What Is A Part Time Babysitter Side Hustle Exactly And Why Is It Gaining So Much Traction
As we understand it, a side hustle is someone who works full-time and has a second source of income. The monetization and manifestation of creative hobbies and interests are frequently the side business.
If you want to start a homemade chocolate business but dont have the money or resources to quit your day job, you might start a side hustle by showing up at farmers markets or selling your products online in the evenings and weekends. Perhaps you work full-time but DJ on weekends this could be considered a side hustle.
Additional Checklist Items For Babies
If you have an infant, be sure your sitter knows the following:
- Never give baby honey .
- Never give a baby or toddler a food other than what you left specifically for her heat the food very carefully, if necessary and check the temperature before giving it to the baby.
- Never leave a baby unattended, especially on top of a changing table or in the bathroom.
- Put baby to sleep on her back in a bare crib to reduce SIDS risk.
Practice Child Care Basics
You should be able to handle the basics of child care, which include supervising and monitoring child safety, preparing meals and snacks, helping kids keep good hygiene and bathroom hygiene, changing diapers of infants and toddlers, and organizing age-appropriate activities and playtime.
If youre new to sitting, take a babysitting course that covers the basics, says Rachel Charlupski, founder of the Babysitting Company in Miami, Florida. Even better, she says, is paid or volunteer work in a group setting, such as a summer camp or preschool, where you may have required training and will most certainly get hands-on experience in caring for kids and handling common situations.
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Keep An Open Line Of Communication
When youre babysitting, dont feel like you have to figure out everything on your own. Always reach out to the parents if you have any questions or face any issues. It could be as simple as, I cant find the extra wipes or as complex as, Your son is highly upset and Im not sure how to calm him down. Nothing Ive done works.
You should also let them know about any concerns you have, like if their child is being picked on by a neighbor. By keeping an open line of communication, youre building trust with the parents. It shows that you want to make sure their child is safe and healthy.
Be Prepared For Everything
Your number one priority as a babysitter is to keep the child youre watching safe. That means being prepared for any and every issue or emergency that could happen.
Keep a list of important phone numbers on hand at all times. Youll want to include numbers for other family members and poison control so you know who to call in a crisis.
Ask for a list of the childs allergies and what you need to do in the event of an allergic reaction. Learn what types of toys and foods are choking hazards so you can avoid them. Being proactive will allow you to stay calm and levelheaded if an emergency arises.
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How To Hire A Babysitter Without Stress
- Interviews are not too formal its reasonable to speak to prospective babysitters, not weird.
- Check references on the phone or in person, instead of by email or text.
- Paid observations are a small investment that allows parents and children to find the right sitter.
- Write out the bedtime schedule and routine and what the house rules are, for older kids.
- Parents should also write down their numbers and leave their phones on.
- Hit the road and dont come back
Most families who have good experiences are more than happy to share them, Parlakian says. Its tempting to reference-check by email or text, but I always recommend a phone call. You can pick up pauses or inflections that might be missed in written communication. And, as you talk, follow-up questions might come up that are very helpful.
Really, the best way to measure a potential sitters fit with the family is to have them come over and try it. Its called a paid observation: the sitter visits and learns the family routine and the personality of the kid while mom and dad are there.
Explaining evening routines, as well as agreeing upon rates, helps make that first night go more smoothly. Prepping just a little more can help it go even more smoothly.
I think its really helpful to write down a schedule for the night so the sitter knows when and what to do, suggest Parlakian. Talk them through the schedule and show them where things are in the house.
How To Market Yourself
If youre new to babysitting, youll need to let people know youre interested.
Word of mouth is often the easiest way to land a job. Talk to your neighbors, people from your church, or families at your school who have young kids. Ask friends who are babysitters if they know of any openings. If you have an older sibling who is moving on to another job, can you inherit his or her clients? Its always best to babysit for someone you know or someone youve heard about from a friend.
If word of mouth doesnt work, consider advertising in your neighborhood. You can put flyers in peoples doors or send out an email if your neighborhood provides a list of residents. If you decide to advertise, check with your parents first. They need to know anytime you put out personal information.
Put together a résumé outlining any specific skills and experience you can offer. For example, if you took a babysitting course, put it on your résumé. List any experience you have caring for kids even if its younger brothers, sisters, or cousins. Have you taken a first-aid course in school? Do you drive? These are all things to put on your résumé.
Before you start, you also need to know how often or how much you want to work and what you plan to charge.
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Pricing Based On Locality
Even with stellar skills, you will need to base your rate on the average price for babysitting in your local area. Beyond asking people you know how much they pay their babysitter, you can search for average rates on the Care.com calculator. Input a zip code, your years of experience babysitting, how many children you will be watching and the amount of hours you would be working for the family. For example, the infant babysitting rate for one child for five hours in the Houston, Texas, area would be approximately $12 an hour. According to the Care.com 2018 Babysitter Survey, rates ranged from $13 to $18 per hour nationwide, depending on the locale.
Babysitting Training In Oregon
The American Red Cross is the nation’s leader in babysitter training. And with curriculum developed under the guidance of, and reviewed by, the Red Cross Scientific Advisory Council, we can help you learn how to care for the kids in your neighborhood and start your business on the right foot. Best of all, with a wide range of online and in-person babysitting classes in Oregon, it’s easy to find a class that suits your schedule and your learning style.
