Would you allow a 16 year old girl to babysit for you?

[chlozil]

Hi all,

My name is Chloe and I'm 16 years old currently studying hard for my GCSE's this summer. I am very dedicated to my school work, however I would love to earn a bit of extra cash every now and then and I love interacting with children so much. I have many toddlers and babies in my family, so I believe I would be very good at it.

I would consider myself to be responsible and hard working and I would like to advertise myself as a babysitter, perhaps post leaflets through doors or something. I wouldn't charge a lot, rougly £5 per hour but my question is, would you trust me to babysit for you or do you think 16 is too young?
I would arrange to meet the parents before looking after their child as I believe it is important for them to get to know me a little first and to earn their trust.

How would you go about searching for a babysitter? I want to advertise in the right places :)

Any thoughts and opinions on this matter would be great!

Thanks in advance.

I've had a 16 year old come to the house in the morning, look after my daughter and then take her to nursery on the bus! I think she was about 3. Definitely would want to meet you first but 16 isn't too young, I was babysitting at 14. Good luck with it!

Hi Chloe,

My daughter is 14 and she does babysitting for lots of families in our area, we also let her look after our son when we go out.

She did a babysitting course at our local library so she knows first aid and what to do in an emergency etc. She charges £5 per hour.

She began by working for friends with children and got recommendations from there. She also picked up a few jobs on our local town's facebook page where people were asking for babysitters.

Hope this is helpful. Good luck

My dd has been babysitting since she was 14 so I wouldn't have an issue wig your age at all. Remember there are some 16yr old with their own babies! Good luck.

16 is fine, though I'd want to be near enough to get back in s hurry and definitely want to have an idea who she was - a recommendation or to know who her mum was :o It would be ideal for early evening parents evenings (kids aren't welcome at ours) and occasionally for when I've had to reschedule working in the evening when DH has worked away.

Nobody will babysit 3 kids though - I've never found a non family babysitter willing to, though at one point we looked and asked around.

My 15 yr old babysits, but she did do a first aid course first and we always offer to be her backup in an emergency (never needed).

When my dc were young, I used a 15 yo boy as a babysitter. His mum was a friend and neighbour, and suggested him. He was a lovely level-headed young man, and we weren't far away or away overnight (though he also did brilliant house/cat/dog sitting when we all were!).

Word of mouth is always the best recommendation. :)

Depends on the 16yo. I was babysitting younger than that, and I know 16yos who I would definitely trust, but as you say, I would need to meet you first and ideally know your parents.

In answer to how I find babysitters - mostly through recommendation. I would advertise through small and local things - if you have a parish newsletter, or a corner shop - somewhere where they know you - or if you can babysit for friends of your parents and then get them to recommend you through school (you could give them cards to pass on?). I wouldn't spend a lot of money (even if it's just printing) advertising where there is no personal connection, because I don't think you will get a lot of return on that.

Good luck with it - I found it an excellent way to earn some money and spend most of the time (evening babysitting once children were in bed) on school work anyway!

When I used to use babysitters, I tended to use the teenage children of people I knew, so the daughter of the nursery school teacher. I would have been happy to use my neighbours teenagers. I wouldn't have used an unknown babysitter, unless they had been recommended by a friend.

I've use a teenage babysitter, but following a personal recommendation. I'm not so sure I'd follow an ad (any age).

The best recommendation is word of mouth, so if you can start sitting for one or two families you know and it goes well, you should find more follow.

I would, I started when I was 14. I put a card up on the shop bulletin in our village, had a nice regular job whilst at school looking after three children.

Give it a go, pop an advert in your local shop.

Yes I have, the best way is through personal recommendations - do you know any local families? I used to use my friends' daughters to babysit. I doubt I would respond to an ad in a shop - but you could try.

Good idea to see if there is the Red Cross 'babysitting course' near you.

Depends on the maturity of the 16yr but honestly Prob not Tho many on here will

Yes bs is generally easy but been a few times where I have needed to calm
Down upset children or look after and change children that are physically sick and many teenagers can't Cope with that - Tho some can

So promote yourself with getting basic first aid aid maybe try and gain a few refs from parents that have used you

Do you want to work with children ie in a nursery or as a nanny

mr tumnle why can't you get a bs to look after your 3? I've often had 3 when bs and last nanny job I had 3 young children - do you mean no one wants to bs ? :(