Is Your Tween Ready to Babysit?

Has your tween been bugging you to babysit? Or maybe just bugging you for money. Do you think your tween is ready to babysit?

If you already know the answer is YES….Get our babysitting business kit !

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If you’re still not sure, read on…

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Practically a rite of passage, babysitting was once what every tween or teen girl did to make some cash.

While I have written this from the perspective of your tween or teen daughter wanting to do the babysitting, it certainly isn’t exclusive to girls. There are boys who would enjoy it too.

Today there are so many more opportunities for tweens and teens to make money.

A Smart Girl’s Guide: Babysitting: The Care and Keeping of Kids (Smart Girl’s Guides) American Red Cross Babysitter’s Handbook My Mom Is Not My Money How to Turn $100 into $1,000,000: Earn! Save! Invest! Kid Start-Up: How YOU Can Become an Entrepreneur

However, since there are so many other ways, it means fewer tweens and teens are competing for the same babysitting jobs.

How do you decide if your tween is ready to babysit?

Is your tween old enough to babysit?

While age alone doesn’t make her ready, some states have a minimum age that you can legally leave kids home alone. Check your state regulations before you agree.

Is your tween mature enough to responsibly babysit?

Is she mature enough to be in charge without being bossy? Bossiness with siblings doesn’t mean she’ll be that way with others. Get her around some younger kids and see what happens. Maybe at a birthday party organizing the games.

Does your tween make good choices? What about when someone is trying to influence her. Kids are great at wearing people down. Would the kids be able to talk her into letting them break the rules?

Is she mature enough to follow rules and not to jump around if an adult isn’t there?

Is she comfortable in other people’s homes?
Will being in charge in a strange home make her nervous?
Does she scare easily?
Has she been home alone before?
What about at night?
Not everyone has house phones anymore. Will she have a cell phone?

Is your tween decisive and level-headed?

Can she quickly decide what to do if everyone is clamoring at once, while the phone is ringing and someone spills something?

Is your tween calm in an emergency?

Does she know what to do during an emergency?

Different emergencies require different decisions.

My kids know that if there are certain emergencies they call 9*1*1 and don’t open the door. In others, they need to leave the house first and call 9*1*1 after.

How well does she handle stress or multiple requests at once?

Crying kids, especially with other kids to take care of, is hard.

Maybe starting with families that only have one child or an older one rather than a baby might be a good way to get some experience under her belt.

Is your tween focused and good at following directions?

Different households have different rules.

Childcare involves multiple steps requiring undivided attention.

Does your tween have experience taking care of kids?

Having younger siblings can offer some experience.

Though it’s not exactly the same.

Different house, different rules.

Siblings may not listen or get along with her but that doesn’t mean she won’t be able to work it out with other kids.

If she does have younger siblings, has she watched them alone before? For how long?

Has she taken a Babysitter Course? What about first aid or CPR?

These courses are offered through Red Cross and often include not only childcare instructions but usually first and CPR training too. Certificates are issued on completion of the course.

If your area doesn’t have a class available, Red Cross offers a 4-hour basic online course. First aid and CPR courses could be added on locally.

Does she want to babysit?

Not every girl wants to babysit, just like every boy doesn’t want to mow lawns.

Does she even like kids? Get along with other kids? Or does she really just want a way to make some money?

There are so many other ways out there these days for tweens and teens to make money.

Read this post if they want a job but babysitting isn’t for them.

Not ready to babysit yet or not sure?

Let them try out being a mother’s helper.

Get the experience they need with a trusted adult close by.

It’s a great way to test out if they like babysitting or if they’re cut out for it.

Think busy moms who just need a hand (or a nap).

This helps the moms test out new babysitters too.

If you got this far and think she just might be ready, get this FREE Babysitting Flyer

Sure she’s ready?

How about an entire Babysitting Bundle filled with all the printables needed to begin a business. This kit includes 16 forms, a quick start guide to using each of the forms, and extra handy tips, plus a calendar for booking those jobs.