidance. Never spank the child. Instead, use timeouts.
Make sure that you are also recognizing when the child does something good. Give them plenty of personal positive comments like "Good job remembering to pick up your toys, Suzy"
You can also chose to give them other rewards such as stickers or candy.
Comments
besesitos said
on 8/29/2009 I did a lot of baby sitting in my teenage years. I agree, getting down on the floor and playing with the children always works well. Great Article!