Caring for Kids

Safe Sitter® > Student Resources > Caring for Kids
Caring teen trying to calm sad school aged girl
Babysitting is rarely sitting with a baby! The different ages and stages of children require different care.

Children can be divided into four major age groups:

  1. Infants: Under 1 year old and depend completely on you.
  2. Toddlers: 1 to 2 years old and mostly depend on you.
  3. Preschoolers: 3 to 5 years old and mostly able to do things alone.
  4. School Age: 6 to 10 years old and able to do things alone.
Learn more about babysitting each age group below.
INFANTS
TODDLERS
PRESCHOOLERS
SCHOOL AGE

Babysitting Infants

Babysitting for infants (children under 1 year old) is very demanding and a huge responsibility for a babysitter. Infants have very short attention spans and depend completely on you.

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Babysitting Toddlers

Babysitting for toddlers (children 1 to 2 years old) can be exhausting! Toddlers have short attention spans and enjoy frequent activity changes.

Babysit Me

Babysitting Preschoolers

Babysitting for preschoolers (children 3 to 5 years old) can be really fun! Preschoolers have strong likes and dislikes and want to do things on their own.

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Babysitting School Age Children

Babysitting school-age children (ages 6 to 10 years old) is a great way for new babysitters to get babysitting experience. School-age children enjoy active play and team games or activities.

Babysit Me

Babysitters learning how to change a diaper on a doll

Learn how to change diapers and even more about caring for children in a Safe Sitter® Class.