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Is Your Preteen Ready to Babysit?

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    Caring for children is a big responsibility and one that some preteens feel ready to take on. Many parents, however, are on the fence about it, wondering if their preteen is truly ready to care for other people’s children. 

    So, how do you know if your preteen is ready to take on the responsibility of babysitting? Instructor Marilyn Allen, who teaches Babysitters’ Training for the Blue Springs Community Education Center, said there are three very important signs to look for. 

    “If your preteen starts showing an interest in babysitting, is responsible and loves children, then you’ll know they’re ready to babysit,” Allen said. 

    One great way to make sure your preteen is prepared is to look into one of the many babysitting classes offered in the Kansas City area. To enroll, preteens must be between the ages of 11 and 15; though some programs allow kids as young as 9 to participate. 

    “Some of the younger ones start babysitting siblings or neighbors at home with the parents there (often called mommy’s helpers). Then, when they get older, they move on to watching other people's children with the parents gone,” Allen said. 

    Blue Springs mom Jamie Conaty, said being a mommy’s helper was a great first step for her daughter, Emily. 

    “It helped Emily establish relationships with the parents and children so that they’d know she’d be a good babysitter,” Conaty said. “And when she turned 11, I enrolled her in Babysitters’ Training. I wanted her to be prepared for any type of emergency, and I wanted her to hear it from a professional.” 

    Preteens enrolled in Babysitters’ Training learn such things as how to diaper a baby, what games and activities to play with kids of all ages and what to do in emergency situations. 

    “I give them handouts on things they can do with the children, ideas on snacks, and we also talk about toy safety,” Allen said. “If something fits in a toilet- paper roll, then it’s too small for a child under three.”

To make sure her students understand, Allen has them bring in examples of safe toys and unsafe toys. And when teaching what to do in emergency situations, she gives her students a situation on a card and asks them to come up with a solution for it … to prepare them for the unexpected. 

    Upon completing Babysitters’ Training, students receive a certificate of completion--something to add to their babysitting resumes and something that just might help them acquire more babysitting jobs. 

    “If I had a choice between a child who just wanted to babysit and one who has taken the class, I’d choose the one who’s taken the class. To me, it shows they truly care about taking care of children,” Conaty said.

Interested in finding a babysitting class in your area? Here are some places to look into:

Gina Klein is a stay-at-home mom and writer who resides in Kansas City with her husband, two daughters and two pups.

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