Thyra: Tips for you who are or want to be a babysitter

My tips and tricks for babysitting assignments

Being a babysitter is a very varied job. I have worked for families who have needed help with everything from leaving the children at school and kindergarten in the mornings to babysitting a child who is already asleep. What all babysitting jobs have in common is that they require creativity and ingenuity from you as a babysitter. Everything can become chaos one time you are a babysitter and go as easily as you want another time. It is important to be open and solution-oriented if something does not go as planned.

Little geniuses

Children are little geniuses, they are usually smarter and faster than you think. Something that is very common is that children can also be very manipulative. I was a babysitter for a family once that had special rules for the iPad and TV, which I knew about. The children were not allowed to play on the iPad, but they were allowed to watch various programs on the TV.It was only later that I realized that the rules were more specific than that, they were allowed to watch children's programs but not series from, for example, Netflix. Then the children had tricked me and used my ignorance to get what they wanted.Sometimes it can be clearly felt when the children try to deceive you as a babysitter. It could be that the children say that they "usually" get ice cream after dinner, or that "for mom and dad I always get to" do it. But sometimes it is not as clear, as in my example with the children's rules for screen time.Something that is good is to have a clear dialogue and communication with the parents, if you are unsure about something, it is always better to get in touch and ask. Also, listen carefully if they mention different rules so that you know what it is that applies.

First time with a new family

The first time with a new family or the first time you work as a babysitter can be difficult. You do not know the parents or the child / children yet and there can be many rules to follow. It can feel nervous and uncomfortable and you can be afraid of making mistakes.I know exactly how it feels, I am always nervous before the first time I will be babysitting new children. It can feel stressful to want to make a good first impression and at the same time try to get to know the children and the family. What I have learned from these situations is that the only thing that works is to try to take it easy and accept that everything may not be perfect the first time. You simply learn from your mistakes!

Do's and don'ts when working as a babysitter

Do's:

• Be resourceful, children get tired quickly so it is important to be able to quickly come up with new games and things to do.
• Let go of your own inner child, take part in the children's games and ignore if it sometimes feels like you are ashamed. These are children we are talking about, they do not care if you behave silly, getting involved is only positive!
• Show who decides. If the children do not respect you, they will not listen and then the job goes from being the most fun in the world to the hardest in the world.
• Be a good role model! You are a big part of the children's life and everyday life when you work as a babysitter and then you must be a good role model so that the children learn and follow good behaviors.
• Let the children get to know you, tell things about yourself so that the children get an idea of how you are as a person. Then you can create a better relationship.

Don'ts:

• Never sit with your mobile phone when you are with the child. It may make the child feel that you do not want to spend time with him. Your job is to keep track of the child and not to sit with the cell phone.
• Do not swear or use inappropriate language when babysitting. Children pick up a lot of what they hear, so if you use an inappropriate language, the child will start using the same language.
• Do not be afraid to say no, you do not always get what you want and this also applies to the children.
• Do not laugh if the child makes a mistake, it is important that the children dare to make a mistake, otherwise they will never learn anything.
• Do not judge or talk about, for example, how other people look in a negative way in front of the child, work instead of the child getting a positive self-image.

Read More about babysitting Yepstr

All children are different, some are very active with a lot of energy while others are calm. My best tip here is to adapt the play / activity to the child. A little calmer activities can be playing games, building with Lego, doing crafts or watching movies. More active things can be to play hide and seek, bake, go out to a park if there is one nearby or some other fast-paced game that the child likes.Be aware that different families may have different rules over, for example, screen time. My recommendation is still to avoid the child looking at a screen as much as possible because the child will then be very shielded. It is better that you try to find things to do with the child, but it can of course be cozy to watch a movie or TV together sometimes as well.I have been a babysitter for a family that previously had a maximum that the children could watch the iPad 1 hour a day, then the parents changed it to 1 hour every other day and I then got the chance to babysit on a "screen-free day". It was an extremely big difference from before when I was babysitting the children. They became more social and were much more in the present and the moment, so I believe it is better to try to avoid screens!

If the children fight

I and everyone else who works as a babysitter have all been in the same situation. The child falls or strikes himself in some other way and it becomes like the end of the world. Here it is important to just take it easy and patch up the baby if needed and show a little love. I personally usually drive on "should I blow?" and if the child nods, I blow a little lightly in the place that hurts. If you have not heard of this before, I understand that it sounds a little strange and it does not really help physically to remove the pain. But it usually makes the child calm down a bit and feel that it mentally feels a little better. Children are usually then quickly on their feet again after they have beaten themselves and are as happy as before.

Try being a babysitter!

In conclusion, I really want to recommend all young people out there to work as a babysitter! I think it is an absolutely fantastic job that is varied and offers new surprises all the time.All children are unique with different personalities and it is important that the children and you as a babysitter feel that it is a good match for the job to be able to flow. As a babysitter, you become a lifesaver for families but also for the children's friend. You get the chance to feel that you are doing something important that matters while earning some extra money!

More Reading: - Rebecca: My first jobs caring for children- 11 tips for successful babysitting