A Way For Kids To Earn Money

How to Start Babysitting

Written by Madi Gaebler for Gaebler Ventures

Looking for a way for kids to earn money? Babysitting is one of the fast and easy ways to make money when you are a kid. We teach you how to be a good babysitter and earn some good cash in the process.

Starting a babysitting business is the best thing to do when you need a little cash.

Any kid can make some quick easy money by babysitting.

Although babysitting may seem like a cinch, there are many tips and ways to make even more money. Here are some suggestions to help you make your babysitting business the best and most profitable it can be.

A good babysitting business can be created in three easy steps. The order is: Prepare, Advertise, and Perform.

Prepare

First prepare. There are many things you can do to prepare yourself for babysitting. One way is to earn your babysitting license. You can do this by taking a class at your local community center or library. These classes will teach you how to be prepared in case of emergency and you'll know how to perform medical procedures such as CPR. This will make the parents more relaxed when leaving their kids with you.

Another way to prepare yourself for babysitting is when you're around kids, seize the chance to hang out with them. By spending more time with smaller kids, you will become more patient with them.

Last but not least, if you have younger siblings or relatives, get permission to babysit them the next time the parents go out to run errands. This way you can start with people you already know. Also, for the first time you're babysitting them, try to find a time that the parents will be back in an hour or so. This way, you don't have too much pressure for your first time babysitting.

Advertise

Next is to advertise. Ask around your neighborhood. At neighborhood social events, spend some time with the kids and afterwards ask the parents if there is some time you can babysit for them.

By spreading the word at social events, many people will know about you so that if there's ever a time when they need a babysitter you will be the first person they call.

Another thing you can do is ask your parent to tell their friends. The parents will feel comfortable using you for babysitting because they know your parents.

Lastly, ask your customers to spread the word. After you have babysat one time and you do well, the parents will tell other people who will want to hire you also. Plus, if the kids grow fond of you they will want you to come back.

Perform

Although preparing and advertising is important, it is even more important to do well when you're performing, or, in other words, actually babysitting the kids.

When I was a kid, there was one person we hired every time to babysit us, and we're still in touch with her today. What I learned from that is that to be a good babysitter you need to grow a strong bond with the kids and the adults.

Even though it can be the easy way to babysit, don't just let the kids be couch potatoes. One thing parents don't like is when you let their kids watch the TV the whole time. Although the kids might be watching TV when you get there, try to break them off from the TV and play some game or walk to a park.

This leads me to another point. Don't be afraid to ask questions when you're talking to the parents before they leave. Some good questions are: "What is their bedtime?"; "Am I allowed to go to the park with them?"; "Do they have a TV limit?"; and "Is there anything they need before going to bed?"

Once you know the answers to these questions, when one of the kids asks you why you're telling them to do something, you have an answer. Plus, the parents might have some good ideas for what the kids can do.

A common thing that babysitters do is they bring a "babysitting bag". In this you can have activities, supplies, and anything else you might need. This is helpful for when you're sitting babies and young kids.

After multiple times babysitting a family, it is good to bring some sort of activity. My old baby sitter would sometimes bring cookie mixes or crafts. This made us like her even more.

As a result my parents paid her more. Of course, the pay for our babysitters varied. If the babysitter was being driven to our house and back by my parents, then they paid more and vice versa.

One time my sister threw up and the sitter cleaned it up without even a call to my parents. Not only that but she also made sure all the clothes were clean and she cleaned up the mess. That time my parents paid her a lot!

It was the same if she brought some sort of activity for us to do. In other words, better babysitters should earn more than average babysitters.

So what should you charge for babysitting? If it is your first time babysitting, the average wage is about 5 dollars an hour. Again this varies, based on where you live and other things.

Remember, the key to babysitting is forming a relationship with your clients. Then, you can enjoy your visits also. Follow these steps and you'll be on your way to a great babysitting business. Good luck!

Madi Gaebler is an expert on kids and money. In her spare time, she enjoys playing soccer and spending time with her friends.

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