Babysitting Job tips
| Babysitting First ImpressionsWhen you are meet an employer for the first time, introduce yourself. Speak clearly and loudly enough that you can be heard and understood without being asked to repeat yourself. If you feel comfortable shaking hands (and you should be), shake hands firmly with the adult. Greet each person in the room. Each child, regardless to age, should be adressed by name. Be sure to smile at the child. |
Show interest in a young child is doing by ssaying something like, “He is so cute.” or “She really loves that bear, doesnt she?” Be sure to get down to the child’s eye level when your talking to hime or her.Talk to an older child. You can ask what the child is doing or his or her age or name.Don’t be embarrassed to show that you like children.
babysitting hint:HINT
DON’T BE TO QUICK TO REACH OUT TO A YOUNG CHILD. YOUNG CHILDREN ARE LIKELY TO BE SHY OR SCARED. THEY DO BETTER IF YOU ALLOW THEM TIME TO GET USED TO YOU BEFORE YOU COME TOO CLOSE OR TRY TO PICK THEM UP.
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Babysitting Arrangements. Someone is paying you for your time. Babysitting is not a time to invite a friend in or have a lengthy phone call. If you do need to call someone, limit your conversation to a few minutes. It is important to keep the line open for parents to call home, or for someone else who has an important message. You should never have visitors unless special arrangements have been made with the parents. |
Leave the house in good order after babysitting. If dishes have been used, wash and rinse them. Help the children pick up toys and games with which they’ve played.
Messages for the parents should be correctly taken. Parents should also receive a brief report about the children’s behavior and any unusual happenings.
To prevent a misunderstanding, both the babysitter and the parents need to make some business arrangements prior to babysitting for the first time. Some of the questions to discuss include:
babysitting job rates
What is a fair rate of pay for babysitting ? Check with others who babysit in your community. Talk with your parents.
Do you charge by the hour or the babysitting job?
Do you charge the same for every family and every babysitting job?
How do you state your charges and collect your money? The time to discuss the fee is when you accept the sitting date. After discussing the job, just say “My charge is _____ an hour.” Your working time begins when you arrive and ends when the parents return home. Make a note of the time, figure the total hours and be prepared to give the amount. Most parents will ask “How much do we owe you?” Be prepared to say: “That is 3 hours at ____ an hour, so it is ______.”
General Expectations
What is the expected time period that you will be babysitting? How many hours? Will it be a regular schedule — daily, weekly, or another time arrangement? How late can you stay? Will you babysit during the week or weekends only?
Will you be required to do any special tasks such as washing dishes or light cleaning?
How will you get to their home and back again? Tell your parents immediately if a parent acts inappropriately with you. And do not babysit there again.If you find that you are expected to do an unreasonable amount of work that was not mentioned in your arrangements, you may need to cross this family off your list.
Ask the parent:
Are there any food restrictions for religious or cultural reasons?
Do you want me to help your child say anything before or after he or she has her meals? Are there television shows that are offensive to you and your family that you do not wish to be shown?
How do you feel about children using slang words or talking back?
Are there certain clothing practices you should know about?
Are there any restrictions or religious practices that you would like me to know about? Learn about the culture of the family. You can also share your own background. You can tell things about where your family originally came from or what religion your family believes in. You can talk about how your family feels about cleanliness, your clothing and how you look. As you share things about yourself, the parent may then tell you what is or is not important for their child.
Some families might be very different from your own. You will want to know how to respond if a child swears, and then tells you, “My parents let me use those words.” You might have to set your own limits if you are uncomfortable. You might have to watch your own language and be careful what words you use, control your anger. All of these considerations are important when you are sharing the caring of a child with his or her parent.