Robin in Tx Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 That subject line should read: young teens, not preteens... My daughter wants to start babysitting soon (maybe by next summer when she is 15) but she is an only child and doesn't have any experience taking care of young children. What do you recommend I put her through to properly prepare her for safety, child care, etc? I am considering a Red Cross class on babysitting and CPR. Is there anything else, anything better? A book? A class? A DVD? Thanks! Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 The Red Cross course is really quite good. They give them lots of safety tips as well as infant and child cpr instruction. They also give them a cd with information on it that teaches them how to run their business. You can learn more about it here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tutor Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Our dd has worked as a mother's helper, i.e. watching children while their mother was still at home but busy. She is now babysitting at night, but only after the kids are asleep. I went with her the first time, but worked in the kitchen and all babysitting duties were up to her. She now babysits for this family (who we know well) after the kids go to bed, but dd does not feel ready to get the kids ready for bed herself yet, so the next step will be getting there and helping the mom get them ready for bed then staying while the kids are in bed. We are looking at Red Cross CPR classes, but are not yet requiring them. We have suggested to her that being certified would make her more marketable as a sitter, but she really doesn't care for babysitting, so she is debating about whether to continue at all... even though we have many friends who would love for her to sit for them, young kids love her, and she seems gifted at it. :001_huh: We will have our dd11 start doing mother's helper work this year, and she she can't wait to be old enough to babysit on her own! She is hoping big sis's reputation will help her get a foothold in the local market. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busy5mom Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 My daugther is 13 and started babysitting this year. She does have experience with her younger siblings, but we gradully stepped her into this responsibility. First, she took a certified Red Cross course in First Aid and CPR. Make sure they include the child-training portion in the class. Just call your local Red Cross chapter. We were able to put together a combined class of Boy Scouts/Girl Scouts and home schoolers at a reduced rate ($10/student). I know that YWCA'S usually offer a complete babysitter training course or sometimes even your local fire department. Best advice - call around. Then, we scheduled some time with the prospective clients "in-house." The child's mom was able to go outside and do some gardening or even take a shower while our trainee was there. If everything goes well with all parties, then we know that she can do the job. We also make sure that our daughter babysits only in our neighborhood when I am home. That way, I am "on call." Just in case. Also, the first "real job" should be short. We used to make sure that dinner and dishes were done and the bedtime routine was nearly complete before we left for the evening. Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 Our local community college offered a week long course during Spring Break. Dd attended from 9am until 3pm for five days. During that time they did the Red Cross babysitting course, first aid and a home alone course. They had some guest teachers to come in and do self-defence and a couple of other topics I can't remember. Dd also had extensive experience helping around the house with her baby brother and her other two brothers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 My dds went to the Red Cross class and got certified through them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robin in Tx Posted August 17, 2009 Author Share Posted August 17, 2009 Thanks everyone... I'm going to look into the Red Cross certification or something similar at the local CC or YMCA. I'm so glad I asked this question. I was feeling like perhaps I was being too stringent in wanting dd to actually take a class/go through a course. I certainly didn't do that before I began babysitting... but I certainly wish I had (not that there were any problems, just that I never felt quite "mature" enough for the job). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted August 17, 2009 Share Posted August 17, 2009 That subject line should read: young teens, not preteens... My daughter wants to start babysitting soon (maybe by next summer when she is 15) but she is an only child and doesn't have any experience taking care of young children. What do you recommend I put her through to properly prepare her for safety, child care, etc? I am considering a Red Cross class on babysitting and CPR. Is there anything else, anything better? A book? A class? A DVD? Thanks! Robin Both the YMCA and the Red Cross classes are good--BUT there is no substitute for experience. That is especially true with young kids. I would go with her until you are sure that she is competent with them--for her sake and for the younger kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moni Posted August 18, 2009 Share Posted August 18, 2009 Red Cross class Yes, that. And experience sibling-life :seeya: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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