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 happy female teen sits on a couch, smiling as cash bills fall around her.

Getting Started Babysitting

Dreaming of becoming a babysitter but not sure where to start? This video lays out...
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A young babysitter in a navy sweater smiles warmly while engaging with a little boy playing with a toy, sitting together near a window with a pink orchid plant.

Watching Siblings Without Losing Your Mind

Watching younger brothers and sisters is still babysitting and can be the hardest babysitting job...
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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.