Being A Babysitter
What is the minimum legal age for a babysitter?
The minimum legal age a babysitter should be is 16. It's not a good idea to hire anyone under that age because they really need a babysitter themselves.
What is the average hourly rate for a babysitter?
The average rate depends solely on a babysitter's experience. If they have relatively little experience, they probably get paid 5 or 6 pounds per hour. A provisional nanny who is babysitting will expect her normal hourly rate, which will be between 8 and 10 pounds per hour.
What makes a good babysitter?
A good babysitter is really enthusiastic about looking after your children. She's not a professional nanny, or she could be, but often they'll be a bit more experienced. But, a babysitter is there just to have fun with the kids. So in a babysitter you should look for someone who is enthusiastic and always happy to see your kids.
What experience does a babysitter need?
A babysitter doesn't really need much experience, but it's better if she has had experience. If she doesn't have any childcare experience, it's a good idea to spend a few hours or a day with her with your children, so that you can feel confident leaving at night. Often, a babysitter will be there when the children are asleep. She's not going to have huge responsibilities, but it is important that she knows what she's doing if your children were to wake up or if there was an emergency. A babysitter should always live very locally to you so that you don't have to pay for a huge cab journey home for her. It's better to have some who's regular and not to go through a babysitting agency that might send you ten different babysitters. Every time you call, it's going to be somebody different. Children do look forward to seeing the same person. Often, the parents might go out and the child will already be asleep, so you don't want them waking up to a stranger that they don't know. You want them to wake up and feel, "Oh, I know you. I'm happy", so that they feel safe.
How strict should I be with the children?
As a babysitter, you're not there to discipline the children or organize their day. If a parent has given you strict instructions that a child should go to bed by a certain time, it's important that you do obey those rules, and if you think it's going to be difficult to get a child to go to bed, try to take them to bed maybe half an hour early and read a few stories with them so that they feel more comfortable. But you're not there to be the rule of law, you're just there to be fun.
Do I have to put the children to bed as a babysitter?
As a babysitter, you often will need to put the children to bed but it always depend what time you start, and how old the children are. But often, one of the babysitter's responsibilities is to put the children to bed.
How do I stop the children taking advantage of me?
Children often like to try and take advantage of their babysitter. That's why it's quite a good idea to have the same babysitter every time, or the same one or two babysitters. If the children try and take advantage of you, remember that they probably just want to be around you because you're someone fun to have in the home. Just read them another story or sit with them in their rooms for a few more minutes. Also, it's a good idea sometimes to say, "Ah! Your parents are going to be home soon. You'd better go to sleep or we'll all get in trouble," so it makes them feel like you'll get in trouble too.
What do I do if the child has an accident?
When you're babysitting the children, always make sure that they're not doing anything dangerous. However, if something does happen and there is a serious accident, always call an ambulance first, and then depending on what the ambulance service tells you to do, you should just listen to the instructions and then immediately call the parents. If the accident is not so severe, just call the parents first and ask them what they want you to do. They should leave you with an emergency telephone number to call before they go out. If they start leaving and haven't given you that number, stop them and make sure they give you an emergency number and an alternate contact as well.
What do I do if the child is out of control?
If you're finding it very difficult to control the children and you feel like you're completely out of your depth, maybe you're looking after a six months old baby that just won't stop screaming and you don't feel confident because you're not experienced with small babies, call the parents. It's always best to just call the parents. They don't expect too much of you when you're just the baby sitter, so if you're not feeling good, call them.
