• Should I be worried about competing with my friends who are babysitters?

• I would like some ideas on entertaining kids during long babysitting jobs.  It seems like they get bored so easily.

• What do I do if I get bored after the kids go to sleep?

• When is it okay to babysit for a sick child?

• Why are balloons a choking hazard?

• Why would a young child drink a poison such as bleach or gasoline?

Should I be worried about competing with my friends who are babysitters?

Getting and keeping jobs is always a concern for babysitters.  If you're worrying about your future as a babysitter, than you must take the responsibility seriously and have a desire to do well.  Worrying about competing for jobs with your friends means you are a sensitive person.  It sounds as if you are the kind of person who will be a very popular babysitter once you have an established clientele.

Your worries about competing for babysitting jobs may stem from the fact that you took the class with several of your friends and you have all told the same families you're available to babysit.  You may all live in the same neighborhood or attend the same church.  Most likely you will each develop a group of families who consider you "their babysitter."  As families get to know you, they will begin to develop preferences based on a number of factors.

Parents typically choose a babysitter who lives nearby or one who they already know or whose parents are known by them.  One of your friends may be chosen to babysit for a family simply because he/she lives closer to that family or the parents are close friends.  Although not being chosen might hurt your feelings at first, it doesn't mean the family thinks you aren't as good a babysitter as your friend.

Many families choose a babysitter because he/she seems likely to get along well with the children - a boy sitter with sons or a quiet babysitter who likes to read for a quiet child.  It may seem hard to understand why parents choose one babysitter rather than another, but parents know their own children, and they have a pretty good idea which babysitter is likely to be a "good fit."

You and your friends can help each other out.  Remind your friends that you are willing to have your name given as a substitute when they aren't available for a job.  Ask them if you can do the same for them.  Helping each other find babysitting opportunities and keeping families supplied with safe, good babysitters is a "win/win" for everybody.

I would like some ideas on entertaining kids during long babysitting jobs.  It seems like they get bored so easily.

Entertaining children for long periods of time can be very challenging.  Lots of factors can make a difference - like the season of the year, the weather, the number and ages of the children you are babysitting with, and the home or apartment where you are babysitting.  To have a fun and safe babysitting job, it is important to follow these entertainment tips:

1.  Be Prepared.  Before the babysitting job, think about how you will spend the time.  Keep in mind the time of day of the job, the ages of the children, and the personalities/interests of the children.  Ask the parents about the usual routine.  You may even want to make a written list of ideas to take with you.
2.  Be Flexible.  Remember to take the child's lead in when to play actively, play quietly, play together or allow "down time" for the child to do his or her own thing alone.  Fixed schedules don't work with children.
3.  Be Creative.  Look around for new ways to play and new things to play with.  A scavenger hunt to find a leaf, feather, etc. may be a good "spur of the moment" way to have fun.  Playing grocery with a few canned foods can be fun.  (Remember to put things back where you find them.)
4.  Be Ready to Shift Gears.  Children get bored by too much of any one kind of activity.  It's good to alternate quiet play with active play, inside with outside play, playing together with playing alone.
5.  Be Safe.  Choose toys and activities that are safe - keep the age of the child in mind.  Toys should always be at least as big as the child's fist.  All activities should be as risk-free as possible.  If in doubt, don't do it!

For some safe and fun ideas/toys for children's entertainment click here.

What do I do if I get bored after the kids go to sleep?

Late night babysitting jobs have several challenges. One challenge is feeling bored after the children go to sleep. 

The best thing you can do is come prepared. Since you know the parents’ expected return time when you accept the job, it is helpful to plan for the hours after the children go to bed. If you have the energy, it’s wise to use the time to work on your homework. If that doesn’t work for you, then you might try reading a book, looking at magazines, or even playing a hand-held electronic game. Since you need to be able to hear the children if they cry or call for you, don’t turn up the volume on the radio or TV and don’t use earphones to listen to music on your portable cassette or CD player. Also, don’t assume you can use electronic equipment, especially a computer. You need to have the parents’ permission BEFORE you use their things.

Remember that even though it may be tempting, the time when the kids are asleep is not the time to call your friends or invite them over. Finally, don’t forget to check on sleeping children once every hour.

When is it okay to babysit for a sick child?

The first two days of an illness are days that children need their moms or dads, and moms or dads need to take the responsibility for sick child care, including such things as visits to a doctor or taking temperatures. As the child recovers, parents are frequently in need of a sitter. Many times these children will need extra care such as wiping noses, giving medicines, longer naps, or earlier bedtimes. Many times the children are more grumpy than usual.

Q

• sucking a deflated balloon into the mouth while trying to blow up the balloon
• chewing on a deflated balloon
• biting into a balloon which then breaks into pieces

Any of these can cause death by choking.  The material that balloons are made of makes the pieces especially hard to remove if they are sucked into the throat.  Normal first aid procedures such as the Heimlich Maneuver are less likely to be successful than with other objects, such as food.

The majority of all poisonings involve children under age five.  Children are naturally curious.  They are always exploring and investigating the world around them.  They learn by using their sense of taste, touch and smell.  If they can reach it, hold it or get into it, they will put it in their mouths.  Since tasting is a natural part of their exploring, children eat anything, even things that we know taste bad.  The majority of poisonings happen near mealtimes because the kids are hungry or thirsty.

As soon as a child can get around on his or her own, the child is at risk of finding and taking a poison.  When they're crawling, they can find poisons such as drain cleaner under the sink.  They can reach other poisons like furniture polish on tables, or medicine in purses placed on tables or beds when they are able to stand.  When children start to climb, they can reach countertops and cabinets where bleach or gasoline could be found.  Poisonous plants are a problem too - and they can be found inside and outside.

When babysitting, try to see the environment through the eyes of the child you're babysitting for.  Prevention is the key to protecting children from poisons.  Keep your eyes on young children at all times.  Children act fast and accidents happen when we least expect them!

   

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This page was last updated 01/10/08