By ERIN BUELL
Picking up babysitting jobs can be a perfect way for many teenagers to keep busy this summer. Parents of young children can take advantage of the availability and eagerness of these young sitters during the break from school.
Parents of adolescent children may welcome the chance for their child to earn some money and take on responsibilities during the summer, and may feel grateful that their child, while working as a sitter, will be involved in a meaningful activity for a few hours.
This certainly can be a win-win situation; however, parents of babysitters play a crucial role in the success and safety of their child's employment opportunity. Most babysitting jobs occur without incident. But the "what-ifs" can be daunting. Parents should put some thought into whether their child is ready to handle the job.
Babysitting sometimes means that a young teen is expected to take care of children in an unfamiliar home, prepare meals, face potential medical or other emergencies, work late and manage discipline issues. Throw in hopes that the kitchen will be clean, nothing will be broken and impressionable youngsters will have a stellar role model, and we have created fairly high expectations for this line of work.
Anyone heading into a job this important should receive proper training. Getting your child into a babysitting course is a good place to start. These classes can help an adolescent understand some basic principles of childcare, age-appropriate activities for children, basic first aid, safety and how to respond to emergencies. But a babysitting course is only one part of the training process. You know your child better than anyone, and it is up to you and your child to work out what kinds of jobs are appropriate and safe for all involved.
Here are some questions prospective sitters and their parents can discuss to help determine her or his skill levels and in what areas the sitter needs more "training":
· How late can this sitter work? Would she or he be afraid after dark in someone else's house?
· Is the sitter easily distracted? How many children can she or he watch at one time?
· Is the sitter allowed to use sharp knives without supervision? How about an oven or stove?
· Has she or he ever changed a dirty diaper?
· How does she or he handle frustration or stressful situations?
· How would this teen handle a challenging child?
· Is there an understanding of basic prevention, safety and emergency measures?
· Will a teenager be expected to drive a car with young passengers?
· Is the sitter assertive enough to ask a parent questions about the babysitting job or to explain that she or he doesn't have the skills to do an expected task?
Prevention is the biggest factor in keeping everyone safe in a babysitting job. Some key pointers for all involved:
· Never give children a bath or take them swimming. The dangers are serious, and wet babies and toddlers are slippery and unpredictable. Suggest a sponge bath if necessary and a sprinkler for cooling off on a hot day.
· Don't have friends over while sitting. Most people don't get to take their friends to work—it's a distraction from the tasks at hand.
· Don't carry a baby or toddler unless necessary. A wiggly baby or a tough toddler can be challenging to hold on to; if a child is dropped, serious injuries can occur. If a child needs to be held, it is safest to do so while sitting down.
· Both the babysitter and her or his parents should have a list of emergency contacts. It is also important to have the house address listed near the phone in case of emergency.
· Parents of babysitters need to be readily available if their child needs help or guidance on the job.
· A sitter's parents should provide transportation to and from the babysitting job whenever possible to avoid the possibility that their child would get into a car with an unsafe driver.
Babysitting is a great job for kids. Parents are an important part in helping them make it a positive, safe experience that provides tools for building self-esteem, creativity and compassion, and helps develop many skills for future responsibilities.
