Is my child ready to babysit? 11 questions to ask yourself and your child

One of the first signs parents should look for is the fact that if their child is comfortable staying home alone for a period of time, whether it be during the day or even at night. If a child is not comfortable staying home alone and taking care of themselves, they are not ready to take care of others. Another sign is if a child is still needing a lot of supervision themselves, they are obviously not ready. They should take a Home Alone Workshop to prepare a safety plan. Having a safety plan is essential for all children staying home alone.

Some signs of maturity include completing their homework, doing chores around the house with little supervision and helping with younger siblings at home. Starting off with being a mother’s helper is a great way for future babysitters to practice while being supervised.

Responsibility involves being trusted and making appropriate decisions while learning to take credit for your actions whether good or bad. Taking responsibility is not just about how the choices and actions you make affect you, but also how they affect others.

Parents who hire a babysitter, will definitely have instructions for the babysitter to follow. There will also be house rules that must be respected. If a babysitter is unable or unwilling to following and respect the parent’s rules and instructions, they are not ready to babysit.

Leaders are awesome babysitters! They have the ability to see what needs to be done and motivate others to accomplish their goals. This can be useful when you try to convince a 5-year-old that it is time to pick up the toys in the playroom and that bedtime is approaching. Leaders often can connect with people which helps them become successful. One of the most important aspects of being a leader, is being a good role model. Children thrive will good role models.

While babysitting, your child needs to know how to prepare simple meals safely. They need to learn how to use certain appliances such as a microware, toaster, blender and eventually a stove or oven. They also need to jungle with supervising children while they are preparing a meal.

Does my child know how to deal with emergency situations effectively? Enrolling your child in a Babysitting Course will teach your child what they need to do to keep themselves and the children they are babysitting safe. They will also learn basic First Aid. Most parents who are hiring a babysitter will only hire one that is certified.

This is a good way to find out if your child is interested in being in charge of others and being able to amuse them and have fun at the same time.

Every good babysitter knows that is takes patience to babysit. Children don’t always follow the rules and as a good babysitter, you need to keep them on track and make sure everyone is safe. This sometimes requires a lot of patience.

When a child starts to earn money on their own, they gain a sense of independence and enjoy deciding how they will spend their hard-earned money as well as how much they will save for the future.

Having an honest conversation with your child can really help decide whether your child should babysit. Ask your child the following questions:

• How excited are you about babysitting?
• Do you feel confident and ready to babysit?
• Do you have any questions or concerns about babysitting?
• What are your expectations?