The American Red Cross offers three types of Oregon babysitting classes. All courses, once successfully completed, will give you access to a printable certificate that you can use to show potential employers and grow your business. Our babysitter training courses take just a few short hours to complete, but can help make all the difference to the families you care for.
The Oregon Babysitter Training course from the American Red Cross is designed those ages 11 to 15, and is delivered in a traditional classroom setting. With caring, compassionate, knowledgeable instructors who can help you understand the proper techniques for caring for infants and children, you can become a more capable, confident babysitter.
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Start As A Mothers Helper
A mothers helper is basically a babysitter in training. As opposed to a sitter or nanny who handles child care while parents are away mothers helper assist the family while they are still home.
Every child is unique. This is why its always best to have a few hours with the infant when the parent is present. This gives you the opportunity to ask questions, observe, and see how mom interacts with the baby.
How To Start Babysitting An Infant
If you have little to no experience watching an infant, it might be a good idea to start out as a Mothers or Fathers helper. Meaning, the parent is still in the home, but youre looking after the baby. If you have an issue, you can ask questions so you become more comfortable with watching the baby.
This will help you get acquainted with the house to make sure that you know where all the items are kept, i.e. bottles, diapers, clean clothes, blankets, etc.
The parent can do other things like take a nap, clean, or tend to other household needs. It may sound a little silly to be a babysitter while the parents are still home, but its actually quite helpful for them to have a second set of hands around. Infants are a lot of work when theyre not sleeping.
Once you feel comfortable enough, the parent can start to go out for short periods of time until you both feel comfortable being left alone for longer breaks.
Babysitting an infant is much different from babysitting a toddler. Since they dont have any speech you have to depend on their nonverbal queues to tend to their needs. If you feel like youre not ready to take this on just yet, seek babysitting positions for older children. Once youve become a more seasoned babysitter, you can they consider children of younger ages.
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But Not A Best Friend
Speaking of rules, it’s tempting to be the “cool” babysitter who lets kids get away with things parents never allow. But you can’t be a child’s friend all the time. Know when to say no and when it’s OK to let something small go like letting kids stay up 15 minutes past bedtime on occasion.
Kids will challenge you. Pushing boundaries to see how much they can get away with is a normal way kids learn and figure out where they stand. But even though kids try to fight rules, they actually need and thrive best on structure and limits. So check in with parents to find out what the rules are, then follow them even if you don’t agree with them! Not only will this help keep things consistent for the kids, you’ll gain their respect and trust.
The best babysitters think of the job as a responsibility first, with having fun second. Few things are as rewarding as knowing you’ve earned a child’s trust and affection.
Considering Additional Hourly Fees
Once you have established a basic hourly rate for babysitting, decide what additional fees you can charge for additional children or extra services. For instance, many providers charge an extra $1 to $2 for each additional child they watch. You will be responsible for supervising the dynamics of play between children as well as feeding and tidying up after a larger group, so it is reasonable to expect more pay. Cleaning up the play area and putting away the dishes you use should be part of the routine expectation for what you provide. However, any additional housework should be negotiated into your fee.
Similarly, if you are providing other services like taking children to the park or taking them to the doctor be sure to work out transportation costs and insurance issues in advance. If you use your own vehicle, charge for mileage using the standard IRS allowable rate, or have the client pay for your gas. If you will be driving your client’s vehicle, be sure you are covered under their insurance.
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Other Tips For Babysitting A Baby
Its considerably more challenging to watch a baby for a long period of time than a toddler. The signals can be hard to read. Sometimes babies are a dream to take care of, and other times your hair will fall out from sheer stress.
- Ease yourself into it. Start off with one-hour gigs. Then two hours. Then three. Etcetera. This will help you build up your confidence and ability to take care of little people that cant talk.
- Also, keep in mind that every baby is different. Just because you took care of your baby sister a time or two, it doesnt mean that youre able to handle a totally different baby on your own.
- Make sure that your babysitting bag is well stocked and includes all of the vital information. Babies are delicate, and they need close attention. Be ready to handle any medical emergency that could come up, except for open-heart surgery, that is. A doctor should do that one.
- Ask the parents where everything is before they leave. This includes things like onesies, burping cloths, etc. Babies spit up all the time, and youll likely have to change their clothes to keep them comfortable.
- Dont hold the baby above you with your mouth open. If you do, youre asking for it.
If youre feeling a little overwhelmed, dont worry. If you start small and babysit for short periods of time, youll be able to ease yourself into it. When you feel up for it, give it a shot! It can be the easiest babysitting youve ever done.
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Don’t Assume I Have My Md
When I arrived at the Learys’, the girls were well-behaved and happy to meet me. As Mrs. Leary was heading down the front steps, she casually turned and said, “Susannah will show you how to apply her compresses. She has a tiny rash, but it’s nothing to worry about!”
One hour later, I discovered that the “little rash” was actually full-fledged boils, as oozing and disgusting as anything I’ve ever seen. The application of the compresses involved keeping the water extremely warm, wringing out the cloth repeatedly and reapplying it over the course of two hours. I was shocked that Mrs. Leary would trust me to handle this task.
When I got home, my mother stood over me to make sure I washed my hands thoroughly, and the next morning she called Mrs. Leary to discuss the matter. Needless to say, I haven’t been back since. My suggestion to the Mrs. Learys out there: Warn the sitter ahead of time if your child requires any medical attention. Give her the chance to decide whether it’s appropriate and something she can handle.
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