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Original poster

Your tips for a teen starting out as a babysitter

56 replies

UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea · 14/09/2020 14:44

My 12 (very nearly 13) yo is desperate to earn some money to support her expensive horse habit. We live in a small town and I have plenty of people in my extended network who have small children/babies and might like a babysitter for a few hours in the evening.

Please could you share your tips - from a babysitting / parents' point of view?

What do you look for in a babysitter? Would you even consider a teen this young?
What are your expectations?
How much do you pay/charge?
How do you advertise / find a babysitter?
Assume COVID a consideration at the moment?

DD is very sensible, confident and she has experience of playing with / looking out for her nephew who's now 7. When he stays for sleepovers she reads him bedtime stories. She knows rudimentary first aid. She's good with cats and dogs. We could transport her to and from jobs.

Thanks Smile

OP posts:
Original poster
UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea · 14/09/2020 18:00

Also, re horses and jobs, the stables around here charge the kids £5 to go and muck out etc. They know there are so many horse mad kids they don't need to pay for help!

OP posts:
Hedgehog26 · 14/09/2020 18:01

Same here on the too young. Dog walking is a good idea, what about going the shops for elderly neighbours? Making bath bombs? Selling her old things on Facebook?

ivfbeenbusy · 14/09/2020 18:03

At that age and given her love of animals she'd be better offering to pet sit/dog walk

I don't think I baby sat until I was at least 16

Since you can't legally leave a child home alone until they are 14 don't think you can really justify a 12/13 year old babysitting!

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Original poster
UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea · 14/09/2020 18:03

She pet sits for a neighbour but they don't go away enough. She is pretty good at selling old toys etc.

I have offered to pay her for chores around our house and garden but apparently my rates are too low Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea · 14/09/2020 18:04

@ivfbeenbusy

At that age and given her love of animals she'd be better offering to pet sit/dog walk

I don't think I baby sat until I was at least 16

Since you can't legally leave a child home alone until they are 14 don't think you can really justify a 12/13 year old babysitting!

There is actually no minimum legal age at which you can leave a child home alone.
OP posts:
NerrSnerr · 14/09/2020 18:04

Do you live in an area where people play skittles? You get paid a little bit for being the sticker upper and they're usually young teenagers. Not a huge amount but a bit of an income.

Original poster
UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea · 14/09/2020 18:10

@NerrSnerr

Do you live in an area where people play skittles? You get paid a little bit for being the sticker upper and they're usually young teenagers. Not a huge amount but a bit of an income.

No but I'm intrigued!

OP posts:
NerrSnerr · 14/09/2020 18:14

The teen puts the skittles back up after they've been knocked down!

MandalaYogaTapestry · 14/09/2020 18:16

OP I have offered to pay her for chores around our house and garden but apparently my rates are too low

As a side note, with an attitude like this, she would be doing the chores for free in my house. 🤨 She lives there too, after all and should be doing her bit. Does she pay you for laundry, cooking etc for her, out of her toy sale money?

fartyface · 14/09/2020 18:19

If she lives near us I would pay her to entertain my kids and cook tea after school while I worked.

3pm til 5. 30 ish. I'd pay £15 ish an evening.

fartyface · 14/09/2020 18:20

(worked in thr home)

Original poster
UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea · 14/09/2020 18:21

@MandalaYogaTapestry she pitches in on a daily basis - I was talking about extras like washing the car, gardening etc, she's out of the house 7.30am to 5pm on a school day with various evening activities plus homework so her time during the week is limited.

OP posts:
Nomorescreentime · 14/09/2020 18:21

As others have said, a bit young I think. I have a 13 year old and a 3.5 year old and I haven’t left her in charge yet. Another year or so and I’ll be all over it Grin

How about car washing/fence painting/lawn mowing? Or collecting shopping for elderly neighbours? A few teens round here are making cakes and selling them via Facebook, but really they should have hygiene certification!

anotherhumanfemale · 14/09/2020 19:06

I also think she could get some work entertaining kids and giving them a light (preprepared) dinner after school. But she'd have to want to interact with the kids, not like babysitting sleeping children. There are loads of people who have to do the school pick up then carry on working whilst looking after kids and sorting dinner. If she could help with homework too she'd be ticking a lot of boxes for someone!

anotherhumanfemale · 14/09/2020 19:07

*Sorry maybe not clear but in the climate of people working from home, there's a new market!

MandalaYogaTapestry · 14/09/2020 19:10

Unexpected still, I assume your DD benefits from the car when you drive her so why won't she wash it (when she has time obviously)? Ditto with garden. Anyway, none of my business 🙂 it just grated on me a bit when you said that she found your rates too low (for participation in the upkeep of her own home).

Florabella · 14/09/2020 19:24

My 13 year old has just had her first babysitting jobs. It's for friends of ours, they know her and how sensible she is and they know they are also then getting me on the end of this phone if needed. The kids are older - 7 and 9 and it's never too late. She looks after her younger siblings when we go out and has done for nearly a year.

Original poster
UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea · 14/09/2020 19:49

@MandalaYogaTapestry I don't even wash my car Grin trust me DD is a generally helpful (albeit sometimes reluctant) member of the household. It's a minimum requirement for pocket money.

She thinks babysitting will be easier and more fun.

OP posts:
Original poster
UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea · 14/09/2020 19:51

@Florabella

My 13 year old has just had her first babysitting jobs. It's for friends of ours, they know her and how sensible she is and they know they are also then getting me on the end of this phone if needed. The kids are older - 7 and 9 and it's never too late. She looks after her younger siblings when we go out and has done for nearly a year.

This was the scenario I was imagining. @Florabella can I ask if she got paid and if so how much?

OP posts:
Original poster
UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea · 14/09/2020 19:52

@anotherhumanfemale

I also think she could get some work entertaining kids and giving them a light (preprepared) dinner after school. But she'd have to want to interact with the kids, not like babysitting sleeping children. There are loads of people who have to do the school pick up then carry on working whilst looking after kids and sorting dinner. If she could help with homework too she'd be ticking a lot of boxes for someone!

She's very good with 3-7 year olds and has had a lot of practice with her nephew and friends' younger siblings.

OP posts:
Florabella · 14/09/2020 19:56

She was paid £6 per hour (she was expecting £5 p/h and to be honest she had said to me she would have done it for nothing for the practice)

ChalkDinosaur · 14/09/2020 20:01

@fartyface

If she lives near us I would pay her to entertain my kids and cook tea after school while I worked.

3pm til 5. 30 ish. I'd pay £15 ish an evening.

Yeah I'd pay similar.
MandalaYogaTapestry · 14/09/2020 20:01

Unexpected I don't wash my car either! 😂 easier to pay to get it done spotlessly.

firstimemamma · 14/09/2020 20:03

I started at 15. Anything younger is too young imo.

LabiaMinoraPissusFlapus · 14/09/2020 20:29

I had several babysitting clients at that age, and a job in a shop at weekends. I looked after age 3 upwards and used to take sticking activities with me to entertain them. Not too young if she is sensible.

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