Before Your Child Babysits

Readiness to babysit is not a specific age but a stage of development.  There are many things to consider.  For example:

• Does my child seem capable enough to handle the responsibilities of caring for a younger child?
• Is my child able to stay in control of him/herself and in control of the younger children; i.e. handling an infant who won't stop crying?
• Is my child able to practice safe habits for the younger child and him/herself?
• Is my child able to handle household situations; i.e. typical things that can happen such as telephone calls, someone at the door?
• Would my child feel comfortable at someone else's home alone (no adults) after dark?
• Is my child able to listen to and follow instructions?  (Does my child feel comfortable talking to adults?)
• Is my child able to be an advocate for him/herself; i.e. knowing his/her limits?
• Does my child want to start babysitting?  Has my child actually asked to babysit?  Does my child enjoy younger children?  Do younger children naturally gravitate to my child?
  It's important to stress the seriousness of babysitting to your child when making this decision.  When your child accepts the responsibility of babysitting, he/she is accepting the responsibility for a child's life.

• It is absolutely essential your child knows how to rescue a choking child and be able to handle a life-threatening emergency; i.e. when and how to call 911.
• The Safe Sitter^® program was started because a toddler died from choking while in the care of an adult babysitter.
• In addition to handling life-threatening emergencies and care of the choking child, the Safe Sitter^® course includes rescue of a choking infant, the business and ethical aspects of babysitting, safety for the babysitter and the children, injury prevention, basic first aid, how to care for children, and behavior management.
• If Safe Sitter^® is not available in your area, be sure you pick a babysitting course for your child that includes the above content.
• If there isn't a babysitting course available in your community or if the only babysitting course available doesn't include how to rescue a choking child, your child needs to take a course in child CPR.
• Your child needs to know that every time your child accepts the responsibility of babysitting, he/she is accepting the responsibility for a child's life.
• Your child also needs to know that babysitting means watching the children at all times and obeying the house rules.
• Your child needs to know babysitting is fun and very rewarding!