Caring teen trying to calm sad school aged girl

Caring for Kids

Babysitting is rarely sitting with a baby! The different ages and stages of children require different care.

Safe Sitter® > Student Resources > Caring for Kids

Children can be divided into four major age groups:

Infants
Under 1 year old and
depend completely on you
Toddlers
1 to 2 years old and
mostly depend on you
Preschoolers
3 to 5 years old and
mostly able to do
things alone
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.

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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.

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Babysitter Boss Videos

A babysitter with curly hair and a calm, neutral expression listens attentively to a child, whose back is facing the camera.

Why Won’t the Kids Listen to Me?

There are several reasons kids don’t listen but don’t lose heart, there are also several...
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A young woman with curly hair in a blue shirt looks up with a concerned expression while sitting on a couch next to a little girl holding stuffed animals.

When to Turn Down a Babysitting Job

It might be hard to know when to turn down a babysitting job. When is...
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A babysitter in a navy jacket supports a sick child leaning over a bathtub, gently patting their back with a concerned expression.

When Things Go Wrong: The Vomiting Child

It’s gross. I’m not going to pretend that it’s a pleasant experience. But if it...
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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.