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.

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.

Babysit Me

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

Babysitter Boss Videos

A young babysitter wearing blue gloves tends to a child's scraped arm in a bathroom setting, demonstrating first aid skills.

When Things Go Wrong: Cuts & Scrapes

Babysitting can involve more than games and snacks—you may also need to handle minor injuries...
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A teenager wearing headphones and a hoodie sits on a couch, looking annoyed while younger children play loudly in the background.

World’s Worst Babysitter

Babysitters, we’ve all had those cringe-worthy moments on the job—but some are bigger fails than...
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A young girl in a red striped shirt lays on the floor making a scrunched-up face, while another child in a blue dress sits nearby with toys. A babysitter observes from a chair in the background.

When Things Go Wrong: Toddler Temper Tantrums

What do you do when the toddler you are babysitting refuses to have their diaper...
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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.