Guide to Babysitting: 8 tips from a teenage sitter

After babysitting kids from newborns to pre-teens over the past three years, I’ve been through every dirty diaper, temper tantrum and sibling fight imaginable — you could call me a pro. Along the way, I’ve learned some helpful tricks that make for a smoother babysitting experience — and almost always guarantee you to get a call back. 

Plan Ahead: The night before a babysitting job, I always confirm the date and time with the parents. I’ll ask if they need me earlier or later, because plans can change and it’s good to show you’re flexible. Plus, parents love a little extra time to get ready for their outing, and will certainly appreciate the offer to come earlier. 

Bring Something to Share: This is something I do, especially when it’s my first time meeting a family, and I want them to feel comfortable with me. Bringing along a favorite game, movie and even drawing a picture or making a bracelet helps younger kids warm up to you. If it’s something they don’t have at their house and have never seen before, they’ll be even more excited.

Cancelation: If you absolutely have to cancel, have a back-up! Recommend a friend or sibling so the adults aren’t completely left with no one to watch their kids. 

Questions: Before leaving, parents always ask “Do you have any questions?” and even if you don’t really have a question, it’s important to show that you were listening and care enough to further your knowledge on what’s best for the kids. My go-to is “Is there anything else I should know?” I also add “I’ll text you if I think of anything!” That way they know you won’t be left confused on what to do, and won’t hesitate to reach out. Asking questions can be difficult because you don’t want to seem irresponsible, but it’s always better to ask and be safe rather than trying to figure it out on your own, leaving you with a bigger problem.

Follow the Rules: It’s tempting to be the “fun” babysitter that lets the kids break the rules since their parents are gone, but rules are there for a reason. Your top priority as a babysitter is to keep the children safe, and breaking rules not only puts their safety at risk, but also teaches kids a bad habit that it’s okay to disobey their parents. You can have just as much fun while following the rules. So if parents have restrictions on screen time, how much sugar the kids can have, bedtime or any other guideline — just follow it! 

Check-In Texts: Parents are usually a little anxious when leaving their kids with a sitter, so check-in texts every once in a while reassure them that their children are safe and having fun. Don’t make them text you first! You can never go wrong with a picture or even a video of the activity you’re doing. Just be careful that you aren’t texting them too much — they needed time to themselves for a reason. 

Cleaning up: Although you weren’t hired as a personal maid, it’s a nice touch to show parents you care enough about their kids and home to clean up. Tasks as simple as putting the dirty dishes into the dishwasher, wiping down the counters or tidying up the play room make a great impression on the adults. Besides, no parent wants to come home to a messy house. I’ll even have the kids help me out — parents love to hear they have responsible and helpful children. 

Positivity: Even if your time with the kids was hectic or frustrating, still make it a point to tell the parents how much fun you had and how you’d love to watch the kids in the future. I like to list off some of the highlights of what we did, and this shows the parents that you engaged with the kids — not just sat them in front of the TV the whole time. And if they see that you and the kids had fun with each other, they’ll certainly want to have you back!