What You Need to Ask Before Accepting a Babysitting Job

After I became a Safe Sitter®, I could hardly wait to start babysitting. As soon as I got home from class, I started letting neighbors know that I was now a Safe Sitter® and I had my mom tell all her friends that I was ready to babysit!

I’ll never forget the very first phone call I received to babysit. Mrs. Stevens, who lived down the street, called me to watch her two sons. I was so excited! I was finally going to get to babysit and earn some money.

When Mrs. Stevens said, “Can you babysit for me?” my instinct was to shout, “Yes! Yes, I can!” But I didn’t. I’m a Safe Sitter® and I know that before I accept a babysitting job, I need to gather some information as well as my parents’ permission.

My first babysitting job was great – and a huge success! Watch my video and learn what questions you need to ask before accepting a babysitting job. I promise you will never regret doing a little extra work before you say, “Yes!”

What to ask before accepting a babysitting job.

You were offered a babysitting job. Woohoo! I know, it can be really tempting to blurt out, Sure I can do that! without knowing much about the actual job. I mean, hey, it’s a job and that’s what every babysitter wants, right? But before you say yes to avoid a bad case of FOMO, it’s important to ask a few questions.

Okay, first things first. You’ll need to know the basics like what date are you needed, where exactly is the job, what time do you need to be there. If those work for you then it’s on to the most important detail, the kids. How many adorable munchkins will you take care of and how old are they.

You’ll want to find out because if you’re being asked to watch too many kids by yourself, that might be too hard to do on your own. If the number of kids is something you can handle, you’ll need to know about their routines and any special issues.

Here’s an easy way to remember what to ask about: B-E-S-T. The BEST babysitter’s always find out this info. See what I did there!

B stands for bedtime routines.

E stands for entertainment.

S for snacks and mealtime.

And T for toileting.

Ask the parents if there’s anything you must know about caring for their kids when it comes to these four things. Sometimes a babysitting job means more than just watching kids. It might also mean a chore here or there, like feeding the family pet, or washing the dishes.

You’ll want to ask about any chores because (a) they add to your workload and (b) parents will think you’re oh so responsible for asking. Brownie points!

The last question you should ask about is money. I know, it can feel funny but, don’t be afraid to discuss it. Remember as a babysitter you provide an important service for parents, and you deserve to be paid for it. Take a deep breath and say So, I charge nine dollars an hour and I only take cash or checks, is that okay?

Yeah, that works.

Awesome! Now pat yourself on the back for being such an awesomely confident and responsible babysitting business owner.

Check out more Babysitter Boss videos.

Check out the Safe Sitter® Help Sheet and find helpful checklists to use to prepare for a babysitting job.

Take a Safe Sitter® class and learn more child care skills. Find a class near you